Mental Illness And The Test Of Job

Inspired by chapter 23

Into every life there come the painful, despairing days of adversity and buffeting. There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone, including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful. The thorns that prick, that stick in the flesh, that hurt, often change lives which seem robbed of significance and hope. This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master in building lives of faith, usefulness, beauty, and strength. For some, the refiner’s fire causes a loss of belief and faith in God, but those with eternal perspective understand that such refining is part of the perfection process.

When I think about the hardest parts of life, illness, death, loss, sadness, and regret my mind always turns to Job. He faced it all because he had it all. He had wealth, health, a family with children, friends, an abundance of land and flocks of animals. Most of all he was he was happy, he had joy and a love for God very few men have ever had. Lucifer came to God with a proposition, he told God that if he was given the ability to torture Job physically and mentally that Job would curse God and lose his faith in return. 

God agreed and allowed Lucifer to test Job.

Because of this agreement between God and Lucifer Job lost it all, he lost his family, fortune, home, and even his friends when they accused him of sin. Job was afflicted with all manner of physical ailments including painful boils.

 Job in the end persevered and not only recovered physically, but was handsomely rewarded for staying true during his ordeal.

However what if Job had been afflicted with any of the number of the inner demons of mental illness like depression or anxiety. Illnesses that effect the very way you think and perceive life? Could he have stayed true? Would he have been punished if he didn’t? Would he have had been given a retrieve from it if he failed this testing?

I know that God is loving and merciful. He knows who we are beyond the illness, even when we forget who we are in the deepest despair. 

I know despite it all that your family on both sides of the vail love you.

I know that holding onto your faith is paramount to holding onto a life raft during a tempest.

I know that prayer helps and gives you the strength to seek help.

I know that one day we who suffer from mental illness will be made whole.

I know that we can face anything with the love and companionship of the Savior.

I know that….Some days it’s the only thing that keeps our heart beating when we can’t even get out of bed. 

Our yokes however heavy, will still lightened with the Saviors help….and if we have help from those that love and care for us, we will never be lifting the yoke of mental illness alone.

Hebrews 13:3

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”