Biblical Counseling
by Ted Slater on 08/28/2008 at 2:25 PM
While a variety of disorders may best be treated medically, a good number may be best treated in less "therapeutic" ways.
So says Dr. David Powlison, counselor and editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling, in a series published this week on Boundless: Sane Faith (part 1, part 2 and part 3).
In his three articles, Powlison challenges a tendency to label our disorders with pseudo-scientific terms, which have the effect of releasing us from any possible responsibility for those disorders.
We say we have "obsessive-compulsive disorder" (OCD), when instead we may be stubbornly striving for the unattainable, oblivious to the Lord's mercies toward us. We say we suffer from "intermittent explosive disorder" and have an "addictive personality," when in fact we may simply be losing our temper and acting narcissistically, disregarding the Lord's call to patience and humility.
A problem with false diagnoses is that they place the blame on something or someone else, and responsibility for the cure on us. The benefit of a right diagnosis is that we come to see the root of the problem for what it is, and are able to turn to the Savior for healing.
Again, nobody is saying that there's no place for medication, or for professional counseling. There clearly is. But in some cases, perhaps many cases, we're poorly served by false diagnoses and the pseudo-scientific labels attached to them, and the consequential misguided treatments.
This series has been over a year in the making. Each word has been closely reviewed by several pairs of eyes, including our own Counseling department. These concepts have challenged me to consider my own role in my personal pathologies, and the relevance of the Savior in treating them. May they serve you similarly.
Focus on the Family has a staff of more than 20 licensed Christian counselors available to talk with you. If you would like to talk with one of them, please call (719) 531-3400 Monday-Friday 9-4:30 (Mountain time), and ask for the Counseling department at extension 7700. One of the counselors' assistants will arrange for a counselor to call you back at no charge to you.
1. Chantell said the following at 3:07 PM on Aug 28
I had hoped to have an opportunity to publish my appreciation for the "Sane Faith" series. The wisdom it contains has convicted me to call "sin" by its name, both in my own life and in the lives of my loved ones on whose behalf I carry emotional burdens. Removing the labels and justifications from my own mind, I'm encouraged to face sin head-on and eradicate it by the grace of God.
Bravo, Boundless.
2. Christina said the following at 3:24 PM on Aug 28
I've thoroughly enjoyed this series. I've taken a few counseling courses through my church and intend to pursue a NANC certification somewhere down the road. It's encouraging to see that Boundless is talking about some basics of counseling when that is primarily what they do. It equips the rest of us to continue the Boundless ministry.
Thanks!
3. Al said the following at 3:34 PM on Aug 28
Though there was much I would agree with in the series, I also felt it quite frustrating. It doesn't seem to give much room for the possibility that some of our "issues" are *both* spiritual as well as medical, and healing may require both approaches.
I've had some first hand experience with minor OCD at various points in my life so I can talk about it with a tiny bit of authority. It's not merely self-condemning thoughts, and it's not just behaviors that might appear somewhat ritualistic to cope with those thoughts. Real OCD symptoms usually involve rigid, mechanistic behavior used to relieve some irrational line of thinking or tension, and they doesn't always involve guilt or self-condemnation: someone who deals with OCD may check the light 25 times to make sure it's off, or wash their hands 5 times to make sure its clean. I'm not sure most responsible psychologists would classify the given example as being truly OCD.
I do definitely agree that disorders such as OCD often, maybe always, root from some sort of initial sin-- the sin of futile perfectionism, sometimes framed by tender conscience, combined with insecurity and a need for control. And even when those explicit behaviors are dealt with, their cause still remains and must be addressed by the person of Jesus. But when OCD behaviors and thought patterns do take root, they are clearly "clinical".
The article seems to simplify what may actually be a much more complex issue-- after all, we do hold a biblical worldview that suggests medical and biological conditions are ultimately rooted in Adamic sin. Yet Christian doctors aren't advised that they should simply tell cancer patients that they need Jesus. Why then aren't Christian councelors and psychologists, who deal with people who whose minds are linked to both the spiritual and the biological, advised to treat them like so? Why are they advised here to address personal sin (absolutely central and critical as it is) to the seeming exclusion of other factors?
I do agree with the author that clinical labels often depersonify real, complex, living breathing people that are made up of more than their neuroses... and I consider my encounter with OCD a bit of a blessing in helping me to see those I encounter who "suffer" from mental disorders as full persons. But honestly, it's actually kind of a fascinating disorder, and it amuses me that a little crazy dwells in me-- even though I'm mostly rational. Mostly.
4. Sam said the following at 3:52 PM on Aug 28
I agree 100%! There are some people who truly do need medication and counseling to function, but a lot of other folks would rather throw a pill/money at a "problem" rather than deal with their own sin. Glad to see such articles.
5. Bertha said the following at 4:01 PM on Aug 28
People like to joke about OCD, but in reality it has little to do with perfection and more to with rituals and bizarre behavior. It isn't really something one chooses to do and isn't fun for those that suffer from it.
6. JuliaH said the following at 4:15 PM on Aug 28
Diabetics require lifestyle changes and insulin to manage their condition.
I require lifestyle changes an antidepressant and some antipsychotics to manage mine.
Please tell me I just need a little more faith!
7. Ted Slater said the following at 4:21 PM on Aug 28
Al (#3) -- I've tried to stress that there are disorders whose treatments include medication. Dr. Powlison speaks of this as well in his third piece. It is cruel for Christians to dismiss proper use of medication.
The point of this series isn't to ridicule the proper use of drugs and professional therapy, but to draw our attention to another possible factor in our disorders: our own sin. And this is good news -- no, *great* news! It means that we may be able to properly diagnose what's truly wrong with us, and not dig deep within for wholeness, but cry out to the Savior for forgiveness and healing.
Again, medication is appropriate at times, sometimes in conjunction with repentance.
Bertha (#5) -- I wholeheartedly agree. Disorders aren't funny for those experiencing them. At the same time, sometimes it helps us deal with difficult things by humbly making light of them. I've had cancer, for example; one way I found to deal with it was to joke about it ("Can I get fries with that banana shake?" I'd ask prior to *another* monthly CT scan).
But, yes, you are right that disorders are tragic, not fun for those experiencing them. We've removed the first comment, by the way, at the request of the person who wrote it.
8. Ted Slater said the following at 4:29 PM on Aug 28
Julia (#6) -- you misunderstand the author's intent. Again, nobody is saying that medication is not a proper treatment for certain disorders. Medication -- as has been said numerous times here and elsewhere, including in the very first line of this blog post, and in the sixth paragraph as well -- is a blessing from God during our time on this fallen world.
