Christian Counseling -- Is Healing Possible?

It is a common perception that 'mental illness' is something that is accommodated, managed, and endured. It is rarely thought that 'mental illness' can be healed. There are even those who would question whether people that are mentally ill can hear God speaking to them.

I use the term 'mental illness' cautiously because its common definition reflects a lack of understanding of true christian anthropology. It is in the true understanding of what 'mental illness,' as many call it, is that provides the foundation for a person to heal.

Healing is possible because of the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is not merely a symbolic taking on of the world's evil and defeating it. It is a very literal taking on of our pain. Jesus bore our pain onto the cross so we would not have to bear it. Jesus was able to enter into even the deepest darkest recesses of what is commonly thought of 'mental illness.' The great poet Francis Thompson testified in his poetry that even in the depths of depression and pain when he was wandering and sleeping under bridges, Christ could enter in and speak to him. Thompson was not alone. Many have testified to the presence of Christ even in the deepest depths of insanity.

Christian Anthropology teaches that all that falls into the secular definition of 'mental illness' is the result of sin. We live in a cause/affect world that has consequences for the choices we make and the choices others make that impact our lives as well. This is depicted extremely well in the 1976 movie "Sybil" starring Sally Fields. The movie depicts a young woman who has to come to terms with and work through the fragmentation of the soul (in secular terms, multiple personality disorder) that has occurred in her life as a result of undergoing extreme abuse from her mother.

Understanding the cause/affect impact of our sin on each other lays the groundwork for healing. As famed Psychologist Hobart Mauer described it in his article, "Sin, the Lesser of Two Evils," if I am sick there is very little control over my illness. But if I am sinful, the element of free choice is brought into play. We do have a choice about how we respond to the challenges that other people throw into our lives.

The person's will is an essential component of the healing process. A person cannot be healed against their will. Prayer and Faith are other essential components of the healing process. Where the human will and spirit are broken, Christ is able to enter in and heal.