Why Moralism Is Bad For Mental Health

There is a huge problem that has infiltrated the Christian church. This virus has even affected many Reformed churches as well. It is a shame how even amongst those us who should properly understand the grace of God found only in Jesus Christ and the implications of what that truly means, we still have some nasty tendencies to be self-righteous. However, this issue has been inside the Church since the first century. The apostle Paul told the Galatian church that he was appalled how they so easily were going astray and believing another gospel other than the one they learned. You see, the Galatian church was falling into a trap of moralism. What is moralism? Moralism is characterized by “an undue emphasis on morality.”  The rest of the the book of Galatians had some of the strongest words speaking against this moralism. As the Apostle Paul tells us in chapter 5 verse 1 of that book: 

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

The main reason why moralism is so dangerous is because it chains believers down to a yoke of slavery. Whenever Christians tell other Christians that they cannot celebrate Halloween, watch rated R movies, curse, drink, smoke, or do anything else that is not expressly forbidden in Scripture then they are unwittingly trying them to a burden that they cannot bear. Jesus Christ has come to set the captives free, not to make us slaves all over again. These Christians may have the best of intentions but the moralism is like a poison in a believer's life because it is designed to kill and destroy. There are some different ways that moralism destroys a believer's mental health. These ways are the following: 

1) It destroys our joy 

2) It destroys our resolve 

3) It destroys our hope 

I will elaborate on these points in a minute but first let me say that I am not attacking any Christian who thinks that for themselves certain things are wrong nor am I saying that Christians should not have any kind of morality. If a Christian believes that for themselves certain things are wrong then for them they are wrong and we should have a sense of right and wrong. I am not advocating for any kind of antinomianism. However, when a Christian starts to hold a legalistic standard on another fellow believer then that is in itself deadly and wrong. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts His people and if the Holy Spirit has not convicted someone of something then for that person that act is fine as long as it does not contradict Scripture. Now, it is time to talk about my points. 

It Destroys Our Joy 

So many times believers who are trying to hold to some kind of strict, moralistic standard their joy seems to slowly disappear. It makes sense because when you are busy keeping yourself from doing anything fun, out of a sense of moral duty, you will end feeling like you are missing out on something. That emptiness will cause you to lose your joy. 

It Destroys Our Resolve 

Legalistic people may appear like they are walking the straight and narrow, and they may for awhile, but one can only follow legalism for so long until our sin nature tears us down. You may think you're doing just fine by keeping yourself away from Rated R movies until one day a scantily clad woman walks by your window. All of sudden, you are drooling all over yourself as you are staring at her for ten minutes! When this sort of thing happens for awhile, eventually you get tired of fighting to "keep yourself pure" and you just start giving in to your desires. If you do not believe me, please check out all the studies that show what happens to young adults when they grow up in strict, legalistic homes and then finally have their first sip of alcohol. The result is that they usually end up going wild. 

It Destroys Our Hope

After our resolve has been broken, we tend to feel an intense shame over what we have done or for having ruined our lives. This shame sometimes has caused people to commit suicide. For other people, this shame has led to many other equally destructive acts. 

I hope that you can now see how deadly moralism truly is and maybe next time you hear someone being moralistic you will remember this blog. We need to adamantly oppose any kind of moralistic tendencies because this dangerous ideology is hurting so many brothers and sisters in Christ. The only way to fight against this ideology is to remember and preach the pure unadulterated gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we tell people the truth about how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus truly saves people not only from their sins but also from legalism, it should eliminate any kind of moralism in people. It is only then that we can truly live our lives as the people of God we were called to be. 

Thank you for reading my blog and may the true grace of the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you all. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

How To Combat Intrusive Thoughts Biblically

Intrusive thoughts is a common phenomenon that affects most people but a lot of people do not know how to deal with them effectively. There are tons of advice out there concerning this topic, but I have found most of most of the advice to be severely lacking in substance. In this blog, I will attempt to explain how I deal with my intrusive thoughts in the hopes that this will help you too. I don't want to fall into the same trap of lacking substance though so I think it would be helpful if I defined exactly what it is I am addressing first. According to The OCD & Anxiety Center, an intrusive thought are, 

"Unwanted thoughts, images, impulses, or urges that can occur spontaneously or that can be cued by external/internal stimuli" 

Before I get into how I deal with my intrusive thoughts, I would like to share exactly what my thoughts are. I also frequently hear voices that tell me similar things and I use the same tactics to help me combat them as well. The first thing that my intrusive thoughts tell me is that I am God and that people are worshiping and praying to me. The second thing my intrusive thoughts and voices tell me is that I need to cut myself. While I have not cut myself anymore these days, I did used to cut myself frequently in my younger years. The third thing that my voices and intrusive thoughts tell me is that I need to hurt people. They are constantly telling me to punch or slap people in the face. The final thing that my intrusive thoughts and voices tell me is that I need to think negatively about my physical appearance. 

