You Are Not AloneНамуна

Many with mental illness suffer from embarrassment, bias, and stigma which leads them to feeling isolated and alone. They struggle with faulty thinking that further isolates them, such as “No one else struggles with this,” “I should be able to handle this,” or “If I were a better Christian, I wouldn’t have these problems.” This thinking further isolates them from the help provided in God’s Word and church.

The following lessons will examine Biblical examples of mental illness, specifically depression. These are not just stories. These people struggled with mental illness just as people do today. You are not alone in your struggles. There are others in your life who struggle with mental illness. In reality, one in five people in the United States has mental illness. In a church of 100 people, ten will struggle with depression, four will have bipolar disorder, and six more will have other mental illnesses, such as PTSD or anxiety.

Throughout the Bible, we find plenty of instances where God tells us that we are not alone, for He will be with us. In Psalm 23:4, we see that David has been through difficult times. He has walked through some dark valleys. Why isn’t David afraid? Because he is not alone. God was with David. God was there to protect and comfort him.

But how did God comfort him? To answer that question, let’s look at Psalm 3:3-4. David wrote this Psalm when his son, Absalom, rebelled against him and tried to seize David’s kingdom. His beloved son was trying to kill him and take control of the nation. David felt utterly alone. However, the Lord comforted him. He lifted David’s head. Often, when we are depressed, we don’t want to talk to people, we avoid eye contact, and we look down. Yet, verse 3 tells us that God will lift our heads. He will help us look up. You are not alone in the valleys of life! God is with you!

That same God is with you today. The great I AM, the One who spoke to Moses, David, and Elijah. The One who created the universe and flooded the earth. The One who rescued Jonah and converted Paul. He is with you when you are in the dark valleys. He will never leave you nor forsake you. God will lift your head and comfort you in your struggles with mental illness. He will never let you go. He will keep you in the palm of His hand. (John 10:28-29)

But it was not enough for God to understand our suffering from afar. For this reason, God became man when he sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Philippians 2 tells us that He became a man, not only a man but a servant. Then He further humbled Himself to death on a cross for our sake. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus can empathize with us because of His suffering. He knows what it is like to be human. He has seen first-hand the effects of sin in His world. He cured many people of the ravages of sickness, including mental illness. He often expressed His sorrow and demonstrated His compassion when He witnessed people suffering. Jesus Christ became man and suffered alongside us so we could spend eternity without illness with Him.