by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
On Saturday and Sunday, October 5 & 6, 2024, we have a rare opportunity, but there is a
concern some will miss out because they do not realize how valuable and needed it is. The purpose
of this two-part article is to encourage all of us to take full advantage of this opportunity, but, more
fundamentally, to remind us of the extreme importance of this topic for us all. Let me attempt to
do this by calling out several important points each of us needs to recognize.
- There is a stigma in the minds of many attached to this topic. Although not as common
as it used to be, still today there are those who really do not believe there is such a thing as mental
illness. When a person is depressed, or suffering extreme anxiety, certain addictions or other
mental afflictions, there are those who blame the person, telling them essentially to “cheer up and
get over it!” This “blame the victim” mentality, manifests itself in many ways, but it has the
devastating effect of adding guilt to the victim’s pain, and makes it doubly hard for the victim to
overcome the problem. Job, in the long ago, faced this mindset when his three “comforters”
essentially told him that he was suffering because he must have done something wrong himself. If
he would only own up to it, face it, and deal with it, he would feel better. But, like many today,
they had forgotten that sometimes problems come even to God’s faithful. Sometimes we suffer
through no fault of our own. Mental illness is as real as physical illness, and we need to recognize
this before we can be much help to those who are afflicted. - This stigma will keep some from attending the Seminar. This is true because in their
minds they would be admitting an embarrassing reality, namely that they too suffer from
depression or other mental challenges from time to time. Nobody is immune to depression, not
even the most faithful, long-term Christians. In the words of our speaker for the seminar: “We’d
have to be dead or emotionally stunted not to feel sadness and melancholy once in a while. Let’s
face it: life is just plain hard and unfair at times” Overcoming the Blues, Ryan Noel Fraser, PhD,
2019, pg. 44.
What all of us need to understand is it’s a little bit like the Marriage Enrichment Seminar.
That Seminar was not geared or intended only for those whose marriages were in trouble. It was
an opportunity to help troubled marriages, and to make strong marriages even better. Likewise,
this Seminar is designed to help each of us build stronger mental health. And that’s something
which can benefit each of us individually, and benefit the church as a whole. Don’t let anyone tell
you that this Seminar is only for those with severe anxieties or suffering clinical depression. - This Seminar will show us that Christians have access to tools which people of the
world do not possess. It’s unusual to have a speaker with the academic credentials of Dr. Fraser,
but it is even more unusual when we find such credentials in a member of the Lord’s church. We
look forward to hearing practical and effective guidance and techniques for building stronger
mental health, especially when they are presented against the backdrop of God’s word. If you have
been reading Dr. Fraser’s book, you know that he has great respect for the Bible, and often relies
upon it for his advice and counsel. This should make this Seminar doubly effective and valuable.
Secular counselors approach these vital subjects with a sort of blindness, or deficiency, because
they do not accept or recognize the value of biblical instruction. This Seminar is an opportunity to
hear from a well-credentialed counselor who also respects the foundational teaching of the Bible.
Our general familiarity with the principles laid out in God’s word puts us at an advantage over
similar presentations from a secular source. I would encourage each of us to bring our Bibles, and
come prepared for practical lessons from God’s word, which we can apply in various
circumstances.
—continued next week
