By Tabita Davinia Utomo

In 2017, I met a pastor in one of the worship services held in my hometown. We were introduced because my friend-who invited me-knew him. Afterward, the pastor asked, “What major are you studying?”

“Psychology, sir,” I replied.

At first, I thought there were two possible responses: appreciating my courage to study the human soul and all its uniqueness, or laughing at me like some other people-who thought I would work in a mental hospital in the future. Unexpectedly, he said, “You know what? Psychology is a science made by sinful people, to help sinful people, in a sinful way.”

As I gaped at him, my heart grimaced uneasily at the pastor’s statement. That means the knowledge I’ve learned is useless, right? After all, it’s a science made by sinners, I thought. Even our conversation at that time encouraged me to think that the only way out of psychological problems was with religious knowledge alone. It was ironic, because the knowledge I learned seemed useless to help others who were struggling with psychological problems – especially if they were already mentally disturbed – and even had to undergo regular medication. However, that’s when my journey to find the intersection between faith and the human spirit began.

“Is it possible for Christianity to help people recover from psychological problems?” was my question at the end of my studies.

Since this question had not been answered through my undergraduate studies at one of the state universities in Yogyakarta at the time, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Theology with a concentration in counseling at Jakarta on 2019. From here, I was met with the reality that anyone can experience psychological problems-even mental disorders that require medical treatment (psychotherapy) and even Christians are no exception.

One of the stories that started my studies as a master’s student was that of Jarrid Wilson, a megachurch pastor who decided to end his life in September 2019. Ironically, the day before his death, Wilson wrote this on X (formerly Twitter):

“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. 

Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. 

Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. 

Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety.

But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. 

He ALWAYS does that.”

Does Wilson’s tweet above indicate that he is a full believer in the Lord Jesus, if he decided to commit suicide? Does this mean that Wilson’s faith is a dead faith (James 2:17), otherwise he would still be alive?

No one has the right to judge Wilson’s decision, and neither do I. Although for some people suicide is a decision that “oversteps” God’s will, or a person’s experience with mental illness is a sign of “lack of faith”, it does not mean that He does not care at all about those who are struggling with this phenomenon.

It may be a cliché for some, but in this month when the world celebrates mental health (which is every October 10), I would like to invite us all to reflect on the following points:

1. Everyone has a tendency to experience psychological problems

If you feel fine today, congratulations. This means that you are stable enough to do your activities without being disturbed by negative thoughts. However, we need to remember that sin has ruined all aspects of human life (Genesis 3)-including their mental health. 

Sin has made the world a place filled with carnal desires which in turn give birth to all kinds of pain. Let’s look at Hannah! In her story written in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah was saddened by the actions of Penina-her husband’s second wife-who hurt her heart. The Bible does not record the details of what Penina did. However, from the fact that Hannah had no children while Penina did, it is likely that Penina made fun of and demeaned Hannah. 

Penina’s actions, which were the fruit of human sinfulness, trapped Hannah in a pool of stress. The wound in Hana’s heart not only shook her mentally, but also affected her physically. Every day she cried and refused to eat (verse 8), and every time she came to the LORD, Hannah poured out all her heart while mumbling so much that Eli the priest thought she was drunk (verse 14). 

In the story of Hannah, which took place centuries ago, there was no such thing as the science of psychology, and people’s inner struggles were often not given much attention by the prevailing culture at that time. However, in verse 19, we read, “The Lord remembered Hannah.” This passage is a key statement that throughout all times, God still cares about every detail of His children’s struggles. If we look at other stories in the Bible, we will find that in intense, soul-crushing struggles, God was present; He was with Joseph and made him succeed (Genesis 39:2); He was with Jeremiah to deliver him (Jeremiah 1:8). And, in the story when Lazarus died, Jesus was so shaken, so upset, that He wept (John 11:33, 35). Jesus was well acquainted with the sorrow and distress that sin brings, but instead of just pitying, Jesus acted and performed a miracle on Lazarus.

Today, when the world has become so advanced, God has not changed. He still pays attention and cares about every detail of His children’s struggles. His help can manifest through the ever-evolving sciences, to investigate how complex the human body and mind are-and how miraculous the One who designed everything is.

2. Mental illness doesn’t always come out of the blue, and God cares.

In the first point, we discussed that the fallen state of the world makes it easy for us to experience all kinds of pain. In the specific case of mental illness, the pain we experience may be continuous over a period of time, or it may be a one-off event with a huge impact. There are many factors that influence it, both internally (such as biological and personality) and externally (environment).

From a medical perspective, stress, trauma, and so on can cause damage to the brain as well as chemical (neurotransmitters) imbalances. Heredity factors also increase the potential for symptoms of this disorder – coupled with an environment that is not supportive of a person’s developmental phases. We can see this in people who suffer from depression and bipolar disorder, or those who have experienced trauma and pressure from the environment that causes one to be overwhelmed. Although the Bible does not mention the types of mental disorders or psychological problems experienced by the characters in it, we can see the symptoms in some of the stories-including the ones mentioned in the first point.

One of the biblical characters who experienced depression was Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18). Elijah was not suddenly depressed after defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. What caused his depression was not because Queen Jezebel wanted to kill him, because Elijah was actually ready to die. The problem was that Elijah didn’t want his death to be credited to Jezebel, so he quickly left the Kingdom of Israel and headed to Beersheba-which was located in the Kingdom of Judah (or Southern Israel). However, what truly underscores Elijah’s depressive experience is when his preaching to the Israelites-about the LORD God of Israel as the only living God worthy of worship, did not bear any fruit.

