A testimony by DAVID MANDANI
Over
the years, I’ve been branded and given many demeaning labels: psycho,
crazy, and many other slurs. But I’ve found that my true identity is in
Christ, not in my illness. God says I am a child of God and that I am
loved. I have significance. And God has a purpose for my life that is
greater than my illness. My brain doesn’t always work right, but God
always works right. And he can work everything for good.
When
I think of what God has done in my life, I cannot help but thank him
and praise him! If you are impacted by mental illness, I want you to
hear me loud and clear. Do not give up! With God, no situation is
hopeless. And if you are in so much pain (as I once was) that you are
not even sure if God exists, I say this to you in love. Let him love
you! Let God love you! He will never leave you or forsake you. He will
embrace you just as you are. And then he will help you on the road to a
new life.”
Because I entrusted my life and my disease to Jesus, so
many of the predictions people said to me never happened. I was told I’d
never finish college … but God gave me the grace to complete graduate
school. I was told I’d never hold down a job … but God gave me a vision
and purposeful ministry. I was told I should never get married or have
kids … but God gave me three big blessings: a loving wife and two
incredible kids.
In closing, I’d like to say that if you
are struggling with any kind of mental illness — regardless of what it
is — you came to the right place. There is hope in Jesus Christ, and
there is help in the church. Yes, take your meds and see your therapist.
But realize that God has resources to help you that no one else can
offer.
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