i personally believe that we have advanced in our medical understanding because of God. Healing is not a work of the devil.
It is like that story about the man who ends up stuck on a roof during a flood. A boat and a helicoptor come by, and people offer to save him, but he turns them down because he is waiting for God. When he dies, he is very upset and asks God, why didn’t you save me? And God replies, I sent you a boat and a helicoptor. Why didn’t you get on?
People get stuck on thinking God will only move in big flashy ways. But miracles can be extremely subtle. A conversation at the right time, a nudge to call someone, being given a Bible from the friend of a friend you just met, a radio that turns to static at just the right time and saves your life in the process.
A succesful man who pulls into a truckstop and buys a lottery ticket, wins a hundred dollars from a ten dollar ticket, and as he is leaving he sees another man sleeping in his car which is packed full of clothes, belongings. He is moved to hand over the lottery ticket, despite the guy’s protests that he is not that bad off, that he still has a job, but still insists that the homeless guy take the ticket and says he himself had once been homeless and knows what it is like to have nothing… and tells him it will get better. It will be okay.
God weaves the story of our lives together, and all lives in some way intersect. Directly or indirectly. We are called to love one other, and with that, heal each other. God gives us tools, instruments, grows in us knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. A scientific discovery, a creative notion, followed by 20 more which produces antibiotics, x-ray machines, meds that balance the chemicals in the brain that have been thrown off because of sickness, injury, or genetics. Most recently, a way has been discovered to regrow teeth in the mouth so no one needs to use dentures tor the rest of their lives.
He takes each one of us down this path or that, and then uses our experiences to care for countless others as we become useful to do greater good and touch more and more lives, who go on to touch even more lives. To the Glory of God.
God takes all of that and says, Do good. Bare fruit. Multiply. Love one another.
Scripture may inform us of our duty to one another. But it does not perform that duty for us. We cannot excuse our lack of involvement in helping others by saying it is God’s responsibility alone, or that God will do it if it is His Will. His Will is that you tend to the garden that you were placed in.
Now with all that said, I do believe that what we feed ourselves affects our mental health. Scripture does say,
Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
In my own life, I have learned that filling my mind with hateful things creates one version of me. Filling imy mind with loving things creates another. Two very different versions of me, two different ways to see the world, two very different ways to engage with it.
Your choice of focus affects you and your mental health. I have only grown happier and healthier mentally by readjusting how I think and look at the world. Thinking the worst all the time is poisonous.
Wiith that said, what you watch on television matters. What you listen to on the radio matters.
What is the spirit of that news program that you are watching on loop through out the day?
What is the spirit of those words being spoken into your ears? What message is being built up in your mind. Who are they turning you into?
Does it encourage you or inspire peace within you? Is it healing? Does it motivate you to be kind? To serve God? To serve your fellow man? To do good? Does it honestly speak the Truth? Would Christ say that to you?
Or is it divisive? Self serving? Does it rile you up to fight? Does it tell you that you are a victim and that others are out to get you? Does it encourage violence or mistreatment of others? Does it condemn people for their sins while faning complete innocence? Does it bare false witness? Is it manipulate you?
Are you listening on repeat? And if so, do you remember who you were? Do you know what you have become?
Let The Holy Spirit guide you home, back to God. Let the Holy Spirit Transform your life. It doesn’t have to be this way.
If you dwell on darkness, it will also dwell inside you. But if you let the light in, it will give you clarity. The Spirit you give your life to will have power over you. Let the right one in.
5 Lies We Believe about Mental Health – and the Truth God Says | Crosswalk.com
. He told me that there is no reason a Christian would have to be depressed. Though he, his family and the church as a whole knew how to love like Jesus does, the pastor’s lack of understanding for my condition made it necessary for me to look to a counselor. I loved and still love my ‘family’ [ before them I had never felt loved) of that church. Since the church had pretty small congregation I felt uncomfortable talking with anyone else because of the pastor’s outlook on depression. I first noticed that I was being changed in late 1999. I moved in mid 2000. I continued with intermittent counseling until the counselor I had been seeing for 8 years discharged me in 2019. Since then God, His Word and medication have kept me looking up instead of down. I have not enjoyed the human love and Biblical teaching that I received during the past 25 years that I did during the 5 years where I came to my Lord. I have lived in small rural towns where there are few churches. Sorry for the lengthy response.