The big mistake

“Do you worry a lot?” I asked a Christian woman who was seeing me for the first time about depression.

“No, of course not,” she answered with so much confidence that I didn’t believe a word, “Worry is a sin.”

Upon further questioning about her depression, it became obvious that she worried constantly since it was a part of her illness that she could not control. She was too ashamed to admit it though because she had been taught that Phil. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, was a command. If she were to worry, it would be deliberate disobedience to this command and therefore a sin. Being a sincere Christian, she didn’t want to disobey, so she just denied that reality.

I have personally heard ministers teach that Phil. 4:6 was a command and to worry was a sin. They even went so far as to insist that the cure for worry was to repent for it, renounce the habit and refuse to do it again.

This position is not only wrong but very harmful. I want to help you avoid making this mistake.

The answer

A person with a mood or anxiety disorder has a physical condition that prevents them from controlling their thoughts. They can’t stop worrying even though they desperately want to. To tell them that this is a sign of willful, repetitive sin is not only untrue but deeply offensive. It has led many of my patients to believe that they have lost their salvation or committed the unpardonable sin. This of course compounds their anxiety problem.

The same caution applies to the use of 2 Cor. 10:5, We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. A person with a mood disorder is physically unable to obey this command because their chemical imbalance makes it impossible to control their own thoughts.

These verses were written to those with normal thought control who were able to choose and direct their thoughts.

We must be careful how we speak about psychiatric matters in church. Let’s make church a place of understanding and encouragement rather than of inadvertent condemnation.

I have created books, seminars and recordings that will easily explain the diagnosis and treatments of mood disorders from a Christian perspective. You can see links to many of my resources here.

Leadership Q & A

1. What is the best church growth strategy?
2. Are you burning out?
3. Is suicide the unpardonable sin?
4. Can a person be too supportive of your ministry?
5. Are you afraid of psychiatry?
6. What is the unpardonable sin?
7. Is fear a sin?
8. Is counselling your gift?
9. What is the key question to ask?
10. Does depression have spiritual symptoms?
11. Is your church “seeker friendly?”