Valentine's Day Killer

 

It is the day after Valentine's Day and I am sitting in a cell. I know I am in a crappy situation, but all I can think about is what I did yesterday. Do I feel sorry? Of course not! Some people might think I should feel sorry, but those people deserved what I did to them. After all the torment they put me through every single godforsaken day, it was only a matter of time before I would be able to enact my revenge. I knew that one day the universe would look down upon me and allow me to pay these people back. What exactly did I do? Oh, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. You would probably think to yourself, "How could such an innocent young teen do such a horrendous thing?" But, trust me, I am FAR from innocent. Sure, at one time in my life, I was innocent, but after so many years of dealing with these people, my innocence has eroded. I know you would like to know what exactly I did. After all, as this jail's therapist, you are being paid to listen to young people like me share their stories right? Well, I will tell you, but first I need to give some back story because, as you will see, what I did yesterday was a culmination of all the wickedness that was dealt to me for many years. If you have the time, I would like to tell you my story now. I know you are going to want to "diagnose" me afterward, but I do not care because I am not crazy. You will see that everything that I did was not the work of a crazy person, instead, it was done by someone who has been tormented and scorned. 

My Back Story 

My story goes back to my freshman year at Wasson High School, the home of the Thunderbirds. I always hated that school with a passion. You see, I was supposed to go to Harrison High School, where all of my friends were, but I was placed in a foster home. Can you believe that? Me, in a stupid foster home? It was all because my mother wanted to see both her and I be killed by the police. What kind of mother would do that? You would think that I would hate my mother because of this, right? Well, I do not. I actually pity her. She has lived a tough life, probably tougher than I could ever experience. Anyway, so ever since I started at this new school, the kids there have always treated me like I was some sort of outcast. They did not realize it, but I have always noticed their stares as I walked through the halls. I even would hear their whispers about me too. I just would choose not to react. Isn't that what I was supposed to do? I know Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and all that. This would go on for the entire year. I think they all must have thought I was some sort of freak since I was a ward of the state. Needless to say, I literally had no friends that year. I had no one to turn to when the voices began talking to me. The voices would tell me how I was better than everyone and how none of those wannabes deserved to be in my presence. To be honest, I actually found solace in these voices because I felt like they truly understood me. I even attached names to the voices: Alex and Jessica. Alex sounded like a gruff lumberjack and Jessica sounded like a sweet angel from God. True, they were polar opposites, but I grew to love them both equally. In retrospect, I think this led the other kids to think I was even more strange, and they decided to shun me even more. I did not really care whatsoever because I had Alex and Jessica as friends. They were all I needed in this godforsaken life. 

Then Sophomore year came around and that is when this girl in my history class began paying attention to me. Her name was Toni Harrison. I was pretty surprised that she would even look my way because she was one of the popular girls. It all started when I was about to walk into class one day and she approached me out of nowhere. 

"Are you Mark?" She quietly, but innocently asked me. At first, I did not know how to respond. So, I stood there in silence and just gawked at her long legs. She asked me the same question again. 

"Uh, yeah, why?" I managed to get out and she looked down to the floor, and then back up to me. I felt sorta sheepish at this moment, but I was enraptured by her beauty. 

"Don't trust her, kid" Alex ordered me, but I just ignored him. Sometimes Alex can be so ignorant. I love him like a brother, but I do not need him to tell me who to trust. I am a pretty good judge of character. Besides, a pretty girl like her seems harmless. 

"Well, I am friends with your foster brother, Mike" She calmly says and I immediately feel angry because me and Mike do not even get along. He is always starting fights with me back home. All of a sudden, I do not like where this is going. So, I begin to turn around to start heading into the classroom. She grabbed my arm and I froze in my tracks. What does she want from me, I wondered. 

"Look," She says, "I know you and Mike aren't the best of friends..." Her voice trails off. Of course, we are not the best of friends. We are not friends at all! Why would I even consider being friends with someone who is always talking trash about my mother? 

"Mike just told me a lot about you and I thought you seemed interesting" She finally told me. Interesting? What exactly did Mike tell her about me? I shudder to think about it. She then proceeds to ask me if I'd like to go on a date with her to the movies this weekend. I am stunned by this request. Up until now, no one even wanted to be my friend, and now the most popular girl in school is asking me out for a date! Something is not adding up here. 

"I am telling you, kid," Alex says, "She ain't right in the head. Get away from her now!" I chose to ignore him because I wanted to believe that she was being genuine with me. For once, I believed that fate was smiling upon me. Needless to say, I agreed to go to the movies with her this weekend. She tells me that is great and that we can meet up at Rudd Park on Friday afternoon and walk to the theater together. I am elated by this for the rest of the day. It felt like I was on cloud 9. 

Then, Friday comes and I am getting dressed up in my best outfit that I have. I decided to take two showers that day and I even wore some Old Spice cologne too. Mike sees me and tells me congratulations on the date. I was surprised by his reaction because I thought he hated me. I reluctantly tell him thanks. As I am heading upstairs, my foster dad, Randy, sees me. 

