Upper Room Media Blogs

Mental Health is not a Spiritual Problem

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Many, many years ago, people were taught that you could not have a mental health problem if you were close with God. I’m not really sure where that came from, forgive me for not fact checking but my goodness, the audacity that ever allowed people to think this way. 

Since then, the major belief is that the two are not related. You can have a deep and meaningful relationship with our Father, despite where your mental health may be. A mental health problem is not a spiritual problem. 

Needless to say, I agree with this wholeheartedly. The hurt of that original statement, I think blocked any kind of connection between mental and spiritual health, which is a shame. Mental health is dealt with in one way and spiritual health in another.

Each person has three distinct parts- the body, the mind and the soul. The body which is outward, and the mind and soul that lie inwardly. If the mind and soul dwell inwardly together, surely they’ve crossed paths at some point. 

Let’s think of the sound “mind,” without a care in the world. Wakes up every morning, completely refreshed, goes to work, comes home and says their prayers with a mouth that may be singing praises but a heart that says, “sorry God for my sins (I know I have to say that one) it’s just been so busy, I think this is enough for tonight, check.” 

The opposite of this could take a range of different forms. Maybe it wakes up in the morning and thinks, “I don’t know how to get up today.” Maybe by the time it gets to work, it thinks, “if I don’t do anything wrong today, nothing bad will happen.” Maybe it thinks itself a failure, as neglected, as the one that no good could ever come from.

My reflex response to hearing someone think in this way is typically, “it’s okay, everything will be okay, you’ll get through this.” But I don’t know if that’s how God responds. I don’t think He says, “it’ll be okay.” I think He says, “Yeah- in this world you will have tribulation, but be good cheer for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Sounds easier said than done but what will always be true is that God hold the heart that is in distress in the palm of His Hands. He is by your side and He is the strength when you feel like you have nothing left. It was tribulation that allowed Job to say, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). It was in his deepest and darkest despair that Job saw God. In those moments of mental distress, God is there and His presence is felt stronger than ever before.

If we see the struggles of the mind in this way, then it no longer becomes, “I don’t know how to get up today,” but “please God help me to get up today.” It is no longer, “I hope I don’t mess up,” but “God please help me to get it right.”

“God, be by my side and help me.”

“God, even if I mess up, let it be for Your good.”

“God, help me to believe in You.”

“My Lord, Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me.”

The one that comes home from a long day, broken and defeated is the one that prays with a broken and a contrite heart – these our Lord does not despise. Maybe we despise because we look outwardly. But the heart that is in distress from the outside is the one that is honest on the inside and prays with all sincerity.

The heart that cries out in anguish to the Lord is already miles ahead of the one that is content. Mental health can be a spiritual tool.

Praying when the mind feels discontent is not the solution to mental health. But think of how God sees your prayers. The one that is honest, and broken and in so much need – I think that soul is God’s favourite. Truly, even those that feel fully content are still in need, we all are. We all need our Creator. If it is anxiety, depression, or even worse that brings you to Him, your soul will always belongs to our Lord, and this could be the bridge your soul craves to bring you back to His embrace.

When St Paul says, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6), I don’t think he means just forget your anxiety, or even go get the help you need and then consider your spiritual life later. He means to take your anxiety and turn it into prayer. Pray about everything, give thanks for everything, and in that your soul will be at rest, no matter what plagues your mind. Prayer is not the solution, but prayer is the good company that will be with you along the journey of the unknown.

While I can’t speak from a mental health standpoint, the help is there. Here are just a few:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• beyondblue: 1300 224 636
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
• Men’s Line Australia: 1300 789 978
• PANDA (Perinatal, Anxiety and Depression Australia): 1300 726 306
• QLife: 1800 184 527
• HealthDirect: 1800 022 222

In the meantime, tell the One that sees it all, from the inside out, and be reassured that He sees you, He hears you, He knows how it difficult it is for you to cry out to Him, and it is during these times that He holds your hand even tighter. Glory be to His Name, Amen.

See more here:

• Christianity and Mental Health by Dr Graham Barker
• Depression by Dr Mirette Ibrahim
• Overcoming Myself by Fr Daniel Fanous
• Speaking of Health- killing the ANTS by Fr Anthony Messeh

Pray Always and do not Lose Heart

Translated from a sermon by Fr Louka Sidarous

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Do you think that God cannot hear you calling on Him, day and night? Of course He hears you! He hears, but He is long suffering with you; with us all.

God has a plan, He always has a plan. More times than not, it is very different to the plan we have in our minds. We are often distracted by our temporal life on Earth to see the bigger picture.

All we see is the one problem in front of us, but there is so much more! There is so much more to God’s plan for our lives. When we think of what troubles our minds – work, school, family. But do we ever stop to think, what troubles God’s mind?

My salvation – that is His biggest concern. What God plans for my salvation does not always match what I want for myself. Not every plan I make is relevant to salvation. Sometimes His plan does not match the needs that I feel I need or see as necessary. 

When we become closer to God, and when our will begins to align with His will, we see the bigger picture clearly. 

Why is He silent? In terms of prayer, we know that He always listens to our prayers. The prophet says, “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy. Now I will arise,” says the Lord” (Ps 12:5). 

God is telling us that He hears our cry. He sees and hears. There is a bigger plan, and there is time to achieve much greater than the problems we see before us. My timing is not the same and my plans are not the same. 