The most important lesson I want you to take away from this is that it is perfectly normal to deal with intrusive thoughts. The reason that this is important is because many people think they are "freaks of nature" because of their thoughts, but it is in actuality completely natural. Everyone deals with these from time to time and if anyone claims that they do not then they are lying. 

The text that I would like to share with you that talks about how to deal with intrusive thoughts comes from Philippians 4:6-8 which says, 

"Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything (every circumstance and situation) by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, continue to make your (specific) requests known to God. And the peace of God (that peace that reassures the heart, that peace) which transcends all understanding, (that peace which) stands guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus is yours. Finally believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy, of respect, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things (center your mind on them and implant them in your heart)."

The most obvious take away from this text is that each thought we have we should always take it to God in prayer. This may seem like a daunting task but then again we are told to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. For example, whenever a thought or voice comes to my mind telling me that I am God, I remind myself of what Scripture says who God truly is. Sometimes I may even have to remove myself from the situation that is triggering those thoughts and voices. 

The second obvious solution that the Apostle Paul gives us is that we need to replace the thought with a more positive thought. For example, when my voices and thoughts tell me something negative about my physical appearance, I need to remind myself of something that is good about my appearance.  It also helps me to remember that the word of God tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made because i was created in the image and likeness of the infinite and holy God Himself. Also, if a voice or thought tells me to hurt someone, then i need to remind myself that that person is also made in God's image and thus they are worthy of the utmost dignity and respect. 

Like I said already, I understand that this sounds like it is hard work, and it is difficult. I am not going to lie to you and say this is easy and there will be times that you will fail. However, whenever you do fail there is grace because of who we are in Christ. As Romans 8:1 tells us, 

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus"  

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope you found it edifying to you and glorifying to The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the great God of grace and Truth richly bless you all! Soli Deo Gloria! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

A Christian Perspective On Britney Spears Announcing She Is An Atheist

Recently, in an audio recording on 60 Minutes Australia, pop singer Britney Spears announced that she is now an atheist. Her reasoning for this new faith change was this:  

"God would not [have allowed] that to happen to me if God existed. I don't believe in God anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me."

The first thing that I would like to say is that there is no such thing as a true atheist because Romans 1:18-33 is perfectly clear that God has revealed Himself to all people in such a way that no man has a defense for not worshiping Him. However, there are some things about this new revelation about Spears concerning mental health that many people really should consider. These points are: 

1) The way people treat one another can have a devastating impact one's mental health 

And 

2) As the Body of Christ, we need to do better in demonstrating love towards one another 

Studies have consistently shown that we are relational beings and the scriptures say the same thing. When God said that it was not good for man to be alone, it demonstrated that man was made a social creature. The implications of this is that words actually do hurt us, contrary to the old childhood saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Since we understand this fact, those of us who are Christians should make extra caution to show more love to one another because we do not want to be the reason a brother or sister in the faith is destroyed. Jesus tells us that our love for one another is how the world will know we are His disciples. He did not say that out doctrinal purity or superior morality is how the world will know but our love for each other is how the world will know. How has the Church as a whole fulfilled this task? 

Britney Spears has lived a rough life due to mental illness and the mistreatment of others and now she is revolting against the God she knows exist. It breaks my heart that there was not any good Christian examples in her life who can show her the true love of Christ but I know that God is good and God is just. She will be held accountable for her rebellion against Him unless she repents and places her faith in Jesus Christ. However, we as Christians need to be lifting her up in prayer and if we have the opportunity to ever run into her we need to share the love of Christ with her as we should be doing with every soul we encounter on this side of heaven. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Please Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

10 Things Every Christian Needs To Know About Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a very complex mental disorder and there is a lot of ignorance surrounding it too. In this blog I will give you ten facts that everyone needs to know concerning this disorder in the hopes that it will eliminate the stigma against it. However, before I do that I think a brief history of the origins of schizophrenia will suffice. The first recorded breakthrough of the discovery of Schizophrenia came in the 19th century from a doctor named Emil Kraeplin. He was the director of a psychiatric clinic at the university of Estonia. He originally used the term Dementia Praecox, or premature dementia. Even though his work was not finished, his discovery did begin to start to distinguish this disorder from other clinical mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder. Eventually, along came a man named Eugan Bleuler who would coin the term Schizophrenia after building upon Dr. Kraeplin's work. 

