The Golden Rule and Self Hatred

What is known as “the golden rule” comes in Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. He said: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12) This is an amazing teaching which, if followed by all, would […]

Is Anyone Sick?

I have been reading from the letter of James, specifically James 5:14-16 and thinking about its ramifications for me, as a person with an illness. James writes: Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. […]

Who You Are in Christ

I found this on ChristianForums and I thought it was so wonderful I should repost it. When I am feeling down, and doubting myself, hating myself, then this is a great reminder of who I am in Christ. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me: 1 You are able – Philippians […]

Joy Comes in the Morning

I have always loved the line in Psalm 30: “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (v5b KJV) This particular verse has brought me much comfort, and also caused me some conflict. I have experienced plenty of weeping when depression has brought me low, and for me it is generally […]

Future Promises

I have always been a bit wary of talking about the second coming, the end times, however you wish to describe it. This is for several reasons, one being that so many people end up with conspiracy theories, seeing the beast under every rock, that I end up thinking that we sound completely mad! I […]

Wasting Time

In the UK there is an offence of “wasting police time” when we do things that cause an unnecessary police response, wasting man-hours and their attention. Wasting time, whether our own or someone else’s seems generally to be considered, if not a sin, then something wrong. Mental illness steals our time and leaves little to […]

Putting the Patience in Patient

Being mentally ill requires a lot of patience. You have to be patient with your own mind, in the hope that it will eventually get better, and you have to be patient with those trying to treat you. Patience is one of the seven heavenly virtues and important to the Christian faith. When we are ill, […]

Verses for the Afflicted

I thought it might be helpful if I posted some verses about affliction (definition: grievous pain or trouble) and how the Bible describes its purpose. You’ll note that the Bible doesn’t view affliction as always being bad, or as a punishment, it consistently describes difficulty as a way to refine us, to teach us, and that good […]

Troublesome Verses: Sound Mind

There are some verses in the Bible which are troubling to Christians who suffer mental ill-health. Some of them seem to suggest that we cannot be proper Christians, or even Christian at all, if we have mental illnesses. One of these verses is in 2 Timothy, where Paul is speaking to Timothy: For the Spirit […]

“You Have a Spiritual Problem”

There is a great deal of rather ignorant talk from some Christians about mental illness. I think everyone has at least heard of, if not actually experienced, Christians who believe that mental ill-health is a spiritual problem rather than a medical one. Such people believe that a Christian must be in emotional good health, and […]