Abraham could have had Isaac just as any other person would have a son. But why delay it for one hundred years? Zacharias the Priest and Elizabeth waited for years and heard nothing. Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet, only gave birth after pouring her heart out before God. 

There is always a bigger plan. Our submission to God, and our prayers for God’s will above our own will, give us peace in any tribulation. There is no need to worry, for I know His plans, I know His timing, and I know that all His plans are in wisdom. It is all for my salvation. All my tribulation, all my suffering, all my persecution are counted. There is nothing that our Lord misses in His plan. 

When we pray, we strive to pray with hands of the beggar. The beggar stretches and receives. If the beggar keeps his hands in his pockets, how can he receive anything? If a man stretches out his hands, he begs. But when does man beg? When he is in need. When he has no other option. 

If we are comfortable where we are, why would we feel the need to beg? All is well, we are not in need. When one feels their weakness and their needs, and stands before God, poor and needy, waiting for His refuge, for He is the only source of refuge, then he knows how to pray.

A man cries to God, “Save me! I am scared of losing my salvation, my eternal life. I am busy with cares of the world.  Help Lord, for the godly man ceases!” (Ps 12:1).

The battle around me is great. The chances of salvation are slim and slipping away. Evil has spread and it feels like the world is polluted. All so we can exit the world unscathed and unharmed by the turmoil of this life. It is difficult to attain eternal life without enduring tribulation in this life. I need prayer! And I need tribulation to drive my prayers. 

Everything revolves around salvation, but does this limit our prayers to salvation only? Are we not to pray about things of the world? Certainly not! “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8-9).

When we pray however, we do not forget that salvation comes first; “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). 

The matter needs prayer. It needs struggle. For there is no need for the one that is not struggling. Prayer with deeds, and prayer from the heart. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 8:36).

Glory be to God forever Amen.

Today I Begin Again

By Shery Abdelmalak

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To me, this phrase is repentance. It is a show of mistakes made but I’ll try again today. It is to not be overcome by despair, but to try again, and to try harder.

But these are not my words. These were the words of St Anthony the Great. St Anthony did not use this phrase in this same way I find comfort in despair. 

Quite the contrary. St Anthony would spend his days in prayer and fighting demons in a way I could never imagine. Yet, he would start his day with the phrase, today I begin again.

St Anthony accomplished leaps and bounds of spirituality beyond all comprehension, but his mentality was set on each new day. St Paul made this clear to the Colossians when he likened wisdom to the time well spent; “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” – Colossians 4:5.

When I look back on my most spiritual days. Days spent in church. Days spent in communion with others. Days spent in service. If only I could be the servant of the Lord I once was. But then there were days of failure, days of laziness, weeks of prayer in church alone but never bringing the essence of prayer back home with me. Does that make me a hypocrite? If I could not replicate the same prayer at home that I do in church, am I like the Pharisee that prayed at the top of his lungs in one breath, and in the next looked down upon the tax collector beside him?

These are the thoughts that compound when I come to pray. When I feel like I can’t pray because it’s not the same as before. In essence, these are the roots of my own self-righteousness. These are thoughts that I am better than the prayer that I have to offer today. I think I can’t pray because I’ve prayed “better,” in the past. I think my prayers aren’t worth it because I need the church to get me started. When in fact, this is the best place to start – when I come to my Lord with broken prayers. The prayers of the past, I leave in the past. Each day, I start anew. I fight like I’ve never fought before to get to know my Beloved.

When I ask myself, “Why? Why is it so hard to pray?” It used to be so simple when I was younger. For the young, it is simple, because they are simple. When I was a child, I was told to pray and so, I prayed. Maybe it becomes harder to pray with age because Jesus said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). When I start each day irrespective of what was accomplished the day before, I remain a child in faith.

Each day I wake up and remember that His mercies are made new every morning (Lam 3:22). I don’t remember the good of my past, and I live that day for my Lord to the best of ability. I am not living for me, but for Him. If my eyes are ever upon Christ, then the past is not relevant. Today, I begin again. I search for the love of God again.

We see two distinct methods of interactions in the life of Christ. The Christ that would shower love, blessings, healing and compassion on the sinners, the adulterers, the murderers, the demon-possessed, the lepers, the tax-collectors. But then we also see a sterner Christ that spoke with the Pharisees and the leaders of the temple. Was it not the Pharisees that knew Christ and anticipated His coming? The difference between the two, was that the sinner knew to cry for mercy, while the Pharisees were not in need.

If I begin each day anew, overlooking the good of the past, then I can quite easily cry out for mercy. I can easily remember where I stand and where Christ stands. Because it was never about my own personal progress, but the height of grace that was bestowed upon me.

Sometimes, I can misinterpret the words of St Paul when he said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11). This idea of maturing was one he used quite frequently when preaching, to suggest a growth in spirituality. One that I misinterpreted to mean that prayers are enhanced with age; with spiritual maturity.

Again, he says, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14)

The “child” that St Paul alludes to is the “child” he was before he came to know Christ. Before St Paul knew Christ, he knew the Jewish law inside out. He had more knowledge than maybe even the disciples. For a Jew, I am sure many aspired to be just like him. The “childish things” that St Paul put away, were those pertaining to himself. The thought of his own knowledge, his abilities, his strengths. He left all that behind and emptied himself to be filled with the love of the Father, negating