Overcoming Mental and Emotional Illness through Faith

Issues of mental health are complicated. We can not solve them with casual pat answers; the suffering undergone necessitates a comprehensive and compassionate approach. Because these concerns are beyond the norm for average people, those who are impaired are often left feeling isolated and alone. We can find comfort and empowerment that God is the key to our deepest healing.

In Scripture we read of Jesus being followed by multitudes. Contemporary images do not depict an accurate picture of these crowds. To our mindset, the multitudes were full of average, middle class people with clean unwrinkled robes, fresh washed faces, and inquisitive smiles. While it is true Jesus was surrounded by ordinary people, we miss those to whom he especially reached out. The people most desperately seeking Jesus were those in severe needs. The afflicted, lame, crippled, epileptic, blind, demon possessed, mute, paralytics, the scorned or rejected, those in the deepest poverty of life experience and mind all came to Jesus. People we are tempted to avoid, looking askance and displeasure at, are those who sought Him.

What was the Lord’s response? He warmly and mercifully welcomed.  Jesus walked among them, touched them, and taught them in redeeming love.  Each never left Jesus the same again. Throughout the entire pages of Scripture, we read of God reaching out to the most afflicted and unwanted.

It is natural to want the disorders causing us anguish to go away. In some segments of Christian culture, healing is a major preoccupation. Without it, faith seems to lack relevancy or empowerment. While God is more than able to heal us, the norm of most experiences is that He allows our infirmities to remain to a greater or lesser degree. He uses the struggles to strengthen our faith in an ever closer walk with Him. The proving ground of the Christian life is endurance in trials rather than the easy removal of them. Our sufferings compel us to see our innermost need, which is for ever more of Jesus Christ. Oh, how we need Jesus! This is not to say we will never get better or do not need to proactively seek help, we can and should. Wherever we are in the trial, whatever steps we take; God is of utmost and central importance.

It can be very challenging to our limited understanding that God’s view is to value our spiritual growth in connection to Him of higher importance than our temporary comfort. We can become disillusioned and hurt until we realize this is where the redeeming grace of Christ meets us. The paradoxes of joy in suffering, finding ourselves by losing ourselves in Him, and wholeness in the midst of infirmity come alive in His mercy. What hope a resurrected, living Savior is to the darkness of mental distress.

Sometimes depression, anxiety disorders, and mental or emotional illnesses leave deep scars. The depths of suffering can seem to overwhelm or cripple us.  When all is black, and we are burdened and discouraged, it is hard to see any way forward. How grateful I am that God does not have an aloof “get over it” attitude toward us. He does not simply say, “Chin up”, and then walk away. His care is always gracious, seeking our good, meeting our vulnerability.

In Matthew 12:20 we read of a prophesy from Isaiah: A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. This says a great deal about Jesus’ gentleness. Christ comes to us where we are, in our specific circumstances. In our pain and brokenness He heals, with endless mercy.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:9-10.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.

Artwork: © Jeffrey M Green.

Joy in Heaven

In this work we see a rose on the verge of becoming fully blossomed. Its petals as if arms outstretched to receive and be filled with life. Likewise, we in our being open and receive true life in Christ when we accept His Redemption. From that moment, and each day afterward, our soul responds and blossoms in His sublime grace.    

The most beautiful event on earth today is when someone receives Jesus Christ. In that moment, eternity meets mortality, light penetrates darkness, and wandering emptiness is filled with supernatural joy.

Do you think you are insignificant? Jesus said there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Out of the billions of lives on earth, considering that each is so celebrated, how much does God love you?

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?.  Psalm 27:1

Artwork: © Jeffrey M Green. “Opening”, 8” x 10”, colored pencils.

What does the Future Hold?

The future. It fills many with apprehension today. Since we do not know what it holds, we often fill in the gaps with what we believe about the world. Our experiences and past can emotionally shape how we handle what may lie ahead.

In my case, I become very apprehensive if I feel I have no control over events in my life. I consider the future with anxiety, wondering if my goals will fail or what mountains of inner turmoil I must climb if they succeed. The more unsure I am, the more this feeling increases. Since I seek comfort in a sense of mastering the details of my life, I am finding God only lets me see the steps before my feet, as if I have a flashlight in a dark room lighting only what is directly before me. The lesson here is to trust Him and not myself.

