SPIRITUAL SCHIZOPHRENIA

Happy Holy Wednesday, Dear Reader!

How are you doing? I hope that you have been meditating on the immense love and sacrifice that Jesus paid for us through His death and that you are enjoying a true and solemn moment with Him. If otherwise, I pray that God reaches out to you regardless. 

So today we'll be looking briefly at 'Schizophrenia'. This is a serious mental illness that affects the way a person thinks, feels, or behaves. This means that people who suffer from schizophrenia are usually out of touch with reality. This doesn't happen overnight as there is often a gradual change in mood, thinking, and social behavior. They tend to be delusional, they have hallucinations, they have problems processing information, they withdraw from people, and have challenges paying attention. 

I believe that I won't be wrong if I say that a person who suffers from Schizophrenia and has not been diagnosed will be termed "crazy" or "out of his/her mind". I mean, it is only someone who has lost his/her mind that will be out of touch with reality. A sane person will not behave that way. Also, no sane person will exhibit any of the above-mentioned signs and symptoms and if such are noticed, he/she should get checked by the doctor.

That must have been the scenario in Apostle Paul's case when he was termed to be 'out of his mind' in 2nd Corinthians 5:13 which states that "for if we are 'out of our mind' as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you". It must have been hard for some set of people to believe that Saul the persecutor was now Paul the preacher. And not just ending there, Paul was proud of his chain. Not only had he changed from being who they knew him to be, but somehow his new reality was completely out of touch with what they knew and understood. Of course, Paul should be suffering from schizophrenia, just that his own was spiritual. He was suffering from 'a mental illness caused due to his encounter with Jesus which changed the way he thought, felt, and behaved'. 

I'm guessing that some people thought Paul was being delusional, or maybe he needed medical attention. You know, a little intervention can help to treat or manage schizophrenia depending on the severity. The use of antipsychotic drugs, proper education and support, special care, and psychosocial treatments can help restore the patient. In Paul's case, however, it was a permanent condition that could not be reversed. The people just had to accept him that way. He told the church in his letter that he was 'out of his mind' for the glory of God, which implies that his condition was very much okay and acceptable if it glorified God and enhanced God's Kingdom among men. 

Dear reader, I hope that you now have a little knowledge of schizophrenia, its signs/symptoms, and its management. Most importantly, I hope that you also know that we might have people who like Apostle Paul also suffer from spiritual schizophrenia due to their encounters with Jesus. That being said, I implore you to not treat a person suffering from schizophrenia as an outcast. Who knows, you just might be a patient of spiritual schizophrenia?😅

Feel free to share with us if you've had any similar encounters or if you know someone who has before. In the meantime, have a truly blessed Easter celebration, and never underestimate the power of the cross. 

See you soonest❣️