Mental Illness has touched my life

Oh, yeah, I'm sure spouses, friends and family will appreciate the posts about their mental state.

Rob

 

It drives me a little crazy. :tongue3:

I think that everyone has been touched by the problem at one time or another.

Rob

 

My parents suffered from mental illness as well as my sister.

 

I am not sure if mental illness is a fair thing to say for every one, if at all.

What was happening to Paul, he seems to be ascribing what we call mental illness as an infirmity.

2 Corinthians 12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

That thorn in the flesh is the messenger of Satan that is buffeting Paul. That sounds to me more like hearing voices accusing him.

I know that the popular train of thought is that his thorn in the flesh was his poor eyesight, and they can go to another part of scripture to show it by his large handwriting, but that is hardly symbolic of a messenger of Satan buffeting him in the flesh.

And what is more, I doubt having failing eyesight demotes him in the eyes of people that would exalt him for the abundance of revelations Paul had been giving from all his epistles to the churches. Hearing voices does.

Today, if Paul was alive, would his failing eyesight keep people from exalting him too much? I don't think so.

If Paul gloried in his infirmity that he was hearing voices accusing him, I think that would keep people from exalting Paul period. That way, Paul is decreasing in the eyes of the people so that Christ is increasing.

John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

It is what Paul has said and written in regards to His words that is to be confirmed by Him that is where the believers should have the spotlight on; not on Paul; not on the Holy Spirit; but on the Son of God; the Bridegroom where the abiding bride of Christ should be looking to always by His grace and by His help in living that reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

 

I think Paul may have suffered for a while asking the Lord for it to depart from him, but now it seems he glories in it so that people's eyes are on Him and His words in being followers of Christ rather than being identified as followers of Paul which he did say was a problem at Corinth at one time.

1 Corinthians 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.......

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's

I reckon by the time the second epistle to the church at Corinth was written, Paul was given that thorn in the flesh to solve that problem?

 

And in case any one may be tempted to come forth to glory in their infirmity, unless you are getting many followers as to why you are suffering as Paul was, I do not think you need to share that infirmity here to keep believers from becoming your fans.

I do not want any one to think that just because a person suffers from an infirmity such as a mental illness that God is doing it today to keep that believer humble for all the revelations and edification he has been given when today, faith is hard to find that this person would not have any real following.

Look at Baruch in the O.T.

Jeremiah 45:1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch: 3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. 4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

I can see why he was not given a thorn in the flesh. It seems like nobody was listening to him to have a problem with a fan like following.

 

Course, a believer may be keeping the faith in these latter days and have all these revelations and reproofs where no one is listening, and yet to keep him from being pompous and judging others in condemning others, I can see why God would give him that thorn in the flesh to keep himself from exalting himself. There will be no swell heads in Heaven thanks to Jesus Christ.

 

This music video is for all believers and not just those suffering from an infirmity in the flesh.

 

I have deacon at my church who is very faithful but acts like there is something wrong when I am around him. He gives me strange looks but his wife is very cordial. If he had a issue with me would he come talk to me about it. I do suffer from anxiety and OCD is this paranoia? My wife thinks he would come to me if it was personal.

 

As a Psychiatrist, I see a lot of people that suffer from Mental Illness. I have also seen how the system makes it nearly impossible for the poor to get Mental Health Care. I have also seen how the church has really lagged behind the issue of "Mental Health and the Church. I was thinking about starting a thread on this to see what others think. But I'm on vacation and if I don't take my wife out for dinner soon I will be standing before Jesus by nightfall...