We can not know what the future holds. What we can be assured of is the character of God. As Christians, our welfare is safe in His hands. He is utterly trustworthy. That does not mean our lives will be perfect and without trials. It is God’s purpose not to shield us from trouble, but to use it to shape our relationship with Him. He will empower us in our weakness, fill us with His peace, and be our steadfast joy. We step out on our journey holding this in our hearts, confident not in ourselves, but in an awesome God. Our lives become an epic pilgrimage in the joy of the love of Christ shining rays of grace throughout our days.

© Jeffrey M Green. Artwork: “Shadows on the Moss”, pastels.

Art & Science, One Artist's View

Imagine you are an artist. An empty canvass on an easel is before you. You sit for a while, waiting for a beautiful painting to appear. Maybe if you wait long enough or set it in a corner of your studio for a very long time, somehow something will emerge?

I have been an artist most of my life. I know that if I lay a blank sheet of art board on my desk and place beside it a selection of colored pencils (the medium I use) no matter how long I leave them sitting there, an art piece will not spring into existence of its own accord. I could wait years as the materials of my craft lay, as dust settles and it ages, while still nothing emerges. Not until an outside agent acts will a work materialize. Nothing will take place until a hand sets pencil or medium to paper and creates a piece of art. This is not a bizarre, fantastical accident of chance happenstance or creeping evolutionary changes of medium and paper mixture. A willful hand guided by creativity, cognitive intelligence, and action purposely creates. This does not even address how the materials themselves where made the same way.

As I contemplate the surrounding world, I see an immense amount of detail. Considering just a few, such as DNA, cells, atoms, the elements, the intricacy of plant, animal, and marine life, they leave one to question how such a marvelous masterpiece could have sprung from nothing. We are so used to life, accustomed to the earth so to speak, that it has lost its wonder. Modern technology has sanitized us, reducing an amazement of our planet and the appreciation that we exist. These things no longer have wonderment for us because we define existence as self-central to our own capacity and authority. 

When you look closely at a photo in newspaper print, the picture is composed of tiny dots. This is called halftone. Mankind is ever analyzing tiny dots in life. Though God has given us an open curiosity, this has become a cynical negativity that feeds a self-serving world view where we see nothing but dots and redefine them for ourselves. We refuse to step back and take an objective view. The charge of lack of objectivity is made toward those who believe, yet like much of skeptical thought, it falls back on itself. This is tragic, for as we redefine the nature of the things we myopically analyze, a deceptive picture instead emerges.

If one were to consider a belief in a Creator, it is not a big step to assume that if a Creator took willful intent to fashion unique living, thinking beings, would this Creator not also care about what has been made? Do we not treat our own children so? We care what they do, how they live, and the ramifications of the decisions they make. Why is it we do? Because we love our children. We know what they do can be harmful to them. We adore them, care for them, long for their good.

In my opinion, I find the prevalent acceptable scientific view to be the opposite of knowledge. It is close-minded to me, while claiming this for those who believe otherwise. When viewed in a fair-minded way, removing all the years of indoctrination, it is rather silly really. Behind all the imposing scientific rhetoric, built on fortresses of conjecture, is allot of myth and fantasy. There we find the desire to be ones own god and do what is right in ones own eyes. 

If we have lost our wonder today, this is where artists have a calling. I find it a joy that artists have a special heartfelt connection to Creation. We observe and examine the visual world, feebly copying on paper or canvas the vibrant, living, life we see. That is what early scientists did. They studied Creation and gave God the glory for it in admiration and awe of what He has wrought.

What a wonderful role artist's are blessed with. The very ability we have - as well as the hands, eyes, and mind - are formed by our Creator. We receive this gift, giving and expressing this back to the very One who gave. 

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20.

Artwork: © Jeffrey M Green. “Gentle”, colored pencils.

