You are either somebody who struggles with mental illness yourself, or you are somebody who knows, works with, lives with, goes to school with, loves, is friends with, somebody who has mental illness.

Your sickness is not a sin, but your secrets will keep you sick.

Luke 10:25-37
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And he said to him, ‘well, what’s written in the law? How do you read it?’ And the lawyer answered, ‘well, you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.’ And so Jesus says to the man, ‘you’ve answered correctly, do this and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.’ Now, by chance, a priest who was going down that road, saw him and he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.’ He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two Denarii, and he gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ And the lawyer says, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Now you go and do likewise.’

3 THINGS THAT WILL PUT A STOP TO THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS:

1. We have to see them.

We have to see the people around us who struggle with mental illness.

We cannot make excuses for why we don’t see them.

2. We have to support them 

Carry each other’s burdens.

3. Make space for them 

We have to make space on our teams for people who struggle we have to make space in our small groups for people who struggle with this. We have to make space in our lives for people who struggle with this.

3 WAYS TO MAKE SPACE FOR THEM:

1. Believe the best about them. 

You never know what they struggle with. Try to put yourself in their shoes.

2. Be generous with your words. 

Speak life into them!

Don’t let those suffering with mental illness believe the lie that no one loves them or that they are a burden.

3. Invite them into our world. 

Healing comes in the context of community.

We are the body of Christ! Every part of the body needs other parts to help them work!