Ironically, Elijah had been preaching God’s Word for the previous three and a half years that Israel would experience a long drought, and that rain would only fall if God willed it. This was God’s punishment for Israel’s idolatry, which was led by Ahab and Jezebel. Imagine, in the midst of the surrounding drought, water was almost absent everywhere. Who could endure to serve God in that period of time? However, after God sent rain, and the people did not repent, was Elijah still able to believe that his ministry was worth continuing?

“No one repents,” was probably Elijah’s complaint at the time. “Lord, take my life! It’s useless for me to serve and not accomplish anything for You here!”

Nevertheless, God still strengthened Elijah and did not ignore his anxiety. Aside from strengthening him through food and drink, God also spoke to Elijah personally and called him back to Israel. This encounter of faith strengthened Elijah to continue his ministry there until the end.

The same God is also present for us, even in the lowest point of our lives. Are we willing to welcome Him, and walk with Him in the process of restoration day by day?

3. Medical treatment MUST go hand in hand with counseling

If one is diagnosed with a psychological disorder and undergoing medical treatment, relying solely on medications is not a wise path to recovery. Along with taking medication to balance hormones or harmonize the performance of cells and organs, we should still do counseling.

Some of my friends told me that the treatment they went through was also accompanied by a counseling process. From their stories, I learned that both need to go together- for as long as it takes. If medication aims to “balance” the neurotransmitters that affect a person’s emotions, then counseling is there to help the person realize the various patterns of their physical and psychological reactions in response to the situation they are facing. It’s like we can’t think clearly if our neurotransmitters aren’t balanced – so the counseling process is hindered because we are still immersed in the problem. Conversely, treatment without counseling does not solve the problem to its roots – at least, it raises new awareness so as not to continue the pattern of behavior that has been formed. This is where cooperation between counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists is needed to help clients return to their proper life functions.

Unfortunately, not every place in the world has adequate mental health facilities. In our country, Indonesia, the ratio between psychologists and the population is very unbalanced: in 2019, there were only 3 psychologists for 100,000 people. In addition, people still have ambiguous notions about the roles of counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Simply put, a counselor’s role is to help clients who are still able to function and to identify symptoms of mental illness so that they can be recommended to a psychologist; a psychologist’s role is to diagnose mental illness, but cannot administer medication because they are not doctors; and a psychiatrist’s role is to assist the client’s treatment process through medication based on the psychologist’s diagnosis. These three professions are interrelated, so they need to work together because sometimes the diagnosis of mental disorders can change over time.

4. The importance of a healthy support system for “patients”

A friend once wrote her story of dealing with schizophrenia that turned into schizoaffective (titled “On Surviving and Recovering“). She explained that her family initially opposed her decision to see a psychiatrist because it was taboo. Ironically, they sent my friend to a witch doctor for treatment and threatened to take her back to the witch doctor if she went to a psychiatrist again. However my friend did not struggle alone: she had caring lecturers and friends who helped her in her recovery process. It was only through God’s mercy that my friend’s family began to support his recovery process, even accompanying him to treatment.

Not all stories of treatment for mental illness can have such a support system. An acquaintance of mine told me that he was considered a burden to his family because of his mental illness, while he himself lived in an area with minimal access to mental health facilities. This acquaintance began to be helped when he underwent online counseling organized by a theological school and still continues until now.

This is where we come in-people whom God has called to be “a brother … born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). In this digital era, we can still connect with our brothers and sisters in Christ who need God’s loving touch–especially those who are struggling to recover from their psychological issues. It is not judgment that they need, but acceptance and encouragement so that they are strengthened in continuing the recovery process which is not always easy.

5. There is hope for those who will trust in the God of grace

“What if this treatment has to last a lifetime?” This is inevitable, but at least we have a growing awareness of ourselves. It is not uncommon for us to struggle with situations that foster a spirit of playing the victim, and this needs to be prevented. There are times when we contribute to a bad situation, but there are also times when we are in an “innocent” position that is adversely affected by the treatment of others. Yes, this is the result of sin that destroys the fabric of society.

The good news is that God provides hope so that we will not be trapped in such situations. In eternal life, every physical illness and mental disorder will be restored by Him (Revelation 21:4). However, as sinners who are still living in this world today, we also need to be vigilant so that we do not rely entirely on medicines and counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Their presence is meant to support us to regain our respective functions and roles in a healthy manner. However, for some people, there will be time to learn to develop new self-awareness on their own – without the support of medication. Others will continue to take medication for life, but with the dosage adjusted according to their needs.

The best gift for all of us is that we have a God who gives us grace. Joseph, Hannah, Jeremiah, and Paul are some of the biblical characters who experienced great inner struggles and were chosen by God to tell us stories of His miraculous deeds. In the midst of their imperfections, their faith journey written in the Bible confirms that God’s power is real, for those who totally depend on Him (2 Corinthians 12:10). The same God is extending His hand to us; shall we journey with Him to recover step by step?

“Psychology is a science made by sinful people, to help sinful people, in a sinful way.”

It took me six years to wrestle with the pastor’s statement. Now, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in theology with a concentration in counseling, I realize that the restoration of a sinful soul cannot be separated from faith in the living God. It is only by God’s grace that faith and soul can find their common ground in one word: integration. Without personally accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, soul restoration is only a phenomenon–it does not reach the root of the problem. Only Christ is able to restore our souls completely, and–as believers–we are also responsible for not wasting His grace. If the door of restoration has been opened, do we still want to refuse to enter it, out of fear that our “comfort” being disturbed?

May the Holy Trinity always help us break the chains of satan that bind our fragile souls.

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Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.

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