oh, help me but don't tell me to deny it

severe elev. | high elev.| moderate elev.| slight elev. || BASELINE || slight dep.| moderate dep. | deep dep. | severe dep. || anx: 0 | agit: 1


I recently attended a meeting in another church - a rather nice meeting in a rather good church, held by a rather impressive preacher. It would have been an entirely delightful experience for me except for one little detail. Just one little detail.

I was offended at the ignorance of the preacher in belittling biologically-predisposed mental disorders. He told of a story in which he spoke to a man who explained he was having a difficult time with his behavior because he was born with ADHD. The preacher's advice to the man? He basically pooh-poohed the ADHD and told the man to just get ahold of the mind of Christ.

That was real spirited advice (take note: small s), and otherwise excellent. But considering the context, I don't think it's very helpful. I think it's even inconsiderate. Chances are, the man will pray his butt of and find himself relapsing again and again into the repulsive behavior associated with ADHD, and he will feel like a poor, hopeless, Christian.

Mental disorders are very real and debilitating, and getting healed of them requires a miracle just as much as a missing limb or a paralysis does. Telling an ADHD sufferer to just get ahold of the mind of Christ is like telling a blind person to see or a cripple n to dance without extending healing.

Furthermore, the preacher's statement supposes that a man with ADHD or some other mental disorder doesn't have the mind of Christ. Just because he has a mind that can't function normally doesn't mean he isn't influenced by the Spirit of Christ. Even mature, Spirit-filled-to-overflowing Christians will have their quirks, mental, behavioral or otherwise. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged a condition that the Lord did not take away from him.

It's just tragic how people in general are so naive about mental disorders, and even more tragic that Bible-believing Christians overlook the reality of them. You can't simply pray away ADHD and expect the person to change in one go. You can't just give someone with Borderline Personality Disorder a list of verses to pray out and hope she gets better. You can't cast out a phobia - it isn't an evil spirit.

I'm in no way belittling the power of prayer and the possibility of miracles. But biological / mental disorders have more than just a spiritual dimension and will take more than just spiritual weapons. We do still live in the world, you know; that's why we still do bodily things like eat, sleep, work and earn. Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christians should not take forgranted the effectiveness of medical research, scientific fact and cognitive therapy. Besides that, wearing Christ's name and all, there should be a measure of love and acceptance of people with mental aberrations, and heaping expectations on them isn't the best way to do it.