I've used medication. My parents have used medication. Some of our authors use medication. Medication can be a very good thing.
The point of the article is that sometimes we give things pseudo-scientific labels in order to escape personal responsibility, thereby never accurately diagnosing our problem, thereby never prescribing the appropriate treatment.
9. Sdella said the following at 4:49 PM on Aug 28
I struggle daily with whether my depression and anxiety are medical and/or sinful. I have a genetic predisposition for these ailments. My father was diagnosed with Manic-Depression, cousins on both sides of familhy are identified as Schizophrenic. Is it real or not? I am a baptized believer in Jesus Christ and pray aloud daily to relieve suffering.
10. Leah said the following at 5:22 PM on Aug 28
While I have not yet read the series - don't have time at the moment - I hope my message will still get posted.
By the sounds of it, I think I'll probably agree with quite a bit of the series (eg. "addictive personality"... I mean really...) but I do know that some things like OCD really can't be solved through "faith". I don't know if I actually had OCD, but when I was younger I would automatically count all the steps in a staircase. Sometimes I wouldn't even realise until "eleven, twelve, thirteen". I eventually got over it (after many years) by consciously forcing myself not to count but to think about something else when climbing staircases.
I do know however of a young girl who couldn't sleep and would cry hysterically if she could not get all her toys in just the right order on her bed. It's not a matter of not acknowledging God's mercy. God can show mercy in any situation, including situations where medication is required, like cancer or broken bones or diabetes. That doesn't mean that in situations where we *can* rely on God's mercy, we shouldn't also rely on medication.
Bertha is also right when she says People like to joke about OCD, but in reality it has little to do with perfection and more to with rituals and bizarre behavior. Every case of OCD I've ever heard of- mainly on the news or reading articles- has been about a person compulsively doing something not even related to perfection (except for the girl with her toys). Actually, most cases I've heard of are people compulsively counting things. When Al says I do definitely agree that disorders such as OCD often, maybe always, root from some sort of initial sin-- the sin of futile perfectionism, she/he obviously hasn't really understood *serious* OCD, because rarely is it about making something perfect. She/he even seems to acknowledge that their own "minor OCD" probably wouldn't be diagnosed as OCD by a responsible psychologist.
I mean, saying We say we have "obsessive-compulsive disorder" (OCD), when instead we may be stubbornly striving for the unattainable, oblivious to the Lord's mercies toward us is like saying "We say we have sleep apnoea when instead we are simply ignoring God's peace, preventing us from sleeping soundly."
11. BDB said the following at 5:32 PM on Aug 28
You know, one of the things I've been pondering is how the U.S. and Canada consume 95% of the world's Ritalin.
I suspect that in other countries, they simply send their kids out to play. They're too poor for toothpaste, let alone Ritalin. This stuff is being over-prescribed.
I do have a friend from high school who completed a Biblical Counseling degree. It was interesting because the coursework included the full curriculum for a Master's degree in marriage and family counseling, and then the equivalent to a Master of Arts in Religious Education. Graduates had enough social science knowledge to pass the state counseling licensing exam, and enough Biblical knowledge to speak to that, too.
There are a lot of people who haven't read their Bible enough for it to soak in and change them. If a Christian man goes to a counselor and says he wants a divorce because he's unhappy, and thinks he "deserves" happiness via an affair, a Biblical counselor SHOULD sit down with him and go through everything in the New Testament on marriage and divorce. Will that work 100% of the time? No, people rebel against God's commandments every day. Someone contemplating breaking their vows really does need to have someone privately make sure they understand the Biblical truth.
There is also something to be said for mediation. It can be helpful to have a 3rd party help to parties in confict narrow the range of the dispute, and get to the root cause of the conflict. Life is better when conflicts can be resolved.
12. Eliza said the following at 5:38 PM on Aug 28
I'm pretty sure I understand the point of the article, namely, that many people need to stop excusing sin by calling it a "condition".
I noticed, however, that the author states certain suppositions as fact when they really are only his experience or opinion. For example, in Part 3 he says, "But if you use quasi-medical labels for what I do, think and feel, it creates artificial distance between us. If I struggle with anxiety or irritation or escapism ... well, so do you. So does everybody. But if you label my struggle as a "disorder," then that means you are normal, but I am sick. That's an artificial distance, because none of us gets anger, fear and pleasure-seeking exactly right."
Well, that might be his own observation, but it certainly isn't mine. In my experience, "diagnosing" or "labeling" certain symptoms I had as depression suddenly opened a whole new world of possibility for me. Suddenly I could identify problems and causes and work to overcome them. Also, there were many people who I suddenly identified with that I didn't before, because now I knew they knew exactly how I felt.
To simply call "depression" self-absorption is, in my opinion, unhelpful. Telling a depressed person that they need to confess their sin of selfishness and snap out of their self-absorption will most likely be counter-productive. They already despise the fact that they are in a pit and unable to crawl out, most likely (if they are Christians) they have begged before God on numerous occasions to forgive them and rescue them and love them.
By talking to a therapist on a regular basis a person can actually work on the anger and hurt and sadness that may be in their heart or head and make progress. In this way they can realize the promises of God in order to come to a place to be able to claim them--a place they had no access to before.
Articles like this make my heart drop because I know what it's like to read them when a person is actually dealing with psychological pain. It implies that going to a therapist will essentially confirm your narcissistic tendencies, and if you would really repent of your sin, God would forgive you and give you joy. So a person avoids the therapist, avoids the labels in order to remain on some common ground with "kith and kin", repressing and masking the very real distance that they feel themselves. This pattern can only lead to two places: eventual brokenness and commitment to a path of psychological healing, or total despair.
Unfortunately the not-unrealistic expectation that Christians will distance themselves from you instead of coming around you to support you is heartbreaking. If I finally confess to myself than I am indeed an alcoholic and force myself to an AA meeting, I certainly hope that Christians wouldn't look at me like I was, well, diseased. I would hope that they would hug me more and pray for me more and love me as much as I needed at that time; exactly the way they would if I had cancer.
By the way, I also see no difference between anorexia or cancer or schizophrenia or a broken bone when it comes to the "sinfulness" of one or the other. Disease is a direct result of the coming of sin into our world. AIDS is a sin to our bodies, addiction is a sin to our soul. Both require the mercy of God and both require the work of men (and women) to heal.
13. Jethro said the following at 5:52 PM on Aug 28
As someone with a degree in psychology I can assure you that OCD is not caused by sin. At least not according to any text book I've ever read...
