I was recently asked to speak (at two different places) on what the Bible has to say about mental health. The reality is, the Bible says nothing directly on the subject. Jesus healed lots of people during his ministry, but not one of the people he encountered was healed of chronic depression or anxiety. Nor are specific mental health disorders named anywhere in its pages.

At the same time, the Bible does provide a framework for understanding suffering, illness, and the human condition. Understanding some of its theological themes helps us to think biblically about mental health disorders. Here are six things it has to say.

The World is Broken

Mental illness, like physical illness, is a consequence of the Fall (Genesis 3 cf. Romans 5:12). Sin has corrupted all of creation, including human minds, leading to disorders such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Just as legs can break and eyes might not see, so it is possible for minds not to work as they were designed to do either. It is a sad reality of the world in which we live.

There is no Direct Link Between Sin and Suffering

While all suffering is a result of sin’s entrance into the world, there is no direct connection between personal sin and specific illnesses (cf. John 9:1-3; Job). Jesus insists the man born blind was not born that way because of sin he or his parents had committed. Job (along with others we could mention) suffered specifically because he was righteous, not in any way because of his own sin. As such, mental illnesses are not necessarily signs of God’s displeasure on us.

Some Sin May Lead to Suffering

While not all suffering results from personal sin, the Bible is clear that some sin may lead directly to suffering (cf. John 5:12-14; 2 Sam 12:13-15; 1 Cor 11:27-32). Each of the verses mentioned here are clear that there are some examples of sin that led directly to suffering. In the same way, some sinful behaviours can contribute or even cause mental health issues. For instance, substance abuse or destructive life choices can cause or exacerbate mental illness. Whilst there is no straight-line between sin and suffering, we must have room to understand that some sin does lead directly to some suffering.

Holiness Does Not Inoculate Against Suffering

Being a Christian does not mean one is immune to sickness, including mental illness. There is a false belief that holiness may limit the kind of suffering we face. However, this labours under a misunderstanding. Holiness is something we possess. We are either entirely holy in Christ or utterly unholy outside of him. There are no partially holy people.

Even faithful believers, like Paul, suffered physical ailments (cf. Gal 4:13-14). Godly men like Trophimus and Epaphroditus are specifically named as getting ill. Even the Corinthians, whom Paul explicitly calls holy, are noted in 1 Corinthians 11 as getting sick. Moreover, Roman 5:1-5 explicitly states that those who are justified and stand in God’s grace will nevertheless suffer. This is part of God’s means of producing godly character in his people. All of which is to say, holiness does not inoculate us against getting sick and mental illnesses – just like any other illness – is no evidence of weak faith.

Suffering is Not Wasted

God uses suffering for the good of believers, shaping them to be more like Christ (Romans 5:1-5 cf. 8:18-30). Even in the midst of mental illness, God is at work, and believers can hold onto hope. In Christ, we have the hope that the broken world we inhabit, the way things are now, is not how they will always be. Jesus is coming again to make all things new. There will be an end to our suffering. In the meantime, in the midst of our suffering, we can remember that, in God’s economy, even our suffering is not wasted. He is using it – even if we cannot see or feel exactly how – to make us more like the Lord Jesus.

Suicide and Salvation

While suicide is a serious sin and act of disobedience to God (I say this advisedly as somebody who has made attempts on his own life), such sin does not separate a true believer from salvation (Romans 8:31-39). The Bible does talk about an unforgiveable sin and suicide is absolutely not it! Though making attempts on our own lives is contrary to God’s revealed will, it is to do what God expressly tells us we must not do, God’s grace covers all sin, and those who trust in Christ remain secure in Him.

The words of Romans 8 could not be clearer:

If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? ³³ Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. ³⁴ Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.^[m]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul is pretty comprehensive here. If we have genuine faith in Christ, if our sin – past, present and future – has been nailed to the cross of Christ and, as the old hymn rightly says, ‘our sin, not in part, but the whole’ is included, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Paul explicitly mentions distress and death as two such potential, but ultimately impotent, things that might take us from the love of God.

We must be clear that this is not what we ought to do. We must be clear that God is not pleased when we disobey him. We must be clear that to commit suicide is, in the moment, serious disobedience at that. And yet, even this is forgivable. Even this sin, if we truly belong to Christ, was dealt with at Calvary and it’s benefits were completely applied to us upon our conversion. Even this – serious as it is and absolutely not what God wants us to do – can’t take us away from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

But better by far for people is to have genuine faith that even in the midst of our suffering, God remains good, his commands are given for our good and – though we may have no understanding of how – he will use even our suffering for our good and his glory. Even when everything seems to say otherwise in our minds, faith in the goodness of God’s commands may keep us from sinning in the most ruinous ways.