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These ten facts I will be sharing with you about Schizophrenia are not exhaustive and these are not the only facts either. However, these facts I feel are the most important for people to understand. If you or someone you know struggle with Schizophrenia, you will do well to keep these facts in mind. If you do this, then you will understand how this disease needs to be treated. After you read these facts, please comment below any other facts you should be shared. 

1) Schizophrenia Is Not Multiple Personality Disorder (AKA Disassociative Identity Disorder) 

This is probably the most commonly misunderstood fact. I have run into so many people who seem to confuse Schizopherenia with DID and I have to constantly correct them. At one time, the two were thought to be the same but in modern times we understand that these two are two entirely different and distinct mental disorders. We should not confuse one for the other anymore. People with Schizophrenia do not typically have multiple personalities. 

2) Schizophrenia Is On A Spectrum 

This is also a very important fact for people to remember because Schizophrenia does not affect all people the same exact way. Some of us only get paranoid while others only have hallucinations and delusions and some others will experience both. Some of us also have a mood disorder, such as depression or bipolar, combined with our schizophrenia. No two people with schizophrenia are quite alike. 

3) Schizophrenia Is Not Demonic 

This is probably the most infuriating fact that needs to be addressed because so many Christians seem to be under the impression that Schizophrenia is demon possession rather than a chemical imbalance in the brain. I understand that those who want to believe this nonsense are doing so because they want to spiritualized everything, but not everything needs to be spiritualized. We live in a broken and fallen world and because of that our bodies and brains are subject to decay. The idea that Schizophrenia is demonic is found nowhere in Scripture and it stems from the Roman Catholic Church. It is actually quite remarkable how much the biblical authors went out of their way to distinguish what they understood as "madness" from what they recognized as demon possession. 

4) Schizophrenia Can Lead Us Into Sin, But It Does Not Excuse Our Sin 

I understand that this statement can get me in some hot water with some of my more strict Christian brothers and sisters, but please hear me out. I am not by any means justifying sin. We have no excuse before God for our sin and rebellion against Him. However, Schizophrenia can provide the context for certain sins. For example, if I honestly believed that the CIA was watching my every move and that if I left my bed they would blow my house up, then I would not leave my bed. Laziness is a sin, but my delusion led me into that sin. 

5) Schizophrenia Can Be Managed Primarily Through Medication And Counseling 

I know that psychiatric medication and secular counseling is anathema in certain Christian circles, but people with Schizophrenia certainly do need them. It is actually very dangerous to tell us not to take medication and see a therapist because without them our illness will increasingly grow worse until we are either dead or in prison. 

6) Proper Diet And Exercise Can Help Symptoms 

It is a proven fact that with a proper diet and plenty of exercise, it will make it easier for us to manage our symptoms, but these should never replace medication and counseling. 

7) Schizophrenia Is Usually Hereditary And  Rarely Caused By Drug Abuse 

It is a known fact that Schizophrenia is passed through generations and some professionals have even speculated that it is passed through the mother's side of the family. Schizophrenia can be caused by excessive drug abuse, but it is not typical. 

8) Stress Exacerbates Schizophrenia Symptoms 

It is vitally important for those of us with Schizophrenia absolutely need to remain in low-stress environments. The reason for this is because stress often caused our hallucinations and delusions to become worse. 

9) On MRI Brain Scan, A Schizophrenic Brain Looks Significantly Different From A Normal Brain 

This is important because it proves that Schizophrenia is solely a brain disease. It is not some spiritual entity or force. It is a medical condition that needs to be treated medically. 

10) Hallucinations And Delusions Are Not Always Negative 

I often hear people question why our hallucinations and delusions often seem negative, but this is not always the case. There are many instances where our voices are friendly and are just providing commentary about our daily activities. There are other occasions where our delusions cause us to believe we are better than we are. Sometimes we even believe our hallucinations and delusions are causing us to be more in touch with the spirit realm. 

