The Secret Of Mental Health / Part 3
Series – November 2012 – Grace & Truth Magazine
The Secret Of Mental Health – Part 3
We conclude this series by looking at what the Bible says about the mental health dangers of guilt, hopelessness and self-destruction.
Guilt/ Hopelessness/ Self-Destruction
In a paper entitled “The Accident-Prone Individual,” which appeared some time ago in the American Journal Of Public Health, the noted psychiatrist Dr. Franz Alexander made the following statement: “There is a deeply ingrained attitude prevalent in our present civilization, that suffering expiates guilt. If a child does something wrong he is punished. Through the suffering caused by the punishment he makes up for his guilt, and thus regains the love of his parents. The conscience acts as an internal judge who demands suffering for our wrong-doings. Suffering relieves the pangs of a guilty conscience and restores an inner peace.”
Let’s consider his statement. Feelings of guilt are as old as mankind. Adam felt guilty. Cain suffered for his guilt. Ever since, mankind has been suffering as a result of guilt. The belief that “suffering expiates guilt” is by no means a concept of “our present civilization.” It is a basic belief of the human race and has nothing to do with civilization. Savage tribes of mankind have believed the same thing for ages.
Guilt – that is the feeling of having done wrong, of having displeased a higher power – is a basic mental attitude. The child senses it before he fully learns right from wrong. He feels it first towards his parents. Those who talk of abolishing all guilt feelings by not teaching the concept of sin are talking foolishly. The Bible clearly indicates the basic nature of sin and the feelings of guilt that result from sin. It is true that the child who feels guilty often has his feelings relieved by punishment. It is also true that children and adults sometimes try to punish themselves for their feelings of guilt. But sad indeed is that person whose feelings of guilt loom so large as to dominate his whole being.
Such a person is aptly described by the Bible in this way: “The LORD will give you a trembling heart, and failing eyes, and anguish of soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. In the morning you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’ because of the fear that terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see” (Dt. 28:65-67 NKJV). This is such a true picture of the person who is overcome by feelings of guilt.
Many people are willing to admit that they have done wrong, that they still do wrong, and that they feel guilty about it. However, it is common for people to want to make their own atonement for guilty feelings. The husband who gets angry at his wife, says nasty things and then stalks out of the house, eases his own conscience by bringing her a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers as a peace offering.
Others may ease their consciences through a generous gift to their church or favorite charity. The penance of the Roman Catholic Church is supposed to be a mechanism of self-punishment for relieving guilt. But the transient self-righteousness that comes with our efforts to relieve our own guilt only leads to pride and more sin.
There are many who repent and resolve to do better, relying on their own strength. They scorn the help of others and feel that to ask for help is to exhibit weakness of character. In his pride the alcoholic is prone to assume that he can stop drinking without help. There are many also who seek to punish themselves for their feelings of guilt, and in their hopelessness and self-hatred commit suicide.
There are many who fight the feelings of guilt by comparing themselves with others. They say such things as, “I’m not as bad as that hypocrite,” or “Their sins are greater than mine,” thus trying to justify themselves. There are others who boldly defy their guilt feelings in a spirit of rebellion and pride. For these there is no peace of mind.
OVERCOMING THESE DANGERS
The only solution for overcoming these dangers to mental health is the biblical one. Verse after verse teaches us that there is forgiveness of sin only through the atoning work of Christ on Calvary. And feelings of guilt can only be overcome by the merit of Christ’s redeeming work. Consider these verses:
- “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7).
- “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).
- “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:1-2).
- “He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities ... and by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).
The cure for guilt is to be found in simple faith in the finished work of Christ: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
True and lasting mental health results from a feeling of oneness with God. This is the belief of ever-increasing numbers of psychiatrists and psychologists. But more importantly, it is the distinct teaching of the Bible. This realization of oneness with God cannot be bought or won or earned in any way by any work of man.
It is the free gift of God to all those who acknowledge their sins, repent of their sins and believe on the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Resting fully in Him we have that peace, that assurance, that security and that love for God and for our fellow men which is the essence of mental health.
By H. R. Brillinger, MD
This concludes this Series on The Secret Of Mental Health.The Secret Of Mental Health is available from Grace & Truth in booklet form.