Christmas Message from the Artist

It is an understatement that the Christmas season can be a time of stress. There is a host of reasons for this. We feel obligated to attend as many events as we can. We may have guilt driving us to give to a long a list of those we owe gifts or favors to. Often guilt or obligation come into play. The true ordeal, however, is the relentless pursuit of stuff. Afflicted with long lines, mad dashes, and traffic, we try to get as much as our wallets or overextended credit will allow. Driven to bury our loved ones under objects, gadgets, and trinkets, or things we want ourselves, it overtakes our energy and thoughts.

This is a stark picture for a Holiday that calls us to focus on meaning. With issues of loneliness, loss, and trials with finances, we become even more burdened.

I invite you this year to devote yourself, with active intent, to the true meaning of Christmas. Together, let us center instead on the awesome gift of God’s Son to us, His love for us, and give ourselves in love to our friends and family. This does not mean adding Christ onto the mayhem, cramming substance in somewhere to make a moment that is nice. Instead, we seek our God, allowing Him to bless each day until Christmas by filling us with His blessed Son.

Our Spirit-filled reaction to this focus is to offer ourselves outwardly, in love. Giving our prayers, our smiles, our presence, and our time. There is no perfect present that can bestow our child, loved one, or be received by us to create a perfect Christmas. We have substituted the profound with material objects. This Christmas Holiday spirit is what I resolve to seek this year. It starts right at home. This is the example for my wife and I, starting early to enjoy it even more.

God grant you His peace in His beautiful, wonderful Son. Jesus, a baby humbly laying in a food trough - incarnate God - a man who walked among us and sacrificed His pure life for our sins. Praise His name forever. This greatest of gifts alters a lifetime, fills us with joy, and grants us an eternity with God.

Jeffrey M Green

Social Media

Social media has become a place where there is little filter. Without face to face contact, interactions become volatile. We often say things with strong words and hold opinions that are written with a fist. Just like every other area of life such as school, work, and our communities, it is always the other guy we esteem as wrong. Epithets are thrown around like rocks.

It is so easy to have an armchair denunciation of anyone we disagree with. We have much to learn about how to relate to one another.

As Christians we are called to humble ourselves before God, to search our own hearts. It is there where we see the darkest part of ourselves that desperately need the gracious love of God. How blessed it is that this love is freely offered, redeems us entirely, and brings joy to our every day life. No matter whom we may be – the average Joe, stellar citizen, or unwanted outcast – the grace of Christ is offered to change us forever. In a dark world, there is light.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19.

Artwork: "Garden Butterfly", © Jeffrey M Green.

Never Leave You

When I was a child, my father left my mom and abandoned his children, disappearing from our lives as if he no longer existed. My mom scraped by as a single mother, living with the pressure of never knowing if we would make it.

At an impressionable age, my father abandoning us sent a deep and painful message. His deliberate, permanent absence taught me “I am worthless”. Soon, my own peers treated me in a way that reinforced this message. A shy, timid, and sensitive child, I let anyone treat me in whatever way they wished, thinking I was worth nothing more. What began as a single event shaped future events in the way it had changed me.

The reality of endings and loss has had a continuing impact in my life. In them I continue to experience an empty sadness I cannot escape. An unwanted cloud descends. A sense that  good will come to an end, losing hold of them as the wind carries them away.

Loss, trials, and pain are common to each of us. They are a given in a broken world.  When Jesus stepped into my life and brought healing, I discovered something new and different than what the world taught me. God, who is a Father to the fatherless and a friend to the friendless, brought beautiful mercy. In the lonely, dark valleys of the mental and emotional illness that marked my later life, His intimate love never left me. How grateful I am for such love.

While people in our lives may fail us, we can fully trust God because He is trustworthy. He is faithful and will never forsake or hurt us. As God is absolute in power, we have security nothing can compare to as we cling to Him. Our lives are in his utmost care. Resting in the Father, the pure water of completeness and joy fills our hearts and minds. Each day is new to experience how much God loves us in Christ Jesus.

In our experiences and emotions, the world can be a dangerous place, shaping our lives in the ways our reactions cope with them. Though the road may have been dark, light dawns at the foot of the cross. Sun pierces black clouds in the rays of Christ’s wonder and grace. His promises hold us close, forever.

Artwork and design: © Jeffrey M Green.