"Where are you going all dressed up like that,  son?" He says with a big smile on his face. I tell him that I have a date and he seems genuinely happy to hear that. I know he and Carolyn have been trying to get me to come out of my shell for quite some time now. They must be pleased. As I walked down the street to Rudd Park, I thought of the song Walking on Sunshine. That is how I felt at the moment. Nothing could ruin this mood I was in... Or so, I thought, anyway. As I approached the park, I saw Toni sitting at the park picnic table. She looked absolutely radiant. However, as I approached her, with flowers in my hand, three huge guys came out of nowhere. They dumped a bucket full of vomit all over me and then picked me up and stuffed me in the garbage can! I have never been so humiliated in my entire life. All of them began laughing, including Toni! As I managed to climb out of the garbage can, I angrily stared at the three huge guys, but then my stare focused on her. I could not believe she would do such a thing like this. She seemed like an angel. More like a fallen angel from the depths of hell. 

"I told you not to trust her," Alex breaks into my thoughts, but I am too livid to respond to him. I actually begin to tear up because I am so angry. 

"Aw, don't worry, Mark," Jessica speaks up now, "They will get theirs one day". That does not help much either. Toni noticed that I was tearing up and she dared to mock me! Who the hell does this girl think she is? At that moment, I decided I needed to get away from them before I did something I'd later regret. So, I ran back to my foster home. I just wanted to take a shower and then hide in my room and never come back out. As a result of this, I had to deal with the entire school mocking me for the rest of the year. I began to seriously loathe the students at that school, but I never once told anyone except for Alex and Jessica. Only they truly understood me. As a result, I began to talk to them much more in public and in private. I did not care how I looked at others. They can think I am a nutcase for all I care. I want nothing to do with these freaks anyway. This brings me to the present. 

Junior Year, Valentine's Day 

By this time, I had already fully accepted that my only true friends were Alex and Jessica. I would tell myself that I was fine with that, but I really wasn't. Truth be told, I wish I did have actual friends, other than my voices in my head. However, that is not what the Universe had planned for me. Since Valentine's Day was fast approaching, I had to unfortunately witness other people asking others to the Valentine's Day dance. No one bothered to ask me. No surprise there. I would like to say that it did not matter to me, but that would be a lie. Honestly, I was really envious of all the guys getting hooked up with all the beautiful girls. Even the nerds had dates! This made me seethe with anger. 

"The anger you feel, kid," Alex told me, "It is perfectly natural. You deserve better and you need to do something about it. Take back your dignity!" When I heard that, I immediately knew what I needed to do. I was going to go to the Valentine's Day dance by myself. But, I would do something that everyone would remember for the rest of their lives. Randy has an AR-15 that he keeps hidden in the garage. At least, he thinks it is hidden, but I know exactly where it is because one night when he was drunk, I watched where he placed it. 

The night of the dance, I donned my best suit and tie and went into the garage, and grabbed Randy's gun. Then, I snuck out of the home and began walking to the school. Alex and Jessica are busy arguing inside my head and it is driving me insane. Jessica was begging me to not proceed with my plan and Alex is encouraging me to follow through with it. I decided to ignore Jessica and listen to Alex. She eventually goes silent when she realizes she is not getting through to me. As soon as I walked into the gym, I aimed the gun and began shooting everyone in sight. I must admit, as I watched people dropping to the ground, and others running from me, I felt a sense of power that I never felt before. Alex keeps egging me on and I keep shooting at people. I want to see all of these wretched people die by my hands. I must have gotten too caught up in what I was doing because I did not even notice the SWAT team guy tackle me from behind. Then, he slapped handcuffs on me. At that moment, I realized the fun was over. But, I did accomplish my goal. This year's Valentine's Day will always be remembered. 

Present Day

"So, do you feel any kind of remorse for what you did, Mark?" The therapist asks me with a very stern look. I wonder what he is really thinking after hearing all of that. I looked down at his feet and noticed that one of his shoes did not match.  Then, I looked back up at him with a solemn look on my face. 

"Yeah, I guess I do a little" I reply, "I mean just because they were horrible toward me does not give me the right to play God over their lives right?" The therapist concurs with my question and I immediately feel the weight of my guilt. Why didn't I listen to Jessica? I should have because she has been right all along. 

"What is wrong with me, doctor?" I seriously ask him. He proceeds to tell me that I suffer from Schizophrenia and briefly explains to me what that means. I am surprised to hear that other people hear voices in their heads too. Maybe I am not so weird, after all. I feel a major sense of relief over that fact. The therapist tells me that he is going to refer me to the jail's psychiatrist so that I can get on some medication immediately. He says that it won't make the voices go completely away, but it will make them and my moods a lot more manageable. I agree to take the medication. I am willing to do anything to feel normal. Right before he ends the session, he puts away his notepad and asks if he can ask me a question. I tell him that he can. 

"Do you know Jesus Christ?" He asks me and I find this question a bit odd. I mean, my mother used to talk about Jesus a lot when I lived with her, but I didn't really understand what she was talking about. I tell him no. He straightens in his chair and smiles. 

"Listen very carefully to me, Mark," He proceeds to say, "2,000 years ago, God came to earth as a man to die for the sins of you and me. See, we deserved God's just wrath for our sins, but He loved us so much that He took our punishment upon Himself. Then, He literally rose from the dead. Now, God commands everyone everywhere to repent and ask Him for forgiveness" I found all of this very fascinating. He hands me a Bible and tells me to read the Gospel of John. I tell him that I will as soon as I get back to my cell. I have nothing better to do anyway. 

