It was a beautiful summer morning and I was walking on cloud 9! The previous evening I had spoken to a women’s group, debuting my new message, “Beautiful Messes: Discovering Hope and Peace for an Imperfect Life.” I had shared a message of God’s grace for us as struggling humans who are not yet made like Jesus.

In my talk, I vulnerably shared my struggle with panic attacks and how I had felt ashamed that I couldn’t be full of faith and function like a normal Christian. I was brutally honest about how during the worst times I’ve had to take medication to do simple things like take a shower, get dressed and leave my home.   And some weeks I would go for days and not shower.

In a hope-filled conclusion to my message, I gave God’s perspective on imperfect lives like yours and mine. God does not respond to our messy lives with criticism or shaming or judgment, but rather with grace, mercy and help when we are in need.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

After many months of seeking God about my panic attacks, I had finally made peace with my own messy life.  Until I saw a post on social media by a friend of mine that brought my peace crashing down.

The post suggested that people who take medication for depression or anxiety just don’t have enough faith.

Wow.

When I read that, I felt a variety of emotions. The first were guilt and shame because in this person’s opinion, I had just sold out to medications and I did not have enough faith to get better. I was simply a second rate Christian, and from their perspective, I wanted a high from medications more than I wanted Jesus.

These words on the internet echoed what the devil had been telling me for months, that I was defective Christian and a disappointment to God.

The devil’s job is to accuse Christians before God day and night and this “lack of faith” post joined the devil’s voice in perfect harmony.

The second emotion that I felt was anger. Lots of it.Had they ever personally awoken in the middle of the night with a panic attack, when they hadn’t been thinking of anything at all?   How is that “lack of faith?”   I wondered if this person had ever walked a mile in the shoes of someone who is depressed.

How could they judge the faith of the more than 16 million Americans who struggle with depression and the 6 million American who struggle with panic disorder?  Jesus said not to judge, so we should be careful not to judge other’s situations and their faith.

Faith is a personal thing between people and God – only He knows how genuine and strong it us.

When it comes to battles in the mind, only Jesus knows the mountains, deserts, and valleys that people walk through. Only Jesus knows the unrelenting battle they fight day to day. Only Jesus knows their cries for deliverance and prayers for healing. Only Jesus knows how broken they are when they break down, give in to their families’ pleas, see a doctor, and admit they need medication.

Jesus does not judge people who are struggling with anxiety or depression or other mental disorders.  He has compassion on us.  He was once human himself, experiencing every emotion under the sun, including sadness and fear.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Because Jesus has walked in the shoes of these emotions, He comes to us with boundless compassion, grace, mercy, understanding, and help.

And not a lick of judgment.

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  John 3:17

Jesus has compassion on our weaknesses. And that is how we should treat others who are struggling. We should have compassion on them, and not condemn them for their, in our own personal opinion, lack of faith.

He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7b

I  recently heard on a podcast (I’ve forgotten the attribution) that the only people who are in a position to judge others for taking medications for anxiety or depression are those who take zero medications – not even Advil.  If you don’t use Neosporin or medicated lip balm or dandruff shampoo – but just have faith for God for all of that – then you have a one up on  the rest of us.

I think if you truly care for people fighting mental health battles, pray for them instead of shaming them publicly for their apparent lack of faith.

Let’s be like Jesus and love, embrace, and have compassion on the struggling, and leave judgment where it should be: with God.

 

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