I hope that this blog has helped you better understand Schizophrenia and I hope that you will pass this on to someone else. Next time you come across someone with Schizophrenia, maybe you will keep these ten facts in mind as you communicate with them. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

What Does It Mean That God Is Forever Pleased With Christians?

Many Christians deal with intense feelings of shame. They feel shame over their past or even current sins they commit. In this blog, I will be discussing how God is pleased with us so we do not need to feel ashamed. However, I would like to distinguish guilt from shame. The Holy Spirit convicts us of guilt when we sin in order to drive us to Christ. But, shame is a tool from the devil that is designed to destroy us. In Romans 1: 18-19 we read, 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them" 

This text is a picture of the entire world. Every human being born into this world is born into sin because of our forefather Adam. This is the exact reason why the wrath of God is coming upon us because of our active rebellion against Him. If God would have chosen to leave us here, He would be perfectly good and perfectly just and perfectly loving. However, the Lord has not left us here. God came down as a man (Jesus Christ) in order to take the punishment that we deserve upon Himself on the cross and then He rose from the dead three days later. It is because of His resurrection that all those who are in Christ are new creations. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" 

This is literally true for all who call upon the name of the Lord. It is not poetry! Since we are in Jesus Christ, we are no longer defined by our sin or even our past, but instead we are defined by who we are in Christ. 

In Matthew 2:16-17 we read of Jesus' baptism. In this account it says, 

"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him, and a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased'." 

Also, in Galatians 4:4-7 we read, 

"But when the fullness of time has come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sins, God has sent his spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, 'ABBA Father!' So you are no longer a slave, and if a son, then an heir through God" 

In these two texts, we clearly see that just as God is well pleased with Christ, so is God well pleased with all who are called sons of God because of who we are in Christ. It is precisely this reason why the apostle Paul can tell us in Roman's 8:37-39, 

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" 

We can see here that nothing in all of creation will ever separate us from God's love for His people. Nothing will ever change this fact because God's word never changes. The Lord is forever pleased with us no matter what we do or say because of our standing in Christ. As a matter of fact, we even have the promise that God is currently working out everything in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28). 

I pray and hope that this blog blesses and edified all who read this. We can trust the Lord because He is always for us not against us. Please leave a comment below and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Christian Response To Freud’s ID, Superego, and Ego Theory In Psychology

If you have had any kind of training in the discipline of Psychology, the chances that the name Sigmund Freud has come across your radar are very high. Freud is a very controversial figure in Christian circles because of his anti-Christian and sexualized views on the human nature. However, not everything Freud has taught was anti biblical. I believe that although he was an unregenerate man, he did have some keen insights into the human mind. But for those of who aren’t aware of who Sigmund Freud is, I will briefly explain him. Freud is considered to be one of the fathers of Psychology and Psychiatry, although his theories no longer are considered in modern Psychology and Psychiatry. I believe he was a Jewish man raised in the 1800’s but later rejected his Jewish heritage and all religion altogether and he even actively spoke against religion too. 

Anyways, so one of his theories that seems to hold any weight, at least scripturally is his theory on the ID, Superego, and Ego. What? Before I elaborate on this please let define what these terms mean. First off, Freud’s theory said that the human psyche is structured into three parts that are all developing at different stages in life and these three parts are systems and not parts of the brain. I will now tell how Freud defines these these three parts and then I will give the Christian Perspective On this theory. 

ID: Freud said that this is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories. 

Superego: Freud said that this is our moral conscience of how we know right from wrong. He would say this tries to restrain the ID. 

Ego: Freud said that this is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the ID and the Superego. 

As I have already said, I believe that there is some validity to this theory and so let’s see what scripture says. If we turn to Galatians 5:19-20, we will read, 

“Now the works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” 

This certainly sounds like a descriptions of Freud’s ID! Then, when we turn to Romans 2:14-16 we will read, 

“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my Gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” 

Now, this is Freud’s Superego! It’s pretty remarkable how the Apostle Paul spoke about this thousands of years before Freud came onto the scene. As for the Christian Response, I don’t believe we as Christians should be attempting to mediate between our ID and Superego. Actually, according to Paul in Galatians 2:20, 

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” 

And also, 

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” 

As Christians who have been given a new nature in Christ, we are not to live in such a way that gratifies the ID, or flesh. But instead, we are to live as if we are dead to sin and alive in Christ. This means we must daily deny our desires every day in every moment. This is difficult work and honestly it is only possible to do if we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit. If we try to do this on our own strength we will fail. Philippians 2:12-13 tells us, 

“...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” 

The Holy Spirit is what gives us the desire to do God’s will and it is the Holy Spirit who causes us to fulfill God’s will too. This is why the process of sanctification is Monergistic, not synergistic. 

