Wisdom from the Trenches

What I am about to say needs to be addressed, but is going to ruffle feathers: When it comes to my health and medical issues, I refuse to allow religious people to talk their way into my doctor’s office. As smart as they think they are, as ordained by God as they believe themselves to be, they are not my doctor and they are not omniscient. There are areas in life where religious people have no business meddling because their input is poorly informed and completely unnecessary. One of those areas is medical care.

I have been clear that I am a Christian and I struggle with depression. I entered counseling with a licensed Christian therapist years ago. At her suggestion, I was evaluated by my primary care physician and diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I was prescribed anti-depressants. I thrive today because I receive the medical help that I need to stay healthy. I have been harshly judged at various times in my life for reaching out for help from a medical professional (at the same time that I was praying that God would help me). Interestingly, He did…through the aide of the most incredible doctors. But because I didn’t solely wait on the Lord for miraculous healing, somehow my faith was labeled non-existent, weak, or failing in some way. In these people’s minds, healing can only come to a person through one, narrow passageway. Anything different is simply unacceptable.

When people have done this to me, they have proven time and again why Jesus was so mad at the teachers and Pharisees. The teachers and Pharisees burdened people with unrealistic expectations, rituals, and additional rules they must adhere to in order to have a church-sanctioned relationship with God. It had to be done their way. It had to fit the cookie cutter mold they had designed. It had to meet certain criteria they deemed appropriate…or it wasn’t accepted by the Church they led. Back then, if you were not accepted by the Church, you were viewed as unacceptable to God. Times have changed.

Jesus came along and painted us a new reality. He chastised church leaders for their completely unacceptable expectations of others that were keeping droves of people away from a deep and meaningful relationship with God. Teachers of the law and Pharisees wanted the people to know God solely through their eyes and from their perspective. They were selling the people a God that didn’t exist…and that is why Jesus was so angry with them. So, Jesus eliminated the middleman and gave us the right and ability to directly access God ourselves – and this still terrifies some religious leaders to this day. There are many who still want the people to go through them, so they can interpret God to the people.

Every, single time a pastor, elder, clergyman, or member of a church stands up and makes a judgment call about someone who reaches out for healing in a manner that differs from what leaders have decided is acceptable to God or the only way God would do things, they are essentially telling their congregation, “We want you to buy a version of God that only we interpret to you. We don’t want you to have a personal relationship with God outside the boundaries of what we deem acceptable.” Anyone who does this is attempting to reverse time itself to bring back a religious system that enraged Jesus. Challenge this line of old-school thinking.

God gave us free will. God gave us the ability to directly access His throne. God gave us pastors to guide their congregations’ spiritual lives. And God gave us doctors who have researched and studied medical science enough to understand the inner workings of our bodies so they can effectively help us with medical issues. Depression is multi-faceted, as are most mental health issues. Sometimes, depression comes upon us due to something as simple as a vitamin deficiency. Depression can come from dopamine and serotonin processing issues in the brain. Depression can set in due to a particularly traumatic or difficult time in our lives, such as tragically losing a child or being permanently injured in battle. Whatever the underlying reason, medical professionals are learning new, tangible ways to combat depression every day. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that I have to shun wisdom and knowledge found in medical science. In fact, many of my Christian friends are doctors or therapists. If Christians aren’t supposed to access medical care for mental health issues and if prayer is the only acceptable treatment for mental health issues, why would God call Christians to become the very doctors we must supposedly avoid?

Every tidbit of unsolicited condemnation I have received in past churches for accepting medical care for depression has been fully steeped in traditions that men crafted for how religion should look at all times…and firmly grounded in denial that the brain is an actual organ in a human’s body. These hypocritical religious leaders touted the “miraculous” healing of cancer through the glorious invention of chemotherapy for another congregation member. In another instance, thanked God for the doctors and physical therapists who set a broken bone, prescribed pain medication, and worked to restore full functionality to a young football player. It is odd that they were so supportive of marriage counseling in cases like infidelity…but opposed to individual counseling for healing from personal trauma. If we, as Christians, can accept healing from medical staff for cancer, a broken bone, a bacterial infection, or any one of the myriad of issues that can affect our overall health, why is it unacceptable to ask and receive help for our brain when we struggle with symptoms of depression? The brain is just as real a body part as the lungs, heart, or bones in our bodies. It is high time we stop behaving as if the brain doesn’t exist or should never break down and need medical assistance. This isn’t realistic. We age. We experience hardship. Our bodies break down over time. This includes our very real brain, but there is help available to help us weather this storm we call “Life”. We should use it.

I’m not discounting miracles. I have experienced miraculous healing of medical issues that absolutely cannot be explained any other way but God. I have seen and heard enough to know miracles exist and still happen in our time. But I also know that God doesn’t always do things exactly the same way every time (look at the various ways Jesus healed blind folks…) and so, I stay open to different ways for God to show up in my life. In the past, so many religious leaders didn’t accept Jesus while some of the lowest in society got to know Him personally. Those who didn’t accept Jesus were looking for a Savior to arrive in a certain way, the way they had deemed appropriate. Those who got to know Him personally didn’t have any preconceived notions, but were simply looking. The latter was the group who got to truly know Him. Perhaps we should take note.

I thank God I am not in a judgmental church today, but I know that those people (and many more like them) are still out there and that they are burdening others who are already struggling to keep their heads above water. If you have been the one judging others for struggling or for looking to medical professionals for assistance, STOP. You are not helping. When they most need support, the devil is using you to inflict more pain. Don’t fall into this trap. Don’t be this person. Learn about trauma and mental health struggles. Learn how to truly love someone when they have a battle raging inside their hearts and minds – and you will become an incredibly effective minister for a deeply hurting world.

If you are the person struggling, hear me when I say it is entirely possible to seek medical treatment for mental health issues and still have faith in God. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Healthcare and faith are not mutually exclusive. They can co-exist. In fact, God might take you on a longer, “non-traditional” route to deliver you from what haunts you at this very moment. He’s been known to do that before…Stay open to all the different ways God can show up in your life – and He will. Know that asking for help from others doesn’t show weak faith. We are called to walk in relationship with others, so reaching out to genuinely express our authentic selves is strength. Following God’s lead is the very definition of faith in action. Regardless of the way He takes you in your healing journey, will you trust Him? This is the only question that matters and the answer lies in your relationship – not with your religious leaders – with God.