14. Al said the following at 6:17 PM on Aug 28
Ted, thanks for replying. I do wholeheartedly agree that the root cause of many of our disorders is often sin. And after posting, I did reflect that my light affairs with OCD ended or could have ended quicker with repentence of their root causes.
But I had to take issue with the first article's implication that what we call "obsessive-compulsive-disorder" is just a problem of ordinary personal sin under a different name, offered to absolve one of responsibility. If the article meant that it was an easy mis-diagnosis in some cases and an accurate one in others, it didn't state that. OCD is a somewhat freaky thing that the movie The Aviator portrays well (though it depicts an exceptionally severe case of it). For me, it spawned from perfectionism in academics as a kid. I had to do everything "just right", until it manifested itself in erasing and rewriting single words 20 times trying to get it "perfect" until I wore holes in the page, and spending many, many minutes reading one single word repeatedly, trying to sound it out in my head just right, and hours reading just a handful of pages. I constructed pointless, paralyzing rituals that I would have great anxiety about if I didn't do when the urge struck. As a sixth grader, I would be up until 2am regularly "doing homework" in this bizarre ritualized manner. It was not a fun time... especially since OCD suffers rationally *know* there's something terribly wrong with them, and they're torn hiding it from the world as best they can until they often cave in to their compulsions. One day my mother realized something was amiss and ordered me forcefully to stop. I wasn't a Christian then, but by God's grace, for some reason I did.
Anyway, my issue wasn't that the articles didn't allow for medication where necessary-- it does appear to. My contention was that it suggests many disorders that proceed and are driven by sin but don't require medication aren't actually disorders. I think it would be more balanced if it emphasized that these disorders that gain life from and are sustained by our sinfulness and brokenness can still be clinical, psychological "disorders". They are still conditions with biological quirks and irrational psychological patterns, as those who deal with them *do* seem to "suffer" externally from their disorders as much as they bear responsibility for them. These neuroses do take a life of their own as impose their own debilitating prisons.
I guess I just don't think it's necessarily unhelpful to call things as they are-- to admit that some do suffer from actual disorders with particular maddening irrationalities, even they are called to repentance and hope in Christ.
And I do agree that sometimes we have to laugh at how rediculous we are. Especially about some of the things that kind of make us freaks.
15. composer girl said the following at 6:24 PM on Aug 28
I agree with the general concept of these articles. I think that attention to one's spiritual condition is essential to holistic treatment of both disorders and "disorders." I also appreciate Ted's continued emphasis that these articles do not negate the possibility of treatment with medicine.
However, I can see why previous comments have expressed concerns about these articles. The articles were in no way speaking explicitly against medicine. But there wasn't much discussion of medicine either, or how it might fit into this redemptive approach of realizing sin's influence on one's problems and turning to Christ for ultimate healing.
I have clinical depression. I am on medication and recently had about six months of professional counseling, so I'm feeling and functioning a lot better than I was a year ago. But if I had read an article like this one during the three years that I suffered with untreated depression, I would have despaired that yet another reliable Christian resource was telling me to "just turn to Jesus and let Him fix your problems." I'm not saying that this is what these articles do. I'm just saying that, had I still been in a depressed state of mind and emotions, that is how I would have perceived the article's message, because it almost completely neglected the subject of possible medical treatment.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH FEELINGS OF DEPRESSION OR THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, I strongly recommend the audio series "The Dark Hole of Depression," published by Family Life Today (possibly related to FOTF?). The speaker approaches depression with a very balanced view, speaking of treatment of both physical symptoms and possible spiritual causes of depression.
Praise be to God, Who is the source of all healing, both through spiritual redemption and medical treatment.
16. composer girl said the following at 6:48 PM on Aug 28
SDELLA:
Please consider seeking a doctor's or counselor's advice about this, especially since you have a genetic predisposition towards depression. This can help you in figuring out if it is medical or not. It sounds like you've already been exploring the possibility of sin's being the root cause of your depression. I would encourage you now to explore the possibility that it might be medical.
17. Michelle said the following at 7:42 PM on Aug 28
I've been reading these articles for this last week and I've very much enjoyed them. I myself have a desire to be a christian counselor and would love to study more. I've been receiving some christian counseling from a pastor who as well as a personal practice away from the church and helps others from his church and non believers alike. I just happened to check the church out because I was looking for a church home sorda speak and he happened to be the pastor who also takes care of those that are the newbies. He happened to call me and I got talking with him and he set up an appointment with me. He deals mainly with anger and anxiety. I mentioned to him that I've struggled with those two but mostly anxiety and he took me in for 3 sessions that were free to me.
I was praying actually for a counselor to speak to about things that I've gone through recently. It really helped and I wouldn't consider myself "sick". I am a believer and feel that because of these sessions and "talking things out" it has helped me in my walk with God and to learn more about myself. It has been more useful than harmful, but I would agree that there are some who really just straight up need Jesus in their lives. I on the other hand realize my weaknesses a lot better and know what I need to do. God ultimately is my healer and I understand this. Counseling has been very helpful and I've appreciated it very much.
I would like to say further thank you for your advice about all the different things us young adults go through and deal with, with God's perspective.
Michelle
18. Anna said the following at 8:33 PM on Aug 28
I have chronic severe depression and trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling and skin-picking).
I've heard so much well-meaning but trite advice thrown out by people who don't know the first thing about mental illness.
MANY people underestimate the impact such disorders can have on one's relationship with God. When I'm in a deep depression, I can't focus long enough to read the Bible. Irrational guilt and self-condemnation make me feel unworthy to pray. Memorizing comforting Scriptures is impossible when my mind is so foggy I literally can't remember what I ate for breakfast. Fellowship with other Christians can be a source of deep comfort, but only if I can force myself to leave the house and seek out people to spend time with.
I can (and do) pray for strength to withstand the compulsion to pull out my hair and pick holes in my skin -- but it falls short when the fixation begins, because the disease is by definition COMPULSIVE. All of my attention is focused on this behavior and I can't even remember that I'm supposed to pray, much less follow through. The symptoms of these diseases can themselves block the "cures" some Christians recommend.
So I take medication. It's likely I'll be on some form of medication for the rest of my life. And I'm okay with that. The medication and lifestyle changes (structured eating and sleeping schedules, for example) allow me to function well enough to pray, study, and fellowship, and those things in turn improve my relationship with God and my quality of life. It doesn't have to be an either-or decision.
19. Leah said the following at 8:44 PM on Aug 28
Having now read the articles, I can say this: they made me angry and wonder if some people are stupid.
