Mental Health

Mark 9:17 Teacher , I brought you my son ,who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. (NIV)

Mark5:3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more ,not even with a chain . (NIV)

If you witness this what would be your first thoughts ? What would be the words you say or think?

Let me take a guess some of us will say the boy is crazy, the man is crazy . That they have lost their mind.

Truth be told, you are partially right , the mind they had ,now was taken by evil spirits possessing them.. Evil spirits that tortured them.

For the boy mark 9:18 whenever it seizes him ,it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.

For the man mark5:5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones,

When I was a child I saw people do ‘crazy things’ and heard that they were called ‘crazy’ . In general this ‘crazy people’ were just avoided by most.

It is not something talked about ,and in most cultures still taboo because of lack of information and knowledge.

Only thing we may know is they go or end up in the ‘crazy house’ whatever your community calls it. Crazy house is a term I have heard ,especially as a child.

I live in a country and in a time that there is more knowledge,information,and options . However we still need to think about this more and change how we view people dealing with this.

I am saddened that we , myself included don’t treat people dealing with this with more compassion and see how we can make a difference if they are in our lives. Learning more on the subject , even looking it up online is a start.

I’m not saying you have all the answers or you are the answer but recently and as I write this God is showing me ,how I can be part of the solution. The tool you can use , that you do have , is prayer.

In Mark 9: 14-29 Jesus dealing with the boy with the evil spirit , Jesus did command the spirit to come out and of course it obeyed Jesus. However even though they were not Jesus himself , the disciples also had power that could have driven it out .

Mark 9:29 He replied, “ This kind can come out only by prayer”. Other versions say prayer and fasting .

In mark 5:1-20 Jesus met the man, talked with the evil spirits ,the evil spirits came out of the man at the command and permission of Jesus and went into pigs that drowned. Now crazy pigs on the run ,lol , actually demonic pigs on the run, makes you wonder about pets that seem off. Don’t worry I’m sure that cat or dog in your home is ok, lol, that will get you to pray for them won’t it!

In mark 5: 19 Jesus did not let him, but said “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.

This is what I get out of these 2 stories, which I encourage you to please read on your own and let God speak to you regarding how you can be a solution ,wherever it is in your power to do.

There are 3 ingredients actually 4.

1. Believe.
2. Pray
3. Fast if the spirit leads you to do so
4. Mercy. Cover it all in (compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.) (Google search definition)

You may think it’s not within my power to punish or harm . In a way it is because when we come across someone ‘crazy’ , and that is all we think of them. We are not showing mercy.

I’m not asking that you go and talk to that person if you don’t feel lead by God to do so, but please let’s be different . Let’s see people with compassion and pray for them. If you can do more ,by all means do so.

Let’s not repeat the cycle either, as a child I was not taught how to view people with mental illnesses , my family did not know much about the subject. I can tell my kids now to pray for them. I have worked with people with mental illnesses and come across others on the streets but now I know God is giving me a new pair of lens to see them through . First it’s a spiritual view , some of this illnesses are nothing but demonic influences period. Some are chemical imbalances due for various reasons. There are people that have abused some type of drugs and now that is their side effects they live with. Others are Veterans , soldiers , people that have done and seen horrific things and now they live with those night and daymares, it seems like it does not end . Some are people that have experience trajic losses and no longer know how to mentally cope . They have not recovered no matter how hard they try and either on the verge of suicide or hurting someone else. Whatever their case may be , I can choose now to be merciful towards them by at least praying for them.

I’m sure either you or someone you know has a relative or friend that deals with some mental illness . We see them also in the streets ,especially in over populated cities, pray for them ,let’s not be critical or judge mental because we don’t know their story, how they got there . They still need love , God still loves them deeply.

We also know that as we age our mind is not the same for most of us. I’ve seen loved ones get dementia or Alzheimer’s disease . I never use to pray about my mind until a few years ago seeing loved ones with this disease . It’s heartbreaking. When we are young ,we don’t think about this much, you take your mental health for granted unless you are suffering. So let’s be kind for we don’t know how this mind will end and start praying more ,for others and for your mind too.

I want to leave you with this verse and prayer below

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Father I come to you in the name above all names, the name of Jesus, that you help us to have the mind of Christ. That we will align our thoughts, actions, words with you. That we will follow his example , the compassion he showed in these 2 stories towards those suffering with evil spirits, mental tortures . God when our human minds our lost and we don’t understand how to help , help us remember you . God you created the mind and you are the only one that can heal, protect it and strengthen it . Help us remember the tool to pray , to commune with you, the almighty who can guard our heart and mind in Christ with your peace . All praises and all honour you deserve . I thank you God for helping my mind when I don’t know how to help myself , we need you ,we love you, and in Jesus name I pray.