Mental Health, Depression and Suicide (Mark 5:1-20)
Gary McManus, 08/17/2014Part of the Life With Jesus is Better series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Depression affects millions of Americans
every year. Depression is an illness. Depression
needs to be treated. In MANY cases Depression
can be managed. It is OKAY to reach out for help
and resources. Unfortunately, those who suffer a
clinical depressive episode are twice as likely to
suffer a second one later. (Just as some infections
are likely to return to those who suffered the infection
the first time.)
DCC has always encouraged the sick to use every
resource available for healing: physically, emotionally,
and spiritually. It is the same with any mental illness.
Use every resource available. Everyone can work on
their mental health as they can for their physical health.
At DCC, we believe that Biblical faith IS a resource for
mental health (but not the only resource).
Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)
was an American actor and comedian. He began
as a stand-up comedian. He was known from
television and film roles. Williams was nominated
for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times
and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor for his performance in Good Will Hunting.
He also received two Emmy Awards, four Golden
Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards,
and five Grammy Awards.
The words mental illness, depression, and suicide do not
occur in the Bible but descriptions of these conditions
DO occur in scripture
Persons in the Bible who could be described as depressed:
Abraham (Genesis 15)
Jonah(Jonah 4)
Job (Book of Job)
Elijah (1 Kings 19)
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
David (many of the Psalms point to it)
Suicides (only two true suicides):
Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23 )
Judas (Matthew 27:3-5)
What is going on?
Maybe brain chemistry, genetics and
resilience.
Jesus helped a man return to “his right
mind.” That IS a miracle. We are
encouraged to work on that:
Luke 8:35, Romans 12:3, Titus 2:6, 1 Peter 4:7.
We are in a fight: Ephesians 6:12,
Ephesians 6:18-20, 2 Timothy 4:7.
We are told to get Jesus’ help:
2 Corinthians 10:5.
We are told to prepare for our fight:
Ephesians 6:11 ff, incl 6:13, 6:14
Stand against the evil one.
We are to “wear helmets” –something
for our heads / our minds!
We are to have our minds renewed:
Ephesians 4:23
Just as DCC encourages sick folks to
get medical attention, DCC encourages
those suffering from depression to get
professional help.
Get and use ALL the resources that
are available to FIGHT for your
“right mind.” Maybe some day we
will admire people who fight for their
mental health as much as we now
admire people who fight their cancer.
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Websites to help:
http://depression.about.com
HelpHorizons.com (will send you to health.com)
healingwell.com/depression
samhsa.gov
http://www.power2u.org/
mhselfhelp.org
stigmanet.org
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