This is a very sad message I received few hours ago. I asked the person if I could share her message with you all.
So, with her permission, here is her message:
“I’m a 17 year old girl from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I am coming to you if in case you can help me or give me direction. I am suffering a lot. So many people hurt me emotionally that I feel so overwhelmed. Because of all these, I suffer from depression and anxiety disorder.
My mom and Jesus are the only 2 people I can go to for comfort because all my friends left me and my father is very busy with his job. I tried reaching out to the elders in my church but they keep on telling me that I am demon possessed and I need deliverance. A pastor told me I wasn’t being healed because I am spiritually weak and I don’t have enough faith in God. The so called prophets told me that God told them that he has left me because I am a sinful person and I need to get rid of the hate, jealousy and pride in my heart to find him. I know Jesus loves me and he will never leave me and I love him so much too! I know the Christian life is not an easy one and being hated for Christ’s sake is pure joy the world won’t be able to give me! But sometimes I feel like the pain is gonna crush me and I won’t be able to survive it. Can you please help me???????????“
I am sharing this message for two reasons:
1. To say this to anyone who is listening: Please equip yourself with the word of God and know all biblical doctrines that you can know. Don’t just hear and follow whatever you hear from the pulpit. You are responsible for your life, nobody else is. To better help you read, study and understand the Bible, read spiritual books written by theologians and spiritual ministers such as J. I. Packer, Charles Spurgeon, R C. Sproul, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson and so on and so forth so you won’t be victims of heresy and all kinds of false and mystical teachings, demonic teachings which are camouflaged themselves to look like biblical teachings (they make you feel good about yourself and increase your arrogance and pride and leave you in the dark.)
2. To say this about emotional and mental sickness: If you are a minister, serving in the church, know your limitations, that you don’t have answers to all questions or problems people bring to you. When you cannot help and solve their problems, it is okay to say, “I can’t help you with this. Maybe you need to go to “so and so” or you need to get evaluated by a medical doctor or a psychiatrist.” If you don’t believe in a medical field (I see no reason why a person won’t believe in a medical field but if in case you don’t for whatever reason), you can say, “I can’t solve your problems because your problems are beyond my spiritual knowledge and power,” (if you claim to have any power – BTW, the Bible says, power belongs to God. Psalm 62:11.) Saying this kind of thing won’t make you spiritually weak but strong. This is what humility is all about. Please don’t say to anyone, especially to those who are coming to you, calling themselves as Christians, “You are a sinner and God doesn’t listen to you. You are demon possessed. God has left you.” Wow! Saying these things to a human being actually may show that you are possessed by a spirit other than the Spirit of God. When Jesus met people who were demon possessed, He cast the demons out. He didn’t say to the person, “Hey, by the way, you are demon possessed.” ///
P. S. I already counseled this girl and gave her direction as to where to go and what to do next, putting into consideration the spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of her problems.