Mental Health

In 2014, I experienced the hardest adversity of my life. I had a mental breakdown and it was diagnosed as severe depression. Why did this happen in the life of a believer? Wrong lifestyles. Work-centeredness and lust for money instead of Christ-centeredness. Diseases of children. Abuse of alcohol, lack of contact with believers, etc. In that situation, I really thought that I messed up and my life was over. However, what helped me was that I listened to a preacher talk about his own depression and had sought help. I thought that yes, I too could seek professional help and I got treatment. By this I want to say that God does not forbid us to seek help. Sometimes it just happens that your own faith and strength is not enough. I myself thought until then that I was strong in faith, but that was not the case. The faith of us humans is not enough in a hard fight, but the faith of God's Son in the Holy Spirit, which comes from God, is needed. In that situation, I cried out to the Lord to take me away or heal this terrible affliction.I already thought that the Lord had abandoned me when I felt so bad, and I had never experienced such anxiety. The Lord answered me quietly and calmly: "Marko will not abandon you"! I have experienced the greatest darkness and rejection "You may be in My glory with My children"! Those words calmed me down.

Today, 2022, I'm already in better shape, but I know my limits and I know what not to do. I used to not care, for example, how I sleep. Now I understand how important sleep is for people. I was told that good and sufficient sleep is the cornerstone of mental health. We believers should not be stupid but use reason. God knows that our body is limited and we need sleep. God does not call us to watch so that we lose our health. Yes, Jesus said to Watch and Pray, but that does not mean that we start to watch every night and not sleep. We control how we live. How we walk. What we talk about ?What we watch ?What we teach. How do we love our God and neighbors? Do we stand in the Truth of God's Word, etc.

I want to tell you, my dear friend, that if you suffer from depression and anxiety, seek help. Talk to others about your depression and anxiety. Don't be alone. Go to the doctor and talk. Depression is a serious illness that has not been taken seriously. Others have committed suicide in despair. I understand that despair better now, but no one should end their own life. Life is a gift from God, even if it doesn't always feel like a gift but like a punishment. However, suffering is part of life. Illnesses are part of life. Depression is a disease like any other and there are good treatments for it. There is good treatment in Finland and I have thanked God for that. We live in a world that is increasingly harsh and loveless, and the need for care and help and love is also increasing. We believers and congregations have the world's best news about Jesus and the world's greatest power in the Holy Spirit.

We believers must wake up ! We are called together to help each other. Jesus also helped suffering people. Jesus walked where there was sickness and death and poverty. The Lord wants us to walk as He walked on earth and that is why He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Second Advocate. That's why He also saved us, that He can love other people through us. Let's pray this together. In the name of Jesus. Amen.