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you were edified. Please leave your comments below. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Please check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry website: https://www.christcenteredmentalhealth.org/

My Testimony Of How Jesus Christ Saved A God-Hating, Mentally Ill Rebel

When I say that I share a personal affinity with the Apostle Paul, I am not in any way saying that I am on his level nor am I implying that I am exactly  like him. I have never murdered any Christians in an attempt to wipe out the Christian Church. However, I can definitely relate to him  in the sense that I used to despise His people. I hated Christians because I openly hated Him. But, I am getting ahead of myself right now. My story starts in London, England on June 17th, 1988. I was born to Ching Chu Sarchet (Later to be named Ching Chu Claus) and Brian Sarchet. I don’t know anything about their marriage because my parents divorced when I was two-years-Old and I was raised by my mother. My mother and father and later my stepfather all had no religious affiliation, however my mother was raised Buddhist. She did her best to raise me to practice some Buddhist rituals such as anscestral rites but then she would also take me to Chinese Christian Churches too. My childhood was very tulmutous but it did have some good times. I was always very close to my mother because she was my best friend. 

However, my mother has put me through a lot but later I would find out she suffered from a mental disorder called schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective Disorder is Schizophrenia mixed with a mood disorder such as Bipolar or Depression. She never once acknowledged her mental illness nor did she ever desire to seek treatment for it either. As a result, her mind slowly detoriated to the point where at the end of her life all she did was talk to her voices in her head and smoke cigarettes. But, she did live a full life because she managed to marry three times and even ran her own martial arts studio at one time and she traveled the world too. Anyways, I digress. 

One summer on my 13th birth year, I was staying with my sister Virginia and her husband Ben for a two week vacation and they took me to their church. I do not remember much about the sermon but I do remember at the end the pastor gave an alter call and my sister asked me if I would like to give my life to Jesus. I did not yet understand what that meant but I thought that she wanted me to do that so I said yes for her sake. So we approached the alter and the pastor came up to me and led me in the Sinner’s Prayer. As we were praying that prayer, I snuck a peak at my sister and seen her crying. I did not understand why she was crying because I thought this is what she wanted! Even though I didn’t fully understand what was going on, I believe that it was at this time the Lord took ahold of my life and led me on the path towards a sold out life for Him. 

One night after I returned home to my parents I remember I was eavesdropping on a phone call between my mom and a 9–1-1 operator and she was requesting an officer come by to give her and I a lethal injection. I didn’t know exactly what a lethal injection was at the time but I knew it had to do with dying. I decided at that moment that I wanted to die with my mom so I spoke up and told the dispatcher exactly that. She immediately sent out an officer at that moment. The officer eventually took my mom and myself to the local Colorado Springs, Colorado crisis center where we were both eventually put in mental hospitals. I was sent to Pueblo State Hospital and she was at a hospital called The Lighthouse. 

Eventually, I was sent into foster care where I was in the house of a man and woman named Randy and Carolyn Lugenbeel and all of a sudden I was around seven or eight other guys! This was a shock to me because I was used to being the only child so it took me a long while to adjust. In God’s sovereign providence, He made sure I was put into the custody of godly foster parents who always treated me well. However, this was the time my own hallucinations began. I would Frequently see a giant fly laughing at me. My depression really started to take affect too and I was eventually put on antidepressants. These did nothing for me, except cause me to gain weight. 

At the age of fifteen, I was sent into my biological father’s custody in California. I admit when I heard he lived in California, I had high hopes for a luxurious lifestyle because at the time I really glamourized California, but I was in for a rude awakening. My father lived in an old trailer that was dirty with my younger brother and two dogs. My half brother may have been younger than me but he was more mature than me and stronger than me so I instantly began to look up to him as if he were my older brother. I wanted to look, act, and dress just like him, which eventually got on his nerves. Needless to say, him and I would get into a lot of arguments which would end with him wanting to fight me and I would always back down. My father would frequently instigate us to fight each other. My father also kept boxes and boxes of pornographic magazines around the trailer where we had easy access to them. This is where I had my first experience looking at the naked female body and I became obsessed. My father also tried to get my brother and I to drink alcohol at one time he too. 