Just because Sarah might just be a vain perfectionist does not mean anorexia is not a real medical condition. It means she's been misdiagnosed. Similarly, many kids these days are being diagnosed as ADD or ADHD when really they just need a good smack and some discipline.
Like I said in my first post: of course we can say "Jesus" is the answer to myriad mental problems. That doesn't mean they're not real health problems that shouldn't be dealt with by medication or hospitalisation!
I understand that the author is not saying medication should not be used in genuine mental health problems. He does, however, seem to be saying that many disorders- anorexia and OCD among them- aren't actually genuine disorders and are simply caused by sin. Which is just not true.
20. Chris said the following at 8:49 PM on Aug 28
Ted writes:
The point of the article is that sometimes we give things pseudo-scientific labels in order to escape personal responsibility, thereby never accurately diagnosing our problem, thereby never prescribing the appropriate treatment.
I think average people may do that, but I highly doubt counselors and trained medical professionals do it. At the end of the day, these are the people who can reliably (for what it's worth) diagnose people with disorders. Any good professional will only label someone as having a condition after careful consideration of the patient's history, family and environmental factors, and first hand analysis/observation. It is not pseudo-scientific in any way.
One thing that really bugged me was the example of the new mother. Postpartum syndrome/depression/pyschosis are very, very real. Chalking it up to sin/lack of repentance/whatnot is the same, IMHO, as saying some past sin causes Down syndrome or the common cold. It's dangerous, counterproductive, and ignorant of biology.
I will agree there are those who attempt to avoid responsibility by "labeling" themselves as having this or that. But I can tell you from personal experience that those who have received an actual diagnosis are not trying to avoid responsibility. No one goes through the long process of getting a diagnosis (which can take 6 months, a year or even longer) to avoid responsibility. They do it to get treatment for an actual problem.
Overall, the article reads more like an attack on mental health treatment than anything else.
(Side note: I've seen this before on Boundless, particularly with the attackers at Virginia Tech and the church. I read a lot about prosecution/hatred of Christians or whatnot; but if you dig deep, you find that the instigator had medication or had serious problems. It's almost like people refuse to see it not as an actual medical issue but a conscious sin issue. I find this no different from the time when people thought the sins of the parents or ancestors caused blindness in children.)
21. Anonymous E said the following at 9:05 PM on Aug 28
I hope that Boundless balances out this article by also stressing the biological basis to certain disorders. I have struggled with OCD from the time I was about nine years old. The onset of it terrified me. I was frightened that I would wish for the death of those closest to me or that I would kill them. I knew deep down that I did not want this but it did not help with a horrible, sickening, frightening feeling that I would cause their death by thoughts or actions.
Because of this I thought I was a weird, horrible person.
Handling knives in the kitchen was always an ordeal. So was hearing stories of child criminals who did kill people. At one point I wanted to die because I could not handle the thought I could do something this horrible. I did not want to kill myself but I wanted to stop living. I would beg God not to allow my family to die just because of my fears of wanting them to die. It was mental hell.
I was not until I learned that OCD was genetic sickness that I actually was able to begin healing. By chance, I happened to read the book Brain Lock at age 17 and I realized that my thoughts and behaviors perfectly fit into OCD disorder. It comforted me immensely to read that people with OCD may fear that they would hurt people but actually do not. It comforted me to see brain scans showing that OCD involves an overactive area of the brain, in comparison to the brains of normal people.
Finally, the book's suggestions of ignoring the thoughts and thinking of something else were life-changing for me. Whenever the thoughts would come, I would just think, "This is a sickness. My overactive brain is causing me to worry about things that I do not want to do." And, as a result, I have not suffered that horrible anxiety and fear for over ten years. It is not like the thoughts do not still come to me sometimes, (although much more rarely than in the past) but I ignore them and am so much happier. I still struggle with some compulsive behaviors, but it is wonderful how I feel compared to when I had it and did not know what it was. I did not have to use medication, although I know people who do and it seems to be very legitimate.
It is not like I was distant from Jesus during the time I was suffering from these horrible fears. My prayer life was the most fervent, intimate, and joyful it ever has been. So telling people to treat OCD symptoms as only a sin problem might drive some to despair. I believe it IS a medical problem which can greatly benefit by being treated as such. I do understand that certain personal behaviors can be excused by lumping them under a disorder, and I have dealt with this at times myself. But at the same time, to make it sound like people are just not asking God to take away sin might take away the possibility of their seeking out treatment.
22. Lynne said the following at 9:46 PM on Aug 28
Well,
I certainly couldn't let this topic slide by without commenting. Dr. Powlison does provide a reasonable view by often acknowledging the need for medication and the understanding of "medical" mental illnesses.
I'd like to share what I use in my practice as a psychologist: When people find out I'm a Christian (I'm at a secular practice), they often want to know how much of their problem, or their child's problem is caused by sin. I tell them that our fallen world is the source of all problems, but unfortunately I can't give them an equation (62% sin, 32% genetics, 6% traumatic stressors). What I can provide is a treatment plan that addresses resources for psychological and spiritual issues.
The pain that i often hear from both my medical patients (someone who has anxiety symptoms due to difficulty breathing because of lung disease or lung cancer) and my psych patients is what Sdeila #9 states:
Is it real or not?
The feelings are real...and just as our relationship with God is conducted in multiple environments and multiple behaviors, (church/small group/prayer/accountability), our treatments for mental illness can also bridge multiple treatment options (spiritual/psychological/behavioral/medicine).
Just my thoughts, I'm a psychologist, so I'm a little biased : )
I'd also recommend the book "The Integration os Psychology and Theology" by John Carter and Bruce Narramore. It's nice introduction to the theoretical models that can assist us in understanding the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each model of integration.
23. Hoyt Roberson said the following at 10:52 PM on Aug 28
"It's curious. The labels don't actually add any information to what we already know. Yet they somehow alter the entire way we perceive a person. They even alter how people perceive themselves. The story and the struggle get lost in translation."
Actually, the labels are a sort of short hand that serve to bound the symptoms evidenced or experienced by the person. They don't add any more information than does a word to its definition, but that doesn't mean they are inappropriate or useless.
While labels do alter the way people see themselves, quite often they also provide some relief much like being told you have cancer can actually soothe the anxiety you've experienced over this "pain in my side." At least now, you know what the problem is - and it can be normalized.
"So our friends' chaotic ways of living fit the category "works of the flesh." These lifestyles show up on the MRI of Scripture. God sees them for what they are, and he teaches us how to see through his eyes."
Actually, the root causes of most low to mid level mental health issues is a form of fear. Human tendencies to control our environment are based not on being "wrapped up in me" in an arrogant way, but rather attempts (poorly done, yes) to protect ourselves or to reduce anxiety.
