As Christians, we are fortunate to have a God that is omniscient. Stanford Encyclopedia defines omniscience as having “the properties of having complete or maximal knowledge. Along with omnipotence and perfect goodness, it is usually considered one of the central divine attributes. One source of the attribution of omniscience to God derives from the numerous biblical passages that ascribe vast knowledge to him.” Our God is the supreme God with no equal. We should be joyful knowing that our God is ever-present, faithful, surrounded in complete truth, merciful, forgiving, sovereign, and will be the same tomorrow as He has been since the beginning of creation. We should revel in total satisfaction and happiness. Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” At least twenty-three verses direct us the be happy. But somehow, we find ways to go against God’s wishes for our happiness.
Psalm 34:17-18 assures that “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” It is estimated that over 76 billion dollars are spent in the mental health area in America, and it is projected to increase by forty percent in the next five years. Proverbs 17:22 predicts, “A joyful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” With this thought in mind, we still have issues with mental health. “The median age of depression onset is 32.5 years old. The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode is highest among individuals between 18 and 25. Four out of five people with seasonal depression are women, and 8.7% of women have depression.” (Morin, 2022) Philippians 4:6-7 suggest we “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Mental illness is nothing new. The Bible refers to several cases. King Saul suffered from what we would call clinical depression, what they called being tormented by an evil spirit. Evil spirits are referred to in many places and are an exceptional description of the suffering the mentally ill experience. King Saul also had paranoia and anger issues toward David. King David may or may not have suffered from mental illness, but he did have moral weaknesses. He pretended to have a mental illness to escape a specific dilemma. David stood at the gates and pretended to be a madman to avoid Achish before moving into the cave of Adullam. Another example of mental illness was King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel predicts that Nebuchadnezzar will become a madman. Not long later, Nebuchadnezzar started believing he had to eat grass like cattle and grow his hair and nails like an eagle. According to the King James Online website, evil spirits are mentioned 611 times. Many of the miracles described in the Bible involve removing evil spirits and curing curses from evil spirits.
What does this mean to us in today’s world? In Matthew 10:8, Jesus tells the disciples to go out into the world and “”Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” There are at least 171 references to healing. Jesus is personally involved in 26 healing events. I believe there were many miracles not documented where healing occurred. Modern science has always scoffed at religion and anything that required and depended upon faith. Over the last four hundred years, we have seen many attempts at curing depression and mental illness. During the early years of Americans, scientists experimented with Trephination. (Removing a circular piece of bone is drilled and/or excised), bloodletting and purging, isolation and asylums, insulin coma therapy, metrazol therapy (electric shock therapy with pentylenetetrazol injections), and lobotomy. Early religious leaders tried to cure depression and mental illness by holding the patient underwater until the demon left the body, placing the individual in stocks for extended periods, exorcism, bewitchment, conjuring, and various tortures. Religious leaders used prayer and eventually realized that more unconventional methods did not work except to please and entertain their congregations. Many religions worldwide still use and believe in some of the abovementioned methods. The Catholics still perform exorcisms, and many tribal religions practice more bazaar practices. Some evangelical Christian communities have faith in and practice rituals that we consider strange or archaic.
Today the medical community still relies on drugs and institutional means of controlling mental illness. The success rate of contemporary psychological efforts has achieved various levels of failure. During the seventies and early eighties, the government, in its misguided wisdom, defunded and closed the majority of mental health hospitals. The government immediately took credit for a massive reduction in persons with mental illness. But failed to report the massive increase of homeless and dependent people living on the street. Ironically, the number of people diagnosed with mental illness matched the number of homeless people. During the last few years, it has been realized that just like in the Biblical days, the true cure for many of the ailments suffered depends upon the person’s desire to get well. This desire comes from faith, personal efforts, and prayer. Luke 8:43-48 describes a woman being cured due to her faith in Jesus. There are several occasions where a strong belief and faith have resulted in a person being cured of their ailments (evil spirits). Christian counseling and secular counseling will continue to claim to be the best at helping people live fulfilling lives. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And then Luke 1:37 tells us that “nothing will be impossible with God.”
Morin, A. (2022, 4 19). VeryWellmind. Retrieved from Depression Statistics Everyone Should Know: https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-should-know-4159056
Reinberg, S. (2022, 9 19). U, S, News & World Report. Retrieved from Depression Affect Almost 1 in 10 Americans: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-09-19/depression-affects-almost-1-in-10-americans#:~:text=MONDAY%2C%20Sept.,adults%2C%20a%20new%20study%20finds.