Being a Christian doesn’t make a person less likely to experience mental illness. Having faith doesn’t miraculously make a person immune to becoming depressed or having serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. However, having faith can help a person to deal with mental illness, in some cases enabling them to live more fulfilled lives than people without faith.

Christians can trust in the promise of God: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) – this means that God will never give us more than we can possibly bear. Christians may have to accept that it is God’s will for us to endure mental illness – or physical illness.

Christians can often become caught up in a cycle of depression and guilt when they are diagnosed with mental illness. Often we will see it as a form of weakness on our part, a failure and the measure of faith that has been found lacking. In cases of severe mental illness, we can often think that we are no longer accepted by God. Of course this is not at all true. God never forsakes us – as Hebrews 13:5 attests.

Christians suffering mental illness who feel unloved and alone can find joy and fulfilment in the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Those of us who suffer from feelings of inadequacy and guilt can find release in Jesus Christ, whose death wiped out our sins and who offers us new life.