I am sitting on my bed now and open up this Bible to the Gospel of John. It starts off with a peculiar phrase, 

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God" 

This sounds very strange. I guess the Word is Jesus, right? I must admit that this Gospel is very intriguing. I love reading the stories. But, are they true, though? I get to the part of the Gospel where the people turn on Him and is sent to be crucified. Why would they do this to an innocent man? Immediately, it hit me. Jesus did this for me because I deserved to be killed. However, He loved me enough to take my punishment! Who would do such a thing? Next, I read about His resurrection. This is an amazing story. I decided right then and there that I wanted to know this Jesus. I close the Bible and I do something that I have never done before. I begin to pray to God. I begin weeping before Him. I tell Him I am sorry for what I did and I beg Him for forgiveness. Once my tears stop flowing, I lay back down on my bed. That night, I had the most peaceful sleep that I have ever had in my entire life. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

When You Lose Hope-- A Biblical Response

 

Hope is something that many people lack in these modern times. We hear all the horror stories from the news about school shootings, terrorist attacks, and the like. For this reason, it is no surprise that so many people are beginning to lack hope. However, for those of us who profess the name of Christ, we have every reason to have hope in this life. What do I mean by this? Well, in this blog, I shall discuss what the Bible says about our hope. Hope is a powerful thing to wield because it helps us get through all the trials and tribulations we face. When we do not have any hope, we succumb to the devil's schemes. This blog shall be split up into three different categories: God's Sovereignty, All Things Working For Good, and The Future. After you finish reading this blog, I hope you will walk away with a newfound reason to rest in the hope of the Lord, even as this world goes from bad to worse. I will say that these are not the only reasons the Christian has hope. For the sake of this blog, these are the main points I choose to focus on. If you can think of more reasons, please feel free to let me know. 

God's Sovereignty 
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When we turn to Matthew 6:26-29, we read the following words from Jesus Himself, 

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

The context of this beautiful passage of Scripture is about Jesus telling us not to worry about our lives. The reason that He tells us this is because of God's sovereignty over creation. The birds of the air and the lilies of the field never work and yet the Lord takes care of them. Jesus' question about us being worth more than a bird is a rhetorical device because the answer is obviously a profound yes. God cares more for His people than He cares for the birds and lilies. Since the Lord cares so much for us and since He is sovereign over creation, it is only logical to conclude that He will take care of all our needs. For this reason, Jesus can tell us not to worry about tomorrow. God knows what we need and He has the power to give us what we need when we need it. I personally find this truth amazing because I am a natural worrier. My wife can testify to the fact that I am always worried about something. As a result, I am always bringing my concerns to the Lord and He always comes through for me. I know He will do the same for you too. 

All Things Working For Good 
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The next Scripture verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from Romans 8:28. When we turn to there, we read the following words from the Apostle Paul, 

"...and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" 

I find this verse to be a beautiful testimony of two profound truths: God's sovereignty and God's goodness. God is in control of literally everything that happens in this creation. As one theologian once said, "There is not one molecule in all creation that is outside of God's control". Also, not only is God sovereign, but He is also very good. The fact that He is good is evidence that everything He does is also good. This is why He can work everything out for our good. Notice how Paul does not say that everything is good, but that everything works for our good? This is a crucial distinction that must be made. Paul is acknowledging that not everything that happens to us is good. Of course, not everything is good. A woman being raped is not a good thing. A man being jumped by gang members is not a good thing. However, for those of us who love and trust the Lord, everything (including the rape of a woman or the man being jumped) will ultimately work out for our good. We may not fully understand how this will happen in our lives, but we still need to trust the Lord because He cannot lie. I'll admit that there are times in my life when this truth is very challenging for me to trust. However, whenever I am struggling to understand how some tragic circumstance will work out for my good, I immediately think of Deuteronomy 29:29, which says, 

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law" 

We may not understand how exactly God will work out everything for our good, and that is not for us to know, but we do know His promise to do so, and for that reason, we hold onto hope. 

The Future
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It is not only in this life that we have hope, but we have hope for the next life as well. When we turn to Revelation 21:1-4 we read the following words from the Apostle John, 

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'" 

This is the blessed hope of every believer in Christ. We will one day reign on the new heaven and new earth with the eternal God. During that time there will no longer be any sickness, pain, or sorrow because there will be no more sin. God will finally do away with all sin and death and we will live for eternity. However, this is not the only thing that will happen during that time. When we turn to 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, we read the following from the Apostle Paul, 

"So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; It is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, then there is a spiritual body" 

On the great and glorious day of our Lord's return, all believers will be transformed into our new and glorified bodies. Paul calls these new bodies "imperishable". The dictionary definition of this word means 

"Enduring forever" 

For our bodies to endure forever, they would have to no longer be subject to decay. This means our bodies will no longer ache or deteriorate because of age. If we have new and glorified bodies, then it logically follows that we will have new minds that will not be subject to decay too. This means that there will be no more mental illnesses. Our mental illnesses will be completely cured on that day and forever! This truth should give us all the more reason to rejoice as we wait for His return. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand what it means for a Christian to have hope in this life. We have more reason to hope than even unbelievers because we have a glorious God who is sovereign, is working out all things for our good, and has a glorious future prepared for us. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog 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

How Does Belonging To A Community Benefit One's Mental Health?

 

In today's modern era, many people honestly believe they are better off being alone. These same people consider themselves "loners" who are happy just living with their preferred animals. While there are some benefits to spending time alone sometimes, is this really what is God's best for us? Did the Lord intend for us to just "sit on a mountaintop" completely isolated from all forms of community? I do not believe that this is the case. I believe that the Lord created us for community and in this blog, I shall explain how I have arrived at this conclusion. I will carefully draw my conclusions directly from the Scriptures to make my point. Afterwards, I will discuss some of the mental health benefits of being a part of a community too. The purpose of this blog is to encourage people to be a part of some community, preferably a local body of believers, but any community would suffice. God did not intend for any of us to be "lone rangers" in this world. This is clear from the first couple of chapters in Genesis. Genesis 1 opens up with God creating the heavens and earth in six days and on the sixth day, The Lord created man. In Genesis 2, we read that God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and tend it. He also commissioned the man to name all of the animals in the Garden. After the man finished naming all of the animals, God said something remarkable. In verse 18, we read, 

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him'." 

