As Christians often our theology tells us that mental illness, depression, and bipolar disorder have no place in the believer’s life. So we hide, sneaking into our sessions with our therapists, and change the subject to minimize our exposure to direct questions. We have hidden our issues really well.
But I would submit to you that it is we who are closest to the Kingdom of God. It is far easier for us to approach the Father, in our brokenness, humility, and lostness. We have needs; a sound mind, a healthy body and we know it. We have no illusions of wellness, nothing can convince us that we are well. We are not. We are broken and only our loving creator can mend us.
You might say that the Church needs us. An Archbishop was given an ultimatum by the Huns who surrounded his cathedral. “You have 24 hours to bring your wealth to these steps”, the war-leader declared. The next morning the Archbishop came out leading the poor, the blind, the lame, and the lunatics. “Where is your treasure? Why have you brought out these, people?” The Archbishop said this, “These are the treasures of the Church, these who are weak are our valuables. They make us rich.”
I am afraid the the Western Church no longer sees its “treasures” like it should. In our pride and self-centeredness we have operated our churches like successful businesses. We value giftedness more than weakness. We definitely have no room for the desperately weak. It’s time for the Church to begin to act like Jesus.
Church isn’t where you meet. Church isn’t a building. Church is what you do. Church should be a verb. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.
Related articles
- Loved, but Broken (brokenbelievers.com)
i am in love with a sold out for Jesus Paranoid Schizophrenic. We are both believers and recently his meds have changed and the enemy has used this to make me the object of his paranoia keeping us apart. I do not stop praying and hoping and knowing that God is on control and moving and healing his son but i am asking for prayer as it is so hard on my heart. I know the Lord is keeping me dependent on him as a daughter looking to her daddy and i am so grateful for the Grace and Love of my father. I am asking for prayer for my friend, that the sz will be taken away and a complete healing in Jesus Name be at hand by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know the victory has already been won.
luv the site …………god bless you …….god have mercy on us all
oh how i need him im so depressed and SAVED
Thanks for that positive word! -now how do we get the Church to see and treat us like that?
What a beautiful post. I am inspired and encouraged. God Bless you for your writing.
First, I am blessed by your kind words and you penetrating analysis on this article. I believe with all my heart that it is the weak that strengthen the Church. It will not grow without us. I thank you for sharing Debbie’s story. She is indeed one who witnesses to the deep Grace that our blessed Savior freely gives.
I hope you won’t be a stranger to this ministry. This blog needs your input from time to time.
ybic,
Bryan
Brian,
Great site. God bless you brother for your honesty and being transparent. It is not easy to deal with physical problems, and I will admit I had forgotten about the loss of your daughter.
I am not quite sure that the only thing the scripture was thinking about when it says ” whom much is given, much is required”. The “required” part, sometimes I believe is simply to wait, endure, and be faithful in the midst of, thru, and be faithful to the end. If truely this is just a vapor, and the eternal is yet to come, then the most important part is to finish the course well.
I look up to you and respect you for the battles you are encountering, and going thru.
I have been going thru some of mine own. Actually my battle is not just my own, but Debbies as well. She is the one doing most of the suffering, hooked up to a machine and rarely having the energy to do much more. Even when the pains are not too much and an ounce of energy is there, she still has to deal with being hooked to the bottle always. I feel often like just a numb bystander, not knowing what to do, just be there. If we listened to the doctors as close as they would like us to, she should not be still with us today.
Today was a blessed day. She was feeling well enough to leave the house. Its been a couple weeks. I hooked up to the old wheeler, w/ a box on front and back, to hold the bottles, a cooler on the front w/ snacks, a bottle of wine, and we went to the beach for the first time this year. Funny how something so small for some people was so special for us. There was a time this would not of seemed so special.
Not sure how I ended up rattling on about this, and don’t really know where to go from here. I do know that you have been tested in ways I pray I never will be. I do not believe the Lord brings hardship to teach us a lesson. But I do believe he may allow hardship, and we get to choise what we do with it.
Many in the church, at least the western church, myself included, have been raised with the allusion the church existed for us, instead of us existing for Him. If enough problems hit us, we seem to question this illusion. Thats a good thing. I believe we need to.
You may think that the body of Christ has no room for those who are flawed, broken, and in need of more we are comfortable with. BUT I do not agree. The love of Christ lives in his children. When faced with the flaws, there may be a reflex here and there, and an initial pulling back, as if we are afraid of catching something, but His love still resides.
I would say the Church is made up of flawed people, but the Lords light comes thru these flawed people. It may seem the Church has no room for each others problems, but when we yield to the fathers will, we become something different than what we were.
Yes, we are not what we want to be, need to be, or will be, but He still loves us, and that same love allows us to help each other.
You are needed in the church brother. Many more out there are too. Reality check is a good thing. We need to be shaken, and realize the real church is made up more of broken people than healed. Were not in heaven yet.
Thanks again for the work putting together this site. I pray it will be a place of comfort and healing to you.
The Lord bless you Brian. You are a special brother, and we need more like you around. Nothing can shake the church up like real people.
I agree almost entirely. We, (the Church), are strong in HIM when we are weak. Only the last sentence I don’t agree with fully. While the statement may be true I would not call it into being but declare it is a historic state and in addition cry out to Father for a spirit of repentance against such a state.