"From Jesus' point of view, there are two fundamentally different ways of doing life."
Yes, but sometimes we don't make conscious decisions about which we will take. If a child gets beat up every day by his father, by the time he gets to be ten years old, he will likely be acting out of his fear. It will quickly become irrelevant for a preacher to intone "trust God!"
" * Does each of them "suffer from" a quasi-medical-sounding disorder that actually explains his or her problems? Do they "have" diseases or conditions that the labels correctly name?
* Or are they "doing" extremely disorderly things for extremely confusing reasons? Are they living out lifestyles that God correctly names?"
Why can't it be both? Establishing false dichotomies doesn't really serve a purpose.
In the discussion of sin, the author comes close but not quite. Sin is more than a particular act; it is a choice of "who's first." But it is not as simple a problem to say that mentally ill people "choose" a particular lifestyle and are therefore sinning. A person with Tourette's Syndrome is going to cuss at you and God isn't going to hold it against her.
"A true medical problem creates an objective experiential distance between people. Let's say I get in a car accident and suffer a broken leg. My doctor and my friends do not have broken legs. I hurt a lot and need crutches. They feel perfectly fine and walk normally. Their experience and mine are fundamentally different. I am not well. They are well. I definitely need their help. They can help me precisely because they are not all laid up with broken legs!
But if you use quasi-medical labels for what I do, think and feel, it creates artificial distance between us. If I struggle with anxiety or irritation or escapism ... well, so do you. So does everybody. But if you label my struggle as a "disorder," then that means you are normal, but I am sick. That's an artificial distance, because none of us gets anger, fear and pleasure-seeking exactly right."
Maybe. There are a lot of distancing behaviors that people have away from mentally retarded folk, or folks that suffer from schizophrenia - or people with cancer or malformed features from fire and trauma. Humans distance themselves from things with which they are not comfortable - like lepers and "crazy people." The fact is we are all misshapen in some fashion. But the distancing that is done is not the work of the person with the issue - it is the responsibility of those who do not suffer the malady either physically or emotionally.
But as I said above, the label isn't intended to "justify" but to bound the discussion and treatment approaches.
"Here's the logic: "You are definitely NOT a sinner. But you definitely ARE your savior.""
Again, a false dichotomy. Mentally ill people may well be sinners, and recovery from mental illness - or learning to live with it - does not constitute "saving" oneself. Yes, we do and can play a large role in getting a grip on life, but just as cancer patients cannot save themselves, neither can mentally ill people. It is not a religious issue, it is a health issue in both cases. I have not heard any mental health professional claim that a person can be their own Savior (in the Christian sense). We are building here a straw man against which we intend to tilt.
Christian counseling - NOT nouthetic counseling - can greatly assist people to do just what the author would like. It does not do so though by suggesting that people do not really suffer from real problems or that they don't need safe places and safe people to recover. Recovery simply isn't "read the Bible and do what it says." Even Jesus didn't tell the crowds to read their scrolls - he looked at them and observed that they were like sheep without a shepherd. Not lost, not doomed, but wandering around without a guide.
Christian counselors can be that guide even if they use labels. Those labels by the way aren't "quasi-medical," they are medical. The mental health maladies represented by them are included in the same reference books as are cancer and broken bones, and they are included in the same international diagnostic code manuals used around the world.
The major issue with this series of articles is that it leaves the impression that mental issues aren't real - despite the few disclaimers that the author accepts they are. That if we were to go to church enough times and read John once or twice, all those fake, self-centered, evil issues would evaporate. Such a message is simply unhelpful.
One of the reasons that diagnoses exist are to ferret out those folks that don't meet the criteria. Yes, it is possible to be an angry jerk. But it's also possible to suffer from intermittent explosive disorder, or bi-polar disorder, or PTSD. To suggest that folks suffering from such maladies don't really have a problem that a bit of right living would cure is rather naive.
24. Cassandra Marie said the following at 12:36 AM on Aug 29
When the first of these articles appeared, I was very pleased to see that the subject was being discussed, and it seemed like it could be very useful. There were some great points made. However, after reading the full series, it left me wanting.
The point that mental concerns are ultimately tied to sin was made VERY clear. And I appreciate the mention that its not always intentional sin. However, the articles didn't give an inkling as to what someone actually in this situation should do.
Without a suggestion of a next step, the resulting thought is "Great, so my life sucks, and its because of ME, and I can't escape ME." That kind of thinking leads to, at the very least, lack of hope, if not more drastic responses.
Jesus as savior is mentioned several times over, which is good, but often, those in that state either A, aren't christian to begin with and need guidance B, once were, but have lost faith due to their condition, or C, are faithful, but obviously not helped by their current pursuit of faith, and in need of further guidance.
I think no matter which case, leaving it at Jesus is Savior without follow up is insufficient-- not because Jesus is insufficient, but because the connection needs to be explained more thoroughly. Its unlikely a non-christian would be reading, but those who were once christians could benefit from some suggestions on how to move in the direction of faith in the power of Jesus as Savior, and the faithful but struggling could use suggestions in ways to bulk up their faith in relation to this issue.
As it stands now, it does add a perspective often drowned out, but I think it leaves anyone who "has a syndrome/disorder" feeling frustrated and hopeless rather than encouraged toward faith.
25. Jo said the following at 6:24 AM on Aug 29
Hmmm. The articles seem to suggest that there is no place for professional counselling, unless Jesus is at the centre of it. That to me is a problem. Is there no value in helping people with their problems unless they end up becoming Christians?
Psychotherapeutic theory recognises that genetic predispositions, life experiences and important relationships play into how a person copes mentally and emotionally with their circumstances. It offers the opportunity to explore these things in a safe environment and to figure out positive ways to manage the problems presented.
To diagnose a person with clinical depression is not to place them at the mercy of their disordered mind as some sort of hapless victim, rather it recognises that a disorder exists and opens up the possibility of treatment and change. Of course false diagnoses are a problem, and of course people should be treated as individuals, but correct diagnoses used properly can be freeing rather than restrictive.
Anyway, I could say a lot more but my point is that a lot of people would never in a million years see a Christian counseller, but can still benefit from secular counselling. I agree, the fundamental root of a problem will never be addressed without Jesus (just as death will never be defeated by medical treatment), but healing can and does occur.
26. Khalil said the following at 6:37 AM on Aug 29
I just did a long review of the article, but I'd like to comment on what you just said here Ted...
