FAITH AND MENTAL HEALTH

Happy Easter Family. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

The resurrection reminds me of numerous salient facts. I am reminded of God’s power at work in me, God’s faithfulness, the fulfilment of prophecies, victory over sin, grave, and death, and of course grace to access the Father without limitation. But on the other hand, the resurrection story often reveals the source of my dramatic personality. I’m not even kidding. Think about it. Each gospel account of the resurrection was dramatic, to say the least. The earthquake, the stone rolled away, the angels on the scene, the dialogue. GOOSEBUMPS guys. Goosebumps! Hollywood could never.

Everytime I read some things Jesus did, I’m like ‘yep, I am as dramatic as my Father. After all, lion no dey born goat (A lion cannot give birth to a goat).’

Welcome to Aima’s Writing. As we celebrate the risen Christ today, I want to remind you of the resurrection power. Christ’s death on the cross is greater and deeper than rice and chicken. It’s more than family dinners, Galilee picnics and Easter Outfits. Christ did not die for us to search for Easter eggs. The Bible says in Matthew 28:18 that ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.’ All power! Not some. Not a few. ALL. It further instructs us in that verse to ‘Go therefore’. That is to say, go in that might. 

I may or may not have mentioned this in the past but my sister is a medical doctor in training. Earlier this year, we were having random conversations and she mentioned how her psychiatry rotation was the most tasking of all her postings. She also explained to us that what Nigerians call "mad people" are actually people suffering from a form of schizophrenia. Long story short, it was that conversation and a little bit of soul-searching that birthed this topic. Mental health is a sensitive topic. We have moved from a generation where people did not care so much about mental health to a generation where so much priority is placed on it. Don't misunderstand me; I'm 100% all for mental health awareness. But, I also believe that we currently live in a day and age where the word 'mental health' has been bastardized with misdiagnosis.  However, putting aside those who just throw the word around, there are people suffering severely from mental health conditions. I'm not talking about anxiety or depression alone, I'm talking about bipolar and OCD and every variant of them. I'm saying there are some people who are realistically the words therapists never use - crazy. 

I enjoy watching med dramas a lot. Asides the fact that it makes me feel enlightened, I like the juxtaposition of medicine and drama. And God, I've seen mental health cases that I thought were just a product of screenplay that a quick google search revealed to be completely true and without exaggeration. And everytime, I'm like why are we trying to pretend, these people are crazy.  They need help. They need healing. 

I haven’t gone off track. I promise. I’m laying a foundation on the subject matter. We have branded mental health in such a way that it often appears to be above the power and the authority in the name of Jesus. And it’s not. That’s the simple truth. There is no name whether one given to a human or to a disease that is greater than the name of Jesus. 

The moral of this short piece is this - Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Whether mental, emotional, or physical, there is no sorrow on earth that the blood of Christ has not paid for.

What better day to remind you than today?

Take a moment to think on the sacrifice Jesus made on that cross. He bore your sins, your grief, your pain, your sickness, your fears, your debt on that cross. He died so that you might live. Not to exist, but to live in wellness of mind, body and soul.

Great and powerful men have graced the earth. There are mighty men in this generation even. But, let me remind you that in the entire history of mankind, there is no greater name, no greater power, no greater sacrifice, no greater victory, no greater legacy, nor will there ever be, than the name of Jesus. 

Happy Easter once again. We rejoice today because we dance on an empty grave. This is Aima putting on the pen cap. I’ll see you next time. Byeeeee 💙