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29-04-2015 11:54 PM
29-04-2015 11:54 PM
Being a born again Christian!!
Hello 😊
I would like to know other people's experience who are serious born again Christans and have a mental illness,, do you find having faith helpful with overcoming the tough times ?
I have schizophrenia also a follower of Jesus... Some days I think my faith is tested
Even more so because I do have a mental health issue ... I know for fact though I would be a lot worse off
if I had not any faith at all....
Thank you kindly 🙏🏻
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30-04-2015 09:40 PM
30-04-2015 09:40 PM
Re: Being a born again Christian!!
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30-04-2015 10:25 PM
30-04-2015 10:25 PM
Re: Being a born again Christian!!
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30-04-2015 10:37 PM
30-04-2015 10:37 PM
Re: Being a born again Christian!!
Dear @Warrior_Girl & @Battyc78
A very warm welcome to the forum!
What an interesting question. Hmm.. I am a follower of Christ, but I don't call myself a Christian these days - I see too many people (including with high profile public lives) who seem to wear it as a label and practice anything at all but love towards their fellow humans (or creation in general). So I'm not sure where that puts me with regard to your queston.
I was exposed to Christian teachings from early primary school by my step-father, but sadly he also exposed me to a lot of abuse. So for many years I turned away from God too. I've suffered sporadically from severe and chronic depression since my mid teens, and more recently (in my late 40's/ early 50's) been diagnosed with bi-polar and complex PTSD. It wasn't until my mid 30's that I realised I had a deep sense of spirituality, and that in spite of everything (which I really had no idea or memory of "everything" then) I felt drawn to the Christian faith.
Does it help me get through the tough times? Without question. My illness has at times made me question my faith's understood teachings, and my faith has caused me to question some of the delivered wisdom on my illness. In the process my faith has deepened and strengthened, and I am generally more well that I ever thought I would be possible - in spite of carrying diagnoses that I would have been mortified by 20 years ago.
Whilst I'm not medicated that has nothing at all to do with my fatih and everything to do with my health: it just doesn't agree with me - it makes me sicker or does nothing. I have had to learn to manage my illness without help from meds because they don't help me. But I think they have their place and it is horses for courses - if they help you then that's great!
I think the biggest thing my faith has helped me with is to make some sense of suffering, rather than it feeling quite so utterly meaningless. More important for me has been the deeply felt sense that God understands, cares and suffers with me when I am suffering. Also the insight that God can take the most horrendous things and over time, if I both trust and work, by grace these things are somehow transformed for my own higher good - often in ways that I could never have anticipated - or would not have seen as being anything like "good" for me. To be honest it's been both a humbling and edifying experience - repeatedly. I've given up the idea that I know what is best for me. Or at least that I know better than God, because in that sense I can see now that I don't have even a tiny fragment of the bigger picture God sees, and I've learned that at times what feels like hell can actually be a road to a much better place, and what feels "good" can be very bad for me indeed.
I suppose I should also mention that I have a very broad ecumenical approach to faith. I try to embace all people, of whatever faith or none. My personal sense is that God is far more interested in relationship with and between us, and our faithfulness, than what or even whether we profess a particular doctrine.
I hope this all makes at least some sense. We're all fellow-journyers here on the forums, trying to learn compassion for ourselves and others on a sometimes dark and painful road. I hope you will find lots of genuine care and support. Again welcome.
Kindest regards,
Kristin