Eventually, my Depression came back because I started comparing myself to my brother. I literally felt inferior to him in every way. It was during this time I decided to attempt to take my life. After that failed and I came home from the hospital, I decided to start cutting my arms. The rush I felt when I cut my arms was exhilarating! Eventually, I was sent back to the hospital, where my father visited me and called me “f*kin stupid” in front of the whole hospital. I decided at that moment to tell the staff that if they sent me back to him I will run away. The staff notified CPS and since the State of California did not want to deal with that they sent me back to Colorado. I eventually went back to Randy and Carolyn. 

Later, my caseworker and guardian ad litem wanted to try to send me into the custody of my sister Virginia but when that failed, I felt utterly alone and rejected by everyone. I felt as if no one loved me and so I decided that the only way to get people to love me is by making them think I was a hero. So I decided to set a fire inside my foster home. I thought if I could rescue everyone then they would love me. As a result, I wound up in a juvenile detention center and later a youth treatment center for two and a half years. 

During this time, the Lord really was with me because even in detention He made sure I had some godly influence in my life. However, it was during this time that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 Disorder. I felt an immediate shame and anger. I was ashamed to be labeled as mentally ill and I was angry at my mom. But then later that anger turned towards God. I couldn’t understand why God would give me a mental illness. I knew I couldn’t do anything to Him so I decided to take out my anger on His people. I would go to the Wednesday night Bible study to play “stump the teacher” where I would intentionally ask him questions I knew he couldn’t answer in order to make him look foolish. I would make fun of and ridicule my peers who were Christian and I even would speak blasphemies against God. It was during this time, I suffered a delusion where I believed I was the antichrist and I would see a hallucination of a man named Tom. Tom would Frequently tell me to do things to get me in trouble with the staff. I also started cutting myself again. I also developed bisexual attractions too. 

After I got out of the treatment center at the age of 19, I had to go to a group home. This also was the Lord’s providence because at the time I was institutionalized for so long that I wouldn’t have made it very long if I was out on my own. The group was a former church in Canon City, Colorado so it still had a cross imprint above the front door and across the street was a church with a huge cross in its front yard. So every day when I would go outside or inside I would see the cross, which would annoy me. I ended up hating God even more while I was there. One time I yanked the Bible out of a staff member’s hands and ripped it up and threw it back at him. And I even manipulated a mentally disabled boy into snorting laundry detergent too. My hatred for God and people knew no bounds, but God was patient with me. Eventually, I was able to move out into my first apartment. 

One day I remember I was on the porch of my apartment complex when the Mormons came to visit me. I knew nothing about the Mormons at the time but I decided to study the Bible for the sole purpose of refuting them. However, the Lord used that point to draw me to Himself and I finally surrendered my life to Him. I started to attend a local Vineyard Church and I got plugged into a home Bible study where I made some connections with people whom I communicate with to this day. 

The Lord eventually led me into studying apologetics which in turn led me to Reformed Theology and now I attend a Reformed Presbyterian Church with my beautiful and supporting wife. 

I have recently been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type 1 but I am on the right medication that helps keep me stable. Through everything The Lord has been a faithful Father to me and He has proven His word to be true in my life. Romans 8:28 is my life verse because I now realize that all things do truly work out for the good of those who loved God. These days, I am a mental health advocate in the Body of Christ and I founded the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry where we focus on bringing the Gospel to the mentally ill community while educating the Church on mental health awareness. My mom and stepdad have passed away but I had the privilege of leading them to the Lord before they died so I fully expect to be reunited with them one day. My biological father and I are not close but we still talk from time to time. I don’t hold any anymosity towards him but I do pray for his salvation all the time. God is good. The Lord has taken some one who was once a blasphemer and pursecutor Of His people and turned him into a sold out defender of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who loves the Lord as much as he can. My life isn’t perfect by any means but I look forward to His return when I will reign with Him on the New Heaven and New Earth where there will be no more sin, sorrow, suffering or death. What a glorious time that will be! Soli Deo Gloria! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 

Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry: https://www.christcenteredmentalhealth.org/

watch the full version of my testimony here