Some Thoughts on the Physical and the Spiritual
- No person knows where the line is between the physical and the spiritual. This line is tucked away in the mystery and wisdom of God.
- There is no straight, hard line drawn, to where a person knows when they have crossed from the spiritual to the physical.
- No two people have the same line drawn for them. You cannot do “cookie-cutter” counseling, as though all people are the same spiritually and physically.
- There is a definite interplay between the spiritual and the physical.
- The spiritual can affect the physical.
- The physical can affect the spiritual.
- At times, that which is a spiritual problem, if not taken care of, can have real, negative, physical repercussions on a person.
- At times the use of medication can help “stop the bleeding” so to speak, in order to address the spiritual issues.
A Case in Point
Melanie was a person who had some deeply rooted and unattended spiritual issues. These issues were left unaddressed for many different reasons. The following is a quick list of some of the hindrances that kept Melanie from competent soul care:
- Initially she was not regenerated by the power of God: an essential reality for anyone who wants sustained change
- Later, she was a young, immature Christian
- Her former local church was not willing or capable to help her
- She lived in varying degrees of fear
- She was not willing to be vulnerable, honest, or transparent about her problems
- She believed in genetic determinism: she was the product of “bad wiring” that only meds could “cure”
- She believed in the false continuum: if someone can tell me what is wrong, then his conclusions must be right
- She was a pragmatist: results were essential for her
- She bought into the “god of science” that is so prevalent in our culture today
- No one has come alongside her to practically apply God’s Word to her specific situation
By the time I met with Melanie, she was objectively affected physically because of her unattended spiritual issues. Fortunately, she was a humble lady, who wanted to be taught God’s Word in such a way that she could apply it to her life. The medication was useful in the sense that it “stopped the bleeding” so to speak, in order to get her to a place where she could be helped.
The meds functioned sort of like the way a cast does for a broken leg. The cast is not a long-term solution, but there is some usefulness in a cast. If Melanie believed the cast was the cure, then it would have been problematic. If the doctor had said the cast was the cure then that, too, would have been problematic.
Fortunately for Melanie, she was willing to listen and learn. It would not have been wise to try to wrestle the “cast” from her or put her down for using a “cast.” I focused on the problem and God graciously freed her from these underlying issues that were the real problem.
Read Related Articles
- Medication: A Matter of Faith, 1.0
- Medication: Pick Your Mountain to Die On, 2.0
- Medication: The False Continuum, 3.0
- Medication: What is Truth, 4.0
- Medication & the World’s Greatest Psychology Book, 5.0
- Medication and the Rest of Melanie’s Story, 6.0
- Medication and the Mystery of Analysis, 7.0
- Medication: The Benefit, 8.0
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Your perspective sums up *perfectly* my own feelings and conclusions on this matter. The group I am working on my counseling certification under is strictly against psych meds under any circumstance. I just do not see it that black and white. This same group is not against meds for “physical” health reasons, and seem to believe strongly the mind and the body are separate. I cannot agree. As I stated on an earlier post, I am not for using meds as a first (or final) defense, but believe they have a place at times. This case is a perfect example. We need to be gracious and merciful, as Christ is, and realize some people simply need a bridge. Thank you for a wonderful topic, I will probably refer to this from time to time.