Jesus and Mental Health

I read a book a couple of years ago titled: Can Christianity Cure Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I’ll admit it is a strange title. I would have titled it, Can Jesus Cure OCD. But that’s just my opinion. Anyway, it was a very good read! I read it over and over. I took notes and shared parts of the book with some of the patients with me in the (ERC/OCD) recovery unit. It went through history and pointed out some well-known Christians of the past who clearly had OCD but never knew it. They suffered from obsessive tormenting, self-condemning, anxiety-inducing, repetitive thoughts. In response, they performed acts meant to reduce the stress of the obsession, called compulsions. Martin Luther (the great reformer) and John Bunyan (of Pilgrim’s Progress) were just a few of the individuals mentioned in the book. After reading and re-reading this book, I concluded that based on the author’s findings, relief from obsessive, tormenting fears, could be found through “transferring the responsibility.”

Suppose you are an individual who is terrified of leaving your house because you fear it will somehow burn down while you are gone. Like you fear you left the stove on, or a candle lit, or that there’s a faulty wire somewhere, etc. Therefore, every time you try to leave for work or for the store you find yourself turning around and speeding home to check on your house. You see no way out of this situation. You realize you can never leave your house again and hopelessness sets in. UNTIL a neighbor of yours, someone you trust, comes over and notices you keep leaving and immediately returning every day. Finally, you break down and tell them your problem. They respond by saying “I have just retired and have nothing to do all day long. Would it be okay if I stayed at your house and watched over it for you while you are gone”? You suddenly find a door of hope because you realize this trustworthy neighbor is not only able to take your place but is also very responsible. You wake up the next morning, meet your neighbor at the door, and they take your place. This is “transferring the responsibility.”

In truth, this “transfer of responsibility” is not a new idea. It came from Jesus. Two-thousand years ago the responsibility was transferred at the cross. Though most of us have never thought of it in this way. The great exchange that took place at Calvary transferred you into the Kingdom of God; you into the Father’s House; you into a New Creation; you from death to life; you from being in charge of your days and nights to becoming a disciple of Christ and residing under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91); you from being born of Adam to being born of Christ; you from hell to heaven; you from Satan’s domain and under his rule, to under the power and authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Apostle Paul says “You are NOT your own” you BELONG to Christ. Therefore, YOU ARE HIS RESPONSIBILITY. Okay, I went on a tangent there. I know this post is about Jesus and Mental Health. But is it not interesting how the person who struggles uniquely benefits more from a truth that is actually true for every believer. It is the individual who suffers more than some that find out they are incapable of overseeing their own lives. In their desperation, they release themselves over to the One who upholds all things by His own might. Oh, how the Father desires all His children to come to this place (that’s why He brings trials along). But really, how long is it going to take for us to “leave the house” to One who is far more trustworthy and capable of watching over everything that weighs us down?

The Lord released me from being responsible for my OCD. With that, He released me from being responsible for anything anymore. BUT not until I gave it to Him. I had to give Him the “keys to my house” for the last time. I had to come to the cross and lay down there. He then took me and buried me with Himself. Then on the third day, I rose to life with Him. He took my hand and has not let go. I walk “with” Him now. I do not “run” ahead. Where He leads, I follow. What He speaks, I hear. I died with Christ. The life I live is not me living, it is Christ living. This is the gift of suffering. This is the product of trials. This is God’s will for us. He is simply waiting for us to lie down. Does that sound difficult? Just lie down!! It is so simple. But that’s because it takes child-like faith. Consider these words from the Apostle Paul: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers (and sisters), of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:8-9).

Honestly, I have no idea what I have been writing. I simply prayed and let the Lord lead. So, I may have gotten off course from where this post started. I have no idea. But it flowed through my fingers, and I just kept writing. Thanks for reading.