This verse is indeed about God creating a wife for Adam. However, I believe that this verse speaks to the reality of the fact that human beings were created for one another. As people who are created in the Imago Dei, we image the Triune God. This means that just like the Triune God is a community in Himself, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so are we made to be in community with other human beings. We do not glorify God when we separate ourselves from other people. As a matter of fact, I would argue that we actually glorify the Lord even more when we are in the midst of a community. This does not in any way mean we should never take time away to be alone with God. We see Jesus Himself doing this a lot in the four Synoptic Gospels. However, our alone time should never replace our communal time. The next verse that I'd like to draw your attention to is Hebrews 10:24-25, which says, 

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together. as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" 

As you can see from this text, the writer of the Hebrews is telling us that we should not forsake the gathering. In the proper context, he is talking about the gathering of believers in the church. The reason he is saying this is because we need one another so that we can encourage each other unto "love and good works". The writer to the Hebrews perfectly understood that as Christians we need one another. When we act as if we can handle the Christian life alone, we are more susceptible to the devil's attacks because we are more vulnerable. I watch a lot of atheists on YouTube and one thing I found in common with a lot of their deconversion testimonies is that at one time they stopped going to church. This should show you the importance of being a part of the Christian community. Finally, the last passage I'd like to draw your attention to is 1 Corinthians 12:17-19, which says, 

"If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But, as it is, God arranged the members of the body, each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body" 

From this text, we can clearly see that God has chosen us to be part of His body. As different parts of His body, we each have a unique function, and no part is more important than another. As a matter of fact, just like our human bodies cannot function properly without one of its parts, so the body of Christ cannot function properly without one of our unique parts. Every person who makes up Christ's body is needed for it to properly function in this world. It is for this reason that we should never look down on one another because we understand that each member of the Body of Christ is needed no matter how insignificant they may seem. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that it is the insignificant parts that should be esteemed with even more honor (verse 23). 

So, what does all this have to do with mental health? The more that I think about this, I have found three ways that being a part of the community benefits our mental health. These three things are not the only benefits, but for the sake of this blog, they are the three things I am choosing to focus on for now. If you can think of any more, please feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. 

Community Satisfies Our Sense of Belonging 

Every single one of us has an innate sense of belonging. If you take a moment to reflect on this, you will see I am speaking the truth. Why do you think gangs are so popular? It is because in a gang people feel like they are accepted by a group of people. Back in the times when people were hunter-gatherers, the men hunted for their tribe, and the women cooked for their tribe. Everything they did was for their tribe. One could say that communal living is engraved into our DNA from the dawn of time. This is why studies have shown that people are much more content when they belong to a church, sports team, choir, or some other group function. We were made to belong with other people. 

Community Develops Transparent Relationships

When you belong to a community, it is a lot easier to develop relationships with others. As we have seen in Genesis 2, man was not created to be alone. While I understand that being transparent with others is scary (who desires to be vulnerable in front of others?), it is very beneficial. Many people have told me over the years that they have found that when they open themselves up to others, they are surprised to see how many people can honestly relate to them. There is hardly any greater feeling in the world than finding out that other people can relate to you. This is why support groups, such as AA, NA, or Schizophrenic Anonymous, are so successful. These groups provide the comfort of relatability for people who are struggling. 

Community Provides Never-Ending Support In Difficult Times 

A couple of years back, I was in the hospital for three months due to a perforated colon that almost killed me. During this time, I almost lost my faith in God. However, it was during this time that the Lord used people from my church, and my sisters, to step up to the plate and show me the undying love and support of Jesus Christ. They literally were the arms and legs of Christ during one of the worst times of my life. It was because of their love and support that carried me through that difficult time. In the same way, when you belong to a community, the community will support you through your various trials and tribulations. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us, 

"And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him--a threefold cord is not quickly broken" 

When we belong to a community, it is much easier to face life's many obstacles. When we are alone, it is much easier for us to be broken and defeated. I believe this is why God wants us in community with one another. 

I hope that this blog helps you to understand why we need to be in community. As I have already said, we were not created to be the "Lone Ranger", nor is that even a possibility for a Christian. We definitely do need one another. Besides, we will be spending an eternity with our Christian brothers and sisters, so we may as well get used to them in this life. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and please share this with someone you think may need to read this. Thank you very much for reading 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

What Happens To One's Mental Health When They Deny Eternal Security?

