In Search Of A Better Tomorrow

Mental Illness Article, Part 4

B. MAN NEEDS TO BECOME CHRISTIAN AND TO BE OBEDIENT TO PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT AND STRIVE TOWARD SANCTIFICATION

KEY QUOTE: “What a miracle that God would take sinners such as ourselves and give us new hearts with a disposition to love him and trust him in the midst of our circumstances.” (Gloria Furman, Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home)

We live in a world today in desperate need of great change. People “injure” people for personal gain, and almost all suffer from some kind of “traumatic event”. Fear, shame, and rejection are the fruit of our mistakes and frailties. Dysfunctional “families”, in the form of families, communities, races, and nations; cannot get along, creating chaos, distrust, and unstable foundations for the next generation to reside in. Violence on TV, illegal drugs, dishonesty, sexual assault, single parents out of wedlock, homosexuality, no religion in schools, and no respect for another are the values we teach our children to believe in. How long are “our poorly-structures houses” (Luke 6:46-49) going to stay erect when the floodwaters (life struggles we daily create) keep beating on us?

The fact that Christians are in the minority rather than the majority in its population, and that not one is truly stable in its obedience, makes this world very unstable. However, in spite of all the world’s sins, God still wants to pour out His perfect grace toward the Prodigal Son (the world). If sinners would just “open their eyes” and “realize that ‘freedom requires sound decision making’ and “decide to turn from their evil ways and come to Christ” and “then rely upon the Holy Spirit” for godly living, this world would be greatly changed, as “houses” would become more and more stable against the floodwaters of life.
Jesus is the available psychiatrist who is capable of treating properly every person with a “spiritual mental illness”. Those who “trust in Him” and “accept His treatment plan” (salvation and sanctification), and “daily take His prescribed “antidepressants” (Holy Spirit) will become a “new creation” (a Christian), with improving symptoms (less sinful behaviors, to the extent you choose not to sin). In addition, the doctor’s therapist (God) will use His expertise (the Bible) to guide, empower, and stabilize patients like us.

Once you accept Christ as your Savior (choose Jesus to be your psychiatrist), the Holy Spirit (medication) will automatically enter the soul of the Christian. When we surrender our life to the Holy Spirit (takes the antidepressants), we will have the Holy Spirit’s perfect fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) produced in the spirit of the believer: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Just imagine: if you habitually let the Holy Spirit control your life, you will experience His overflowing “love, joy, peace, . . .self-control” in your spirit, in spite of your real mental illness, in your life. (Since the Holy Spirit only resides in the heart of the Christian, you cannot experience these fruits until you get saved.) Regardless of the situations and troubles you encounter, when you surrender, the Holy Spirit’s overabundant fruit of the spirits will be emitted by Him.
In John 15:16-17, Jesus said to His disciples, “I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: “Love each other.”
In our daily lives, we daily face a crisis of belief: should I live my life to satisfy my personal desires, or should I daily live for Christ, letting the Holy Spirit work in my life, to accomplish my God-given dream (purpose)? If I choose the latter, according to John 15:16-17, “God will give me whatever I ask for”, in the constraints of His purpose for my life. Or should I do what I want, ignoring my God-given dream? What’s the other consequence of being self-centered?

In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, it says, “Anyone who builds on that foundation (one of Jesus Christ) may use a variety of materials – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” Do you want to build your rewards be based upon “hay, wood, and stubble, etc.” (the works of a worldly believer) which will “burn up”, or will you surrender to Him, to receive someday eternal rewards?

“Success is not measured in terms of how much material wealth we acquire, but rather of how much closer we are with God”. (Unknown)