Mental Health Bias in the Church (Part 1)

If this content resonates with you, share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Editor's Note: This blog was written by Dr. David Smith, M.D., who practices family medicine in Mississippi.)

Jim was enjoying the closeness of his Christian small group meeting and decided he wanted to share more about a health condition he had been struggling with for several years. He sheepishly admitted that he had (gasp!) diabetes. It had taken him a while to gather the courage to admit it. Jim was glad to not feel totally rejected for his moment of truth, but within a few minutes, someone asked him if he had problems with gluttony. Another member of the group shared that he had hypertension, and group members prayed for him to be able to be healed from his uncontrolled anger problems. Does this sound far-fetched?

This fictional account reveals the bias of many Christians when they think about health conditions. It’s typically no problem for people to admit having diabetes, hypertension, a heart attack, or just about any common medical condition. However, watch what happens when someone is brave enough to admit they have depression, anxiety, or some other mental health condition. Scriptures don’t tend to get quoted as much. However, there is abundant scriptural support for considering the physical and the spiritual causes of illness.

We all tend to separate mental health from other health conditions, even labeling mental health apart from physical health, but fail to fully realize that mental health is also physical health. The brain is a physical organ, and it can succumb to dysfunction just like heart disease, liver disease, or lung disease. We tend to over-spiritualize mental health and under-spiritualize other health matters when the truth is that everything about our health is both. A holistic approach to medical care involves recognition of both physical and spiritual contributions to the total health of the person. Neglecting either does not result in optimal health.

We have to remember, foundationally, that no matter what type of health problem is present, it’s all ultimately the result of the fall of man (Genesis 3, Romans 5). We have all sinned (Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 3:23) so there should be no room for anything but humility and recognition of our complete dependency upon God for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9) through faith in Jesus Christ. After salvation, though we are destined for an eternity with our Father, our physical bodies are still suffering from the results of the fall. Unless the second coming of Jesus occurs, each of us will experience the death of our physical body, no matter how healthy we live.

Through efforts to understand the complexities of suffering, it’s common for people to have misunderstandings. Instead of recognizing our ignorance, it’s too easy to pass judgment while trying to simplify a complex problem. Let’s take a look at this dialogue that Jesus had with His disciples. John 9: 1-3 (NKJV) reads,

“As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

A health condition that someone suffers from can be errantly viewed by some as a punishment for wrongdoing. This particular blind man’s suffering eventually led to healing that was not just physical, but also spiritual and eternal, for the glory of God. Interestingly, prior to salvation, we all have a metaphorical blindness.

Another misunderstanding involves ascribing a lack of healing to a relative lack of faith. The apostle Paul pleaded with God to extract a “thorn” from his side, but Paul learned that it was not God’s will. Second Corinthians 12:9 says,

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

When Jesus walked in Israel, He healed multitudes. However, He did not heal everyone, as it was not His ultimate purpose. We all instinctively know this, but due to bias and ignorance, relegate this to non-mental health conditions.

Many a well-meaning Christian has told someone with mental illness that if they just had enough faith, just got close enough to God, or dared to state that if they truly had a salvation experience, their condition would resolve. I recently heard a pastor talk about those he’s seen who were instantly different when they truly were repentant. I don’t doubt at all that happens and have heard many testify of God’s grace in their lives which resulted in instantaneous healing. But that’s not everyone’s experience. We should not insinuate that if someone is not healed of whatever infirmity they have, it shows they were not really saved. God has His purposes in healing and also His purposes in not healing. It’s His will, not ours, and we cannot rightly pass judgment. We don’t have complete understanding, outside of what Scripture states, of His will for someone else.

The above misunderstandings result in many people who suffer with mental illness feeling abandoned by God. I’ve seen many over the years of medical practice who don’t understand why they continue to suffer from depression and anxiety problems, or even more severe forms of mental illness. When I was a child, I remember a man in my church who had schizophrenia. His son had schizophrenia also. I remember him standing to testify about his relationship with God and weeping over his own condition and the effects of it upon him and his family. I could relate the examples of one after another whom I saw in medical practice who felt the same – they recognized God and had a relationship with Him, but still had the same mental health problems, or other illnesses.

The stigma of mental illness in the church needs to be removed. Too many people languish in silence because they cannot take the risk with other Christians to be honest about their struggles. They fear judgment and misunderstanding instead of being assured of compassion and mercy. They fear being pigeon-holed and ignored. The truth is that some of the people I’ve met over the years who are the closest to God (as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives) are those who have suffered immensely with depression and anxiety. Just as Paul learned a dependence upon God through his fleshly thorn, I’ve witnessed the same among those who carry with them through life a sensitive awareness of their own frailty. They long for the day that they will be made whole and completely free from their current limitations.

In Part 2, we’ll look at the many examples in the Bible of those who struggled mentally and then explore an approach to ministry for those with mental illness that is more holistic.

Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting (longer on weekends). Please limit your comment to 300 words or less and ensure it addresses the content. Comments that contain a link (URL), an inordinate number of words in ALL CAPS, rude remarks directed at the author or other readers, or profanity/vulgarity will not be approved.