 

The doctrine of eternal security, also known as "Once Saved, Always Saved" or "Perseverance of Saints", is a hotly debated topic in many Christian circles. Some Christians think it means that you can live any way you want to and still be saved, while other Christians believe this doctrine is one of the most beautiful Gospel truths in the Bible. This topic has been debated throughout every century since the inception of the Christian church. What exactly is the doctrine of Eternal Security? According to Wikipedia, Eternal Security is

"the belief that from the moment anyone becomes a Christian, they will be saved from hell and will not lose their salvation" 

That is a very simplistic definition of this doctrine, but what does the Bible say concerning this issue? In this blog, I shall be discussing what the Bible says and then I will discuss what happens to one's mental health when they deny this doctrine. I believe that the Eternal Security doctrine is an amazing truth that every Christian must embrace. It means that no matter how you live, your salvation is secure in Christ. Does this mean that you can go on sinning? Well, no, but when you do sin, you are covered by the grace of Christ's atoning work on the cross. God has given you a new heart with new desires so that you can live in a way that glorifies God. I understand that you want me to give the Bible scriptures that support this position right now. The first scripture I'd like to draw your attention to actually comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself. John 10:28 tells us, 

"I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" 

As you can see here, Jesus is clearly telling us that anyone who belongs to Him will never perish because no one can snatch us from His hand. Some Christians say that we can choose to leave Christ on our own, but that would imply that we can "snatch" ourselves out of His grasp, but Jesus says that NO MAN can do that. This would include ourselves. When we come to Jesus Christ for salvation, we will never perish because we cannot be snatched from His grasp. We can fall into a season of sin, but the Lord still has us in His grip. Another verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from 1 Peter 1:3-5. which says, 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" 

At the moment of our salvation, we are literally born again in Christ. In the same way that we had no control over our natural birth, we had no control over our new spiritual birth in Christ. It was not up to us, but it was entirely God's decision to make us born again. As a result of us being born again, we now have an inheritance that is undefiled, imperishable, and unfading. This clearly means that we cannot lose our salvation or give it back. If we could lose our salvation or give it back, then that would mean that our salvation was perishable, defiled, and fading, which is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. Once we are truly born again in Jesus Christ, we are forever saved and absolutely nothing we do will ever cause us to lose our inheritance. Another verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from Ephesians 1:3-4. which says. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" 

God chose each of us individually before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. This means that before God created anything whatsoever, He had each of us in mind. He decided that we individually would be seen as blameless before Him, even though each of us sins every single day. He decided that because of what Christ has done on our behalf He would never hold our sin against us. This is an amazing truth that every Christian needs to grasp. Many Christians still hold onto some legalism and it is destroying their hope in this life because the legalism kills. Does this mean that we can go around living like a devil? Of course not! Paul tells us 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" 

Our identity is found in Jesus Christ and that means we have been crucified with Him. This means that we are literally dead to sin. How can we ever go on living in sin when we are dead to it? No, if we are truly born again, then we will live a new life that is pleasing and glorifying to God because it is no longer us living, but instead, it is Christ living in us. So, what about people who profess faith in Christ who end up walking away from the faith? 1 John 2:19 tells us, 

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" 

When someone who professes to be a Christian walks away from the faith, that is evidence that they were never truly saved to begin with. All that they had was a false profession of faith. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp because we all know someone who seemed to be in the faith for thirty years and then walked away. However, the Scriptures are clear about them walking away as evidence that they were never saved to begin with. All they had was a very deceitful work of the flesh that convinced them they were when in fact they never truly were saved. 

So, what does all this mean for mental health? I have realized one distinctive way that our mental health is affected once we deny the doctrine of Eternal Security. I will get into this in a moment, but before I do, I'd like to say that this is not the only effect. This is just the only one I would like to focus on for the sake of this blog, but if you can think of more, please let me know in the comments below. Now, it is time for me to explain the three things that happen to your mental health when you deny this doctrine. 

Mental Unrest 

When you deny this doctrine, you fall into mental unrest. What I mean by this is that you can never find any peace of mind because you are constantly worried about losing your salvation. When you deny this doctrine, you end up constantly worrying about whether or not a certain sin will cause you to fall out of favor with God and damn you to hell. As someone who used to believe this way, I can personally testify to how bad this way of thinking is on one's mental health. When I was younger in the faith, I was fully aware that I would sin every single day and every moment of the day. My conscious was very weak and as a result of this, I would always think that any time I would sin my salvation was lost. It is for this reason that I can identify with Martin Luther so well. Before he converted to the true Gospel, he was constantly plagued with guilt to the point of constantly confessing every little sin to the priest. As a result, his priest will tell him to not come back until he commits some "real sins". When you do not have a proper understanding of God's grace in Christ, you will always be plagued with guilt and be in a state of mental unrest and anxiety. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand the doctrine of Eternal Security and what it means for your mental health when you deny this doctrine. Grace is amazing when you truly understand once you are born again, you will never lose your salvation no matter what you do in this life because your salvation is dependent on God and not on yourself. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog and please share this with someone you think needs to read this. 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

Why Does Most Marriages With Mental Illnesses Seem To Fail?

It is heartbreaking whenever I hear of a marriage that fails. It is especially heartbreaking whenever a marriage fails because of mental illness. It is already hard enough for those of us with mental illnesses to find a spouse so it is even more devastating when the marriage ends. You may be wondering how common is this phenomenon exactly, right? I have seen estimates say that about 20 to 80% of marriages that deal with mental illnesses end in divorce. This means that when one or both spouses have mental illness the marriage is at a greater risk of divorce than normal marriages. On the one hand, this is totally understandable. I say this because marriage is hard enough on its own, but it is even more difficult when you throw mental illness into the mix. On the other hand, this is a devastating fact because the marriage covenant is supposed to be for a lifetime. The marriage between one man and one woman is supposed to be a beautiful reflection of Christ's relationship with His bride. Unfortunately, because we are sinful, we do not always reflect this image perfectly. We are self-centered and selfish individuals who always seem to want things our way. When things do not go our way, our first response is to flee. As Christians, our first response to hardship should not be this way. In this blog, I shall give you some important tips on how to make your marriage work while dealing with a mental illness. Keep in mind that your marriage will be difficult especially when one spouse has a mental illness. I would be lying to you if I said it would be easy. I admit that I do not follow my own advice perfectly, as my wife would testify to that fact. However, when we fail, there is grace. If you follow this advice to the best of your abilities, you will be well on your way to having a successful and godly marriage that is pleasing to the Lord. As a husband with mental illness, I will be writing this blog to other husbands with mental illness. I cannot give advice to women in this position because I am not a woman obviously. However, women who read this can still benefit from this in the way of seeing what kind of man they should seek to marry. I will separate this blog into three categories: Dying To Self, Understanding, and Leadership. I know that these are not the only methods that lead to a successful and godly marriage, but these are the main categories I would like to focus on for the sake of this blog. If you would like to add more, please feel free to do so in the comments below. Now, I will elaborate on my points. 