In his three articles, Powlison challenges a tendency to label our disorders with pseudo-scientific terms, which have the effect of releasing us from any possible responsibility for those disorders.
It is not pseudo-science and labels do not release us from any possible responsibility. Labels are descriptive, not absolute. Counseling and therapy is just as much of an art as it is a science. A label does have the potential to be stigmatic, but it doesn't have to be. Labels allow us to describe our problems in a standardized way. It is false-labeling if we deviate from accepted terms and definitions.
A problem with false diagnoses is that they place the blame on something or someone else, and responsibility for the cure on us. The benefit of a right diagnosis is that we come to see the root of the problem for what it is, and are able to turn to the Savior for healing.
The problem with false diagnosis is not that it causes lack of responsibility, the problem with false diagnosis is that it is false. People should not be diagnosing others if they don't have the training, education, and experience in doing so. The benefit of a correct diagnosis is that the problem is treated and addressed properly.
We do need to turn to Jesus as we cannot save ourselves and we do have an urgent need for a Savior. However, proper counseling theory and application allows us to address problems in a way that is objective and goal-oriented. We can pull in Christian and Biblical themes and truths without having to refer to chapter and verse. The great thing about God's word is that it doesn't have to be identified as God's word to be effective. It stands on its own. I can approach a non-Christian client with a concept straight from the Bible; it is still truth and can still foster change in that person's life. Sometimes a person has to work through the scars of the past or the immediate crisis before they can even get to the place where they are willing to accept that perhaps God does love them. I am not saying that scripture doesn't have a place in the counseling room and can't be effective.
Thanks for pointing out that there is a place for medication. While I see in your (Ted) comments that you've not dismissed medication assistance I am not sure the author of the article was quite as accepting. You are right, misdiagnosis and improper treatments are harmful. There are some forms of fringe treatment that have actually caused death ("rebirthing" is an example, this is what I would call a pseudo-science).
If this series has been a year in the making I hope there are more articles from other authors. I also would hope to have the chance to debate and discuss the views that other Christian counselors might hold, other theories and approaches. Thanks for tossing this out here and letting us chew on it :)
27. Read said the following at 6:45 AM on Aug 29
I applaud Dr. Powlison for encouraging us to move beyond labels. I think labeling someone based off the name of their differential diagnoses dehumanizes them and undermines the true weight of the pain they may be suffering. I'm currently pursuing my MA in Marriage and Family Counseling and hope to one day pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. So with that in mind, I must say that I am a bit concerned with Dr Powlison's immediate jump to sin as the explanation for all these behaviors. Yes, we must acknowledge that there has been some over diagnoses of certain disorders, however for many people therapy and medication is a legitimate means of treatment for a real condition. I think where this really broke down for me was the examples he gave. The fictional people receive no true back story. We don't know what may have happened to them during the course of their development as human beings that would have could have caused them to resort to this behavior as a coping mechanism. I'm a firm believer that therapy should be client centered. Why is the character of Garret so angry? What has happened to him over of the course of his life that would make him lash out and lose his temper so easly and then need to binge drink to numb himself? Could the character of Sarah have been through a string of broken relationships and her verbally abusing mother constantly tells her that she'll never be pretty enough to keep a man around? My point is, lets look beyond the easy answer that personal sin is causing this behavior and treat these people like human beings with real stories who may have suffered through real tragedy.
28. Laura said the following at 7:27 AM on Aug 29
Sdella, my grandmother and my dad have both taken medication to help treat depression (with good reason!). I myself have a propensity to depression, which I see in myself as a tendency of my nature that is amplified by my sinful tendencies.
In other words, yes, it's real! Ask King David! His anxiety and depression are very real in the Psalms, and he sets a good example for us of someone who chooses to end every lament and expression of sorrow and worry by stating his trust in a God whose will is sovereign and perfect, and whose plans and purposes never fail, and who loves his people with an unimaginably great love.
I would caution you against thinking that being a "baptized believer" and praying "aloud daily to relieve suffering" will miraculously end your depression. God didn't promise his people that our problems will vanish if we just have enough faith! The Apostle Paul (an amazing example of faith) prayed time and again for the Lord to remove his "thorn in the flesh" and the Lord chose not to, for reasons known only to his own mind. It didn't mean Paul wasn't a believer, or that he didn't have enough faith.
I believe that we can often glorify God much more when he gives us power to go THROUGH a struggle than when he releases us from that struggle.
I encourage you to seek prayer and counsel from wise, godly folks in your church. God has given us the church as a rich blessing for our joy and sanctification, dear friend. He never intended for us to go through life trying to make it on our own -- he intended for us to live in community with brothers and sisters in Christ.
29. Chantell said the following at 9:52 AM on Aug 29
It seems that many of the posters here take too narrow a view of "sin" as the cause of the behaviors discussed in "Sane Faith."
Let's remember that "sin" is an internal NATURE, not merely a set of behaviors. The fact that these behaviors may arise from chemical or biological dysfunction only affirms that sin infects our bodies as well as our souls.
That's why it's unhelpful merely to assign clinical labels to those behaviors. In doing so, we miss the opportunity (1) to recognize our fallen nature at work, and (2) to seek deliverance and healing from the One who created body and soul.
Depression, OCD, narcissism -- it wasn't GOD who created or intended them. It's our separation from Him that permits the Enemy to wreak havoc in our lives. So medicine might heal your body, but flesh is temporal anyway. Only He can heal the root cause in your soul.
30. Karen said the following at 10:09 AM on Aug 29
I am new to boundless and I really enjoyed these articles. I am blessed that I have not had to deal with any extreme case of disease or illness....though I realize that the issues I have could develop into bigger issues. However, what really struck me was the first article and the anti paslm 23. I realized how much that is my way of thought and not psalm 23. This is not where I want to be and want to switch it.
I just started a new phase in my life. I recently moved, got a new job, and now trying to fit in and "make a life for myself." I found myself lonley, feeling far from God and that things so far don't seem to be working out like I thought. However, when I read psalm 23, I was greatly encouraged and realized that is the truth that I need to hold onto and that Jesus is right there with me, waling with me.
Thanks for helping me see the light. I am greatly encouraged!
31. Sdella said the following at 10:49 AM on Aug 29
COMPOSER GIRL:
Thank you for your suggestion. I am under a therapist and Christian Counselor's care as well as a psychiatrist. Ihave been diagnosed with clinical depression and take medication. I am just frustrated that I am in constant physical and emotional pain. I want to just "fix it" and grow impatient with myself. I suffer with back pain and sciata nerve damage. I was so self'sufficient before.
