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| Praying Hearts Sanctuary |
| Today's world is filled with hatred and violence. Everyday we see more and more evidence of Satan's rule over our lives. This can cause fear and anxiety in the healthiest of people but for those with mental health disorders, it can become debilitating. But we don't have to be afraid. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." (Psalm 46:1-2) I'm sure you are asking what this has to do with recovery. Many of the people I know who are not Christians deal with anxiety over what is going on in our world. For those of us with mental health disorders, we have enough to work on without any added anxieties. Christians have something that non-Christians don't have and that is hope. When God sent His son to die for our sins, He gave us that hope. We have hope that no matter what happens in this world, we will live without fear, pain, anxieties, and sadness after death. That is so comforting to me. It is comforting to know that this illness is only temporary. I have suffered from depression since I was about 5; this makes it a 25-year struggle. In August 1999, I was also diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Since establishing a personal relationship with God in April 1980, I have felt His love and strength. As I have matured, so has our relationship. I don�t know where I�d be now without my faith in God. Jesus said, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:26-28) If you accept Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of your soul, your soul will find rest. It doesn't mean that you will be healed of your illness but your soul will be healed. A peace will come to you that you can't find anywhere else. Jesus will help you with every aspect of your recovery, if you ask. "Ask, it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8) If you ask Him for help, He will send you help whether it be the right therapist, the right combination of medications, someone to talk to, or a stranger in the supermarket who says the one thing that makes sense and gives you comfort. Just remember that answers to prayer don't always come to us in the form we expect or in the timeframe that we want; that takes faith and patience. Recently, I spoke to someone who had a hard time with Christianity because of the fear that if she did one thing wrong; a mean, tyrannous God would send her to hell. Please don't buy into this; it is far from the truth. God is a loving Lord who only asks that you believe in Him and accept His Son as your personal Savior. As you go through your recovery, there will be times when you may act-out, self-sabotage, self-injure, lash out at friends, family, or strangers on the street, or even contemplate suicide. All of us with a mental health disorder experience these feelings and desires to act out. God knows that this is part of your illness. God knows us and loves us far more than anyone else does. He also knows and loves us far more than even we do. As these things occur, look to Him as you would a loving Lord, talk to Him, ask Him to help you with these thoughts and feelings, ask Him to forgive you. He will. All He asks in return is that you live your life for Him and in His Word. Recovery is hard work but isn't it comforting to know that we don't have to do it alone. The strongest force, the most loving and forgiving parent, is waiting for you to ask Him to help. He won't intervene unless you ask but oh, what blessings await you when you do. |
| Christianity and Recovery |
| By Angela Lay January 28, 2002 |
| How can being a Christian aid in my recovery? |
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