Dying To Self 

In Ephesians 5:25, we read the following, 

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." 

This is a profound statement that Paul is making here. As husbands, we love our wives the same way that Christ loves His church. What does this look like? Well, Jesus loved His bride so much that He was willing to die for her. In the same way, we should be willing to die for our wives. I mean this both in a literal way and a figurative way. When it comes to physical harm, we should be willing to protect our wives from any and all physical harm. However, we should also die to ourselves daily for our wives' sake. This means that when our favorite sports game is on and our wife wants to spend quality time, we should be willing to forego watching the game to spend time doing something our wives would like to do together. It also means that if our wives ask us to do something that requires our time and attention, we should forsake doing whatever it is we would prefer doing to do what they ask us to do instead. I understand that this is asking a lot from us because our mental illnesses tend to make us selfish and self-centered, but the Scriptures command us to literally die to ourselves for our wives. This means that we need to put our wives' needs, desires, and wants before our needs, desires, and wants. It is easier said than done, but with the Holy Spirit's help and guidance, it is possible. 

Understanding

When we turn to 1 Peter 3:7, we read the following, 

"...husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered" 

When Peter here refers to women as the weaker vessels, he is not only speaking about physical strength. Women are the weaker vessels in the sense that they are more easily led astray than men are. I know that this truth runs counter to what our culture says, but I am more concerned about what Scripture says. As you can see from this text, we are commanded to live in an understanding way towards our wives. This means that we should always be learning about them. As men, we are so quick to learn the stats of our favorite athletes or even learn more about our favorite hobbies. However, so many of us fail to learn about our wives. Our wives should be our main priority in this life and because of that they should also be the main subject our our interest to learn about. When was the last time you asked your wife what her favorite song of the day was? When was the last time you asked your wife what she is currently interested in for the day? I confess that I too often fail in this endeavor myself. As men with mental illnesses, we tend to be so caught up with our own stuff that we neglect learning about our wives. It is a tragic thing when we do this and it does not please God. Did you notice how this verse ends? When we neglect to learn about our wives, our prayers really are hindered. I believe that the reason our prayers are hindered is because we are not properly reflecting the image of Christ and His bride and thus God is not pleased with us. I would even dare say that when we do not live in an understanding way towards our wives, we are living in sin before the Lord. 

Leadership

When we turn back to Ephesians 5:23, we read the following, 

"For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its savior" 

As you can clearly see from this text the husband is supposed to be the head of his wife. This means it is the responsibility of the husband to lead his wife. Furthermore, it is the wife's responsibility to submit to her husband. I know that this is a controversial subject today, but it is the truth. As husbands, we are responsible for the way we lead our wives. Our mental illnesses do not excuse us from this task. I understand that our mental illnesses can, and often do, cause us to become slack in our leadership. There are days when I would much prefer to sit in front of the television instead of leading my wife in family devotions. However, the reality is that we are always leading our wives no matter what. When we are taking a passive role, we are still leading them just as much as when we are taking an active role. The only difference is that when we are passive in our leadership, we are leading our wives away from the Lord. And when we are active in our leadership, we are leading our wives toward the Lord. As Christian men, it should cause us great shame when we think about how much we fail to lead our wives properly either due to laziness or just being plain inconsiderate and selfish. Our mental illnesses are absolutely no excuse to neglect our leadership role over our wives and when we neglect this responsibility, the Lord is not pleased with us. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand what makes a successful marriage when it comes to dealing with mental illnesses. As I have already stated, if you follow these tips, it will lead you into a more fulfilling and successful marriage that pleases God. However, if you have failed to follow any of these tips, do not worry. You are not condemned (Romans 8:1). We all fail in one way or another because we are all sinful human beings. If you have failed in any way, confess your sin to God, and then allow Him to pick you back up so you can try again with the Holy Spirit's guidance. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and please share this with someone you think needs to read this. 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

What I Am Thankful For This Thanksgiving Season

 

