"Holding On For

  Those Who Can't "

"

Dr. Dorothy J. Haire

I have a loved one suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues. It breaks my heart. I have been praying for them for years, witnessing roller-coaster results. I recently read two insightful articles by David Murray PhD published in September 2023 by Crossway (a bible publishing company). If you love a Christian who has mental health issues, these articles may encourage you to hold on for those who can’t. Allow me to condense/paraphrase each article: 

Article #1: Can a Christian Have Mental Illness? 

·      Because mental illness is condemned as a sin, many Christians will not admit to being depressed, anxious, or bipolar.

·      If they do admit they have problems, Christians often turn to the secular world for understanding, sympathy, and help. Secular approaches can sometimes lead to further spiritual difficulties and complications.

·      Christians can have mental illness because their brains can break, their chemistry and electricity can malfunction, their hormones can be imbalanced, and so on.” 

·      Christians live in a broken world. They have accidents, are abused, are wronged, are lied about, and are traumatized. 

·      Christians get stressed. Excessive and continuous amounts of the stress chemicals adrenaline and cortisol become extremely dangerous to our physical and mental health.

·      Christians can have mental illness because serious and/or unrepentant sin causes damage to the body and mind.

·      Christians can save mental illness because they are Christians: targets of the devil, affected by all the sin and suffering in the world. and in agony because people are being swept into eternity without the gospel.

Article # 2: How to Pray for a Loved One Struggling with Mental Illness

·      Pray with Hope, Patience, and Love. Hope because we are praying to the God of hope (Rom. 15:13). Patience because changes for the better can take a long time. Love because it will be reflected in your relationship with the person.

·      Pray that they would see their need, and accept that their need is so great they should seek help.

·      Allow them space to talk about what they are going through, which is essential and a massive step on the road to healing. 

·      Give them a holistic team of helpers. Depending on the severity of the condition, the team may consist of all or several of the following: a doctor, the pastor, a counselor, a psychologist or psychiatrist, and a life coach.

·      Give them an increasing sense of personal responsibility. Pray for and help them begin to make good daily decisions about lifestyle such as sleep, exercise, diet, media intake, daily devotions, church attendance, fellowship, etc. 

·      Give them insight into sin (theirs and others against them), their Savior, and hope in heaven. 

I realize that these two articles will not fully equip you to engage with your loved one daily, but they are helpful. Things happen that we cannot anticipate. And to be honest, it gets tiring and discouraging sometimes. Take time to pray for yourself too. Sitting in the presence of God when things get especially rough can strengthen us to hold on to and for our loved ones who can’t.   

Dorothy J. Haire

Pastor Emeritus, Speaker, Teacher, Writer

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Article # 2: How to Pray fo

r a Loved One Struggling with Mental Illness