32. Jo said the following at 11:12 AM on Aug 29
From what I've learned in my course about OCD (I'm by no means an expert but I think I have a reasonable grasp of the basics), it's rooted most often in fear.
For example, a woman who was so scared of germs that might be in toilets, that she couldn't bring herself to use the toilet at all. This resulted in incontinence - much less hygienic etc by most people's standards, but to her, the fear of toilet germs was far greater.
The rituals people with OCD develop (obsessive counting of particular things etc) are an attempt to gain control over their environment in order to eliminate the fear - they can end up taking over the person's whole life, so the 'solution' is far more debilitating than the original 'problem', but their fear is so great that they can't function without these rituals.
So Leah is right: OCD is not a pursuit for perfection, but an overwhelming fear of a particular thing, that results in 'bizarre' rituals to try and take away any remote possibility of the feared thing happening, to the exclusion of many/all other rational considerations. They know it's 'crazy', but they can't help it - they're driven by fear.
Interestingly, OCD can be completely cured by brain surgery to remove the specific tiny part of the brain that has gone awry (a part responsible for scheduling and organisation), but this is only done in very extreme cases where other treatment doesn't work, because it's so expensive. The lady with the fear of germs had this surgery and immediately her OCD disappeared and she went back to being a successful lawyer.
There, that's pretty much my entire knowledge of OCD in one post. :P
33. Jo said the following at 11:47 AM on Aug 29
There's way too much I want to say on this post. Third comment, here goes:
I agree completely with Leah, Chris and Anonymous... The articles, in my opinion lean far too close to saying "Your problems are not real, biological, psychological issues, they are all a result of sin and sin only."
A diagnosis should not pigeon hole someone, it should liberate them, as Anonymous found. If my leg is broken and someone tells me there's really nothing wrong with my leg, it's my sin that's the problem and what I need to do is repent and pray, I will feel attacked, frightened, confused. If they tell me my leg is broken, and there are trained professionals who know how to treat a broken leg, that frees me. I know what the problem is and what to do. In no way does it push me into a rigid 'sub-normal' category of people with broken legs.
The same is true, I believe, when things go wrong with the brain. When a depressed person hears that they have depression, their reaction isn't "Oh good, now my condition has a name I feel so validated and I don't feel the need to solve the problem any more" - that's madness. Rather, their reaction is "Fantastic, now I know what's wrong with me, what can I do to solve the problem?"
YES the problems we have are all caused directly or indirectly by sin. Our sin, other people's sin, the general fallenness of our world which is caused by our sin. Sin is ALWAYS the root cause of EVERYTHING wrong with our world. However, a person with depression or OCD or anorexia cannot simply repent and turn to Jesus and see all their problems go away, just as I can't pray and find that I'm suddenly healed of my physical illness. I don't doubt that God can work miracles, but I face the reality that in most cases He doesn't - that's why they're called miracles.
I also think that while I'd prefer to be treated by a doctor who was praying for me and seeking God's guidance, I will benefit from treatment even if my doctor is an atheist - and the same is true of therapy. God has made us in such a way that we can figure out a lot about how the mind works and how difficult experiences can play into mental problems in later life. Thus, therapy is useful even when Christ isn't mentioned. I'm going to be a music therapist, and I doubt discussion about sin and salvation will feature highly in my practice. Of course I will be praying for my clients, but if I didn't believe that the therapeutic relationship could be effective in its own right, I wouldn't be bothering with it.
34. Rachael said the following at 11:59 AM on Aug 29
I hope to read the series, and I bet it's a great one. I bet that OFTEN times sin is the thing that needs to be dealt with more than a reliance on medication and labels.
Something really struck my mom many years ago as my family was hiking up a mountain many years ago. At least prior to the trip, she had felt that she had a 'fear of heights' for several years; she felt it wasn't something God took away at her conversion. On her trip, she realized that she didn't HAVE to have this fear. She realized it started at some point, and questioned why she couldn't go back to the time when she didn't have that problem.
I don't know how she deals with heights now, but that really was a special experience for her. She seems to have the view of being saved moment by moment, not just once at conversion. And I like that mentality. As the song goes, "I need thee every hour."
I don't think we necessarily think we HAVE to be a certain way. It's what I have to remember too when I think about my issues. Why do I get bothered by certain things? Why don't I more often actively combat my thoughts with scripture & prayer when I start getting stuck in the abysses of my mind?
Yesterday I had an encouraging conversation with a friend. She was telling me of her growth, and gave suggestions ... like, when unwanted thoughts come, she said, just to ... stop. This reminds me of a funny (but also interesting, powerful, and challenging) video clip you may have seen about just ... stopping (the problem)! Also, I heard a sermon (on a passage in Colossians) that started with a description of story in that videoclip.
My friend had also shared about how when she'd have unwanted thoughts about a particular problem area, she'd combat it with Scripture.
I think this breathing in the Word and breathing out the bad is something we need to do often. But God can provide the power through His Spirit who indwells us. He is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Surely He can work in our hearts. Surely He is greater than our weaknesses.
So why do I still turn to my own strength instead of going to God automatically? It might be a lack of faith; my heart might not be overflowing with Scripture. Also in the blog post I linked to above, I included a blurb from a post by Ashleigh about Ted's metaphor of a sponge. It's a good one. Here is her post that describes that.
Anyway, I feel like I have more head knowledge than experiential practice with this stuff, but I hope over time my understanding (applying the knowledge) will increase.
35. BDB said the following at 12:01 PM on Aug 29
Jethro (#13) wrote:
>>At least not according to any text book I've ever read...<<
Yes, several fields of social science attempt to excise God's revelation and pretend that man's knowledge is supreme. They're wrong, but you can definitely find textbooks that are wrong!
36. florida_grl said the following at 12:39 PM on Aug 29
BDB #13 right on.
I believe that Jesus was a man of sorrows because He looked at the world and saw the people destroying themselves constantly by rejecting the truth that He loves us and corrects us as well. It's not always 'rainbows and butterflies.' We live in a fallen desperate world. And we desperately need the Truth and no one gives it to us. We are given solutions to this, to that yet the problems continue to grow.
Satan is tearing people apart. And there's a pill for everything.
Here's my take on the medicines commercial: "Are you depressed because you have a headache? Well now you can use this to relieve the depression, on top of the other pill that's supposed to cure the headache."
And if the pill doesn't cure it, well, blame the government.
Depression, worry and fear will make the body sick. But where do those come from? I feel the problem is lack of community and real love and support of each other and family. And most of all people's misunderstanding of who God is. I feel also that people no longer commit or persevere. There is always the easy way out. The Bible speaks of that. But don't mention it; people don't want to hear...because then they might actually have to be responsible.