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name" -Psalm 100:4 

As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving day, it is natural for us to think about all the blessings that the Lord has given us. The Lord truly has been good to His people, but in a lot of ways we tend to take His blessings for granted sometimes. It is part of our sinful nature that causes us to think that God owes us what He has blessed us with. However, this is the wrong way for us to think. God does not owe us anything. We are rebels against Him and because of that, all we deserve is death. For this reason, any blessing the Lord grants us is solely because of His grace alone. I understand that during this time of year, it may be difficult for some people to be thankful. For a lot of people, the holiday season brings to mind a lot of pain and heartache. But, no matter how much pain you have experienced during this time, I know that there are some things you can be thankful for. Whether it is the fact that you have a roof over your head or that you are in good health, every one of us has something to be grateful for during this time. I believe that as Christians, we should always think about what we are thankful for because we know the Giver of All Good Gifts. Tons of psychological studies have shown the benefits of having a heart of gratitude. People who are more grateful for what they have tend to be less stressed in life and as a result, they tend to live much longer. They also tend to be much more physically and mentally healthy. I understand that life is all about struggle since the Fall of Adam, but there are still good things about life and if we can take a moment to look at what we have instead of what we do not have, we will benefit greatly. In this blog, I shall discuss some things that I am thankful to the Lord for. The purpose of this blog is to get the reader to begin thinking about what they are thankful for during this time. The things I will be posting are in a particular order from most grateful to least grateful, but I would like to say that they all hold special significance in my heart. Instead, all of my blessings are on equal footing in my opinion. After you finish reading what I am thankful for, please feel free to comment below and let me know what you are thankful for. I would love to know. 

1) I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ saved me from the pits of hell by His shed blood on the cross 

I cannot stress this enough because if it were not for the sacrifice of Christ, I would literally be lost without Him. I cannot even begin to fathom exactly how much it cost Him to be my sacrifice, but I am always grateful for what He did on my behalf. When I contemplate what He did for me, it causes me to love Him all the more. 

2) The Support of My Wife 

I really appreciate the love and unconditional support of my wife. She demonstrates genuine Christ-like love towards me during my high times and my low times. I know we have only been married for a little over three years, but I can honestly say that I could not have married a better woman. She truly means the entire world to me. 

3) My Sisters 

I love my sisters dearly because they have always been there for me my entire life, even when I made things very difficult for them. They never wavered in their love for me. I know that it was because of their love, support, and prayers for me that I can say I am the man I am today. My sisters will always be special in my heart. 

4) My best friends and brothers, Joe Roman, Chuck Ward, Britton Garleb,  and Joseph McDermott 

These four godly men have been pretty much the very best friends that I have ever had in my entire life. We may not see eye to eye on quite a few things, but I know that in the line of battle, we would take a bullet for each other. I appreciate how I can always be myself around these four guys and they never judge me harshly. I can truly say that I love these brothers in Christ from the bottom of my heart. 

5) My Spiritual Father, Marv Adamo 

Marv has been a great influence in my life. I appreciate how he never hesitates to set me straight with one of his infamous lectures. I have learned a lot about faith in Christ from being discipled by him. I appreciate how I've always been able to be myself around him and he never judged me also. I even have been able to be vulnerable in front of him too and he still showed me the love of Christ. 

6) Stonebridge Evangelical Presbyterian Church 

I absolutely love my church family because they have been awesome at showing my wife and me unconditional love and support. I appreciate that when I was laid up in the hospital for three months, they did not cease showing me love. They would actually go out of their way to make sure I knew I was not alone during that time. This church has been phenomenal at sharing Christ's love with me. 


7) The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry & Team 

I am so very thankful for the call that the Lord has placed on my life. For the longest time, I felt like my life had no purpose, but now I feel like I am meant for something important. I take my call to be a Christian Mental Health Advocate seriously, which is why I work so hard at being the best advocate I can be. I am also very thankful for the team that the Lord led me to put together because it is because of their support that I can keep going. I love their feedback and encouraging words. 


8) My Psychiatrist and Therapist 

I am so very thankful for my psychiatrist and therapist because the Lord has really used them in my life to keep me stable and out of the hospital or prison. I do not know where I'd be today if it were not for these kinds of services. I know that mental health treatment is pretty controversial in today's day and age, but I see the benefits of these treatments in my own life. For this reason alone I praise God for the mental health services I am receiving. 

9) Thomas Wernert Center 

I love the Thomas Wernert Center for a variety of reasons. For one, I enjoy the fact that I can socialize with other people with various mental illnesses such as myself. It feels nice not being the odd man out for once. Secondly, I love that they provide me with the tools to know how to handle my own mental health properly and they also help to better understand my own mental illness better. I understand that this place is a secular organization, but I love the work they do to provide us with positive peer support, advocacy, and knowledge. Lastly, I really enjoy the support groups they have to offer because I enjoy talking to people who think like I do and who truly understand me too. 

I hope that you can see from this blog that we can find anything to be thankful for. They do not have to be extravagant things. They can be small blessings in our lives, but still hold a lot of significance to us. It would do us a lot of good if we thought about what we are thankful for instead of what we do not have more often. So, tell me, what is it that you are thankful for this Thanksgiving season? I'd love to know! 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

Dealing With Mental Illness While Being Asian

 

It is pretty tough to live as an Asian-American. I say this because not only do you have to live up to your parent's high expectations, but you also have to fight against negative stereotypes of Asians in society. To further compound the problem, it is even tougher to be Asian when you throw mental illness into the mix. The reason I say this is because mental illness is still very much a taboo that is hardly ever talked about in traditional Asian cultures. As a half-Asian man who grew up with his Chinese mother, who had Schizoaffective Disorder, I have personally witnessed how hard it is for an Asian who experiences mental health struggles. As a matter of fact, even I have my own struggles with Schizoaffective Disorder too. For this reason, I feel like I understand my mother better than most people did in her life. I understand the shame that there is to be an Asian who has to take mental illness medication. I understand what it is like to be an Asian who cannot talk about their mental health struggles and so we end up bottling everything up until we finally explode. It is no surprise that in China the suicide rate for 15-24-year-olds was about 6.8% per year between the years 2010-2017, but then by 2021, the suicide rate went up to 19.6%. This is not surprising because when you grow up in a culture that suppresses all talk about mental health, young people inevitably have no outlet to express themselves, and thus there are devastating effects. But, what are the reasons why Asians do not talk about mental health? I shall discuss some of these reasons in this blog. Afterward, I will talk about what the resolution for this problem is. The purpose of this blog is to help get a conversation about mental illness to get started in Asian homes. As someone who dealt with a mother who refused to get her illnesses taken care of, I know firsthand how ignoring mental health can destroy one's mind and life. 

Shame-Based Society 

A lot of Asian communities and households operate on a shame-based ideology. What I mean by this is that in a lot of Asian communities and households, Asian people believe in behaving in a certain dignified way that does not bring shame to the family. It is for this reason that you will rarely see an Asian acting a fool in public. Shame to the family is sort of like blasphemy in many Asian communities. It is for this reason that mental illness is swept under the rug. Many Asian households do not want to admit that they have a mentally ill loved one because they are afraid that it will bring shame and dishonor to their family. Many traditional Asian households will readily admit to having a criminal in their family before they will admit to having a mentally ill person.  A lot of traditional Asian households, especially the more Buddhist ones, tend to see mental illness as the result of one's Karma because they lived a horrible past life. As a result of this belief, it is not difficult to see why a lot of Asians tend to think someone with mental illness deserves their plight and deserves to be treated as if they are a social pariah. 

Proud & Hard Working 

In many traditional Asian communities, we are very hard-working in our societies. As a result of this, we tend to be very proud of our accomplishments. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. After all, one should be proud of what they accomplished in life. However, in many traditional Asian communities, the pride we feel often is a facade'. I say this because our pride masks anything bad we may be experiencing, such as mental illness. Asians are not allowed to express if they are having a bad mental health day. We are expected to be stoic and not show any emotion so that we can excel at whatever we put our minds to. I remember many times when my mother would slap me in the face whenever I would allow my emotions to get the better of me. A lot of Asian communities frown upon a man showing emotion, whether in public or in private, while it is only looked down upon when a woman shows emotion in public. As a result, I learned from a very young age to not express my emotions openly. 

Model Minority Myth 

I believe that the so-called "Model Minority Myth" has been very detrimental for any Asian, like myself, who struggles with mental illness. What exactly is the Model  Minority Myth? According to learningforjustice.org, the Model Minority Myth is, 

"based on stereotypes. It perpetuates the stereotypes in which Asian-American children are whiz kids or musical geniuses. Within the myth of the model minority, Tiger moms force children to work harder and be better than everyone else, while nerdy, effeminate dads hold prestigious- but not leadership-- positions in STEM industries like medicine or accounting"

It is because of this myth that I have felt like I was an outcast within Asian circles. While I had a lot of Asian friends, I always felt like they were somehow better than me, and that they could never know about my mental illness. I felt if they knew about that, then they would completely shun me because I would be seen as a "freak of nature". As a result, I kept my mental illness a secret for a very long time, and it literally ate a hole in my soul. I was always afraid of being found out by my friends and this caused me to resort to all kinds of tactics to keep my mental illness covered up. 

So, what can we do about this problem within the Asian community? I actually have three solutions, but they are not going to be easy, nor will they be fun. However, if we are going to put an end to the stigmatization of mental illness within Asian communities, then the hard work must be done. I will say that the following is not a comprehensive list because obviously there is much more we can do to eliminate stigma in Asian circles. But, if we can follow these three steps, then it will go a long way in ending the stigma. 

Raise Awareness 

This first step actually may sound like a scary one. I understand how it could be tough to be the only one in your family talking about your own mental health struggles. However, I have learned that when you open the conversation, you will find many other people who are experiencing something similar. Most people keep their mental health struggles to themselves because they think that they are alone. But, if you start talking about your own struggles, then others will begin opening up about their struggles. As a result of all this opening up to one another, we will no longer feel like social pariahs within our own communities anymore because we will realize that there are other people just like us. 

Educate Yourself 

This second step is a little more difficult because it requires you to do a whole lot of studying. However, if we are going to be excellent advocates for mental health, then we have to know the ins and outs of mental illness. The more that you know, the easier it will be for you to answer your family and friend's questions concerning mental illness. Also, the more you know, the more credible you seem. I recommend two YouTube channels to look up to get you started on your journey toward educating yourself on mental health: Living Well With Schizophrenia and Polar Warriors. Both of these channels are excellent sources to go to to learn about Schizophrenia and Bipolar.  

Do Not Hide Your Feelings 

I know this one might be the toughest step of all because so many of us were raised to not express emotion, but that is why this is the most important step of all. For us to break the stigma, we must intentionally go against the grain. This means that if you feel like crying in public, do not be afraid to do so. If you feel like shouting out of anger in public, then do that. Do not be scared of the stares and disapproving looks that you will receive. If Asians in our communities see other Asians expressing themselves freely then maybe they will realize that it is normal to feel frustrated or sad. Then, maybe that will free them to openly express their own emotions that they have bottled up on the inside. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand what it is like to be an Asian person who deals with mental illness. If you fall under this category, please know that you are not alone. Many of us are in the same exact boat as you. I understand the shame you must be feeling as a result of your own mental health struggles, but you do not need to feel shame because what you are experiencing is perfectly normal. I hope that this blog has been an encouragement for you and thank you for taking the time to read this. 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