No wonder there are problems. The society has been teaching us to be independent, acquire more, reach to the top (which is fine but it is pretty lonely up there). So, we are now seeing the ugly consequences.
My life should've been a disaster based on the circumstances I've grown up in. No father, mother had five children with five different men, abusive, absent and now an alcoholic. Every time I reach out to her she constantly reminds me I was a mistake, and refuses any help. Satan reinforces the lie I believed that I am unlovable through my mothers constant rejection of me. I came to the States alone at 15, living in foster homes, struggling with rejection, having a brain surgery at 21. God however had mercy on me. And all glory goes to Him. I've overcome years of emotional abuse and made peace with my past because of the support of the people in my life, and because I finally accepted that God does love me, and I just surrendered everything: my pain, my wounds, my worries, my failures.
Never having a family is still very hard to cope with at times, since I haven't found my place in the world. Maybe Im not of this world and not suppose to be. God put enough people in my life to instruct, discipline, and love me. I can't fix or change the past. God is the Healer though and the Restorer. I can only control how I react to the present. As far as the future: I have no idea, no one does. And Im okay with that. I will still be better with Jesus by my side than without Him.
I'm in my twenties and I've seen as many hardships as I've seen successes. All I can do is obey God even when He seems far away. I wished everyone found real life, and real joy (not meaning you're always happy), but there's something about Jesus that brings peace to my soul. I can't ever deny that, because through the darkest valleys He was there with me.
Psalm 37:25 David says: I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. (NIV)
37. AG said the following at 1:58 PM on Aug 29
I don't necessarily disagree with everything written in the articles, but I know that some people may use them as a grounds for judging other people's relationships with Christ. I just want to add this as a cautionary note to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope it's published.
Don't make that mistake, anybody who reads this post. You aren't in any one else's mind. A person may be severely depressed and still have a wonderful relationship with Jesus.
I know that my mental health issues are something I have to live with, probably for the rest of my life. I have faced too many people who think they're a sign of weakness. All I can say is that I know how much effort it takes some days to get out of bed and get dressed and go to class. I know the pain of several different disorders attacking at once. We may never know the reason it happens, but the best thing we can do for someone suffering from these problems is to love them unconditionally. No judgements, no advice, because neither of those work. Just be there for them, even if they doubt you. Trust me, they'll feel the difference.
38. composer girl said the following at 4:19 PM on Aug 29
SDELLA:
I am glad that you are under the care of physicians and counselors who can help you. From the phrasing of your original comment, it didn't sound like you had explored those options. I am glad that you have.
I will be praying for you. Something that has helped me in my struggle with depression is a quote by Francois Fenelon from "Meditations on the Heart of God:" "Lord, deliver me from my troubles by giving me the patience to suffer them." I will pray that He will heal you, but if He chooses not to, that He will deliver you from these things by giving you the patience to endure them.
39. Julie said the following at 4:53 PM on Aug 29
As a psychiatry resident who is also a fervent Christian, I am concerned that these articles can leave readers with a skewed view of mental illness even if that was not the original intention. I wonder why no psychiatrists were included in creating the articles or commenting as they may have been able to provide a more balanced view of a biological basis to mental illness and a rationale for why medications are often used. Certainly, throughout my training at Harvard, it has been emphasized that medications alone do not cure, and that treatment for any disorder needs to be individualized-usually including family work, therapy, medications and spiritual support (if a patient is open to it). I don't think anyone would take a simplistic approach in diagnosing a disorder without recognizing how many factors contribute to a final diagnostic picture. We often use the term "bio-psycho-social" in formulation, indicating that a clinical picture is often complicated, and has biological, psychological and social aspects. I would say that our labels do not take away our compassion for suffering people or our recognition that the majority of people suffer. We recognize that these illnesses are on one end of a spectrum, but that often so-called "normal" people lie on that spectrum as well. The difference is that people with illnesses often have symptoms that severely limit their ability to function.
40. Leigh said the following at 11:56 PM on Aug 29
Sdella/ others struggling with depression: I highly recommend A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian by Dr. John Lockley. It's a little hard to find, but it's worth your money and time.
41. Rachael said the following at 12:42 PM on Sep 1
I like that Dr. Powlison says: "They aren't weird, as if the rest of us were normal. Think about it this way. They dial up the volume, but we all play the same kinds of music. These are our friends ... and ourselves."
I want to and should recognize the different (or same) manifestations of the same sins in my own life when I deal with another's sin.
I like the idea in part 3 about us not being our savior. Christ is. In one of the series' parts it talked about band-aid fixes versus organ transplants. I like that idea. We often try to smooth out our problems on a superficial level without dealing with the core sin.
I'm attracted to the idea of Biblical counseling. From time to time I think about it... I don't know much about it as a practice, but I do believe in the utter importance of the Bible and hope I can be counseled by Christ through His Word and prompt others to do the same.
I really want and need to more often experience Christ's power through His Word and hope that His work and future work in me might be useful in conversations with people with similar struggles.
42. sandy said the following at 8:57 PM on Sep 3
I just read the first of the 3 articles under sane faith series. I have struggled my entire life with low self esteem, jelousy, isolation, etc. I have struggled to understand that "The Lord is my shephard, I shall not want". I never understood that through all my issues - there was a God that understood. I am 44 and it has taken my entire life working to understand that he understands my pain. Jesus has come to set me free which never mad any sense to me but NOW I understand that he really does understand our pain, anxieties, fears, obsessions. When we see Jesus in the Garden he is crying out like "we do" to the father. I love what was written about in the anti psalm story. This part is so true and it rings true in my life that when I looked inward - I became the Anti Psalmist but when I lean upon the Lord I can see clearly. Life is hard and there are times we can't see God working but he is ever present in our lives. I am going to school to be a life coach and took classes at my local college for psychology and realized that our first year of life makes a big difference and if it wasn't good we have some retraining to do. I also believe if someone needs medication they should take it. Can't wait to read the rest. I'm so excited to be a Christian Life Coach one day to help people understand that God is NEVER against them but has GOOD things planned for them. All in all, most people can find the core issues in their lives if even ONE person would invest in them. People need to be heard but people are so busy there are no outlets to vent frustrations and that causes us to look for some way to release it through outward sources. Thank you!
43. Sadie said the following at 8:36 PM on Sep 8
Thank you Boundless for having the guts to publish these articles. I've slowly read them and plan to share them with others. I appreciated that the author didn't take a pious stance about "THEIR sin problem," but brought it back down to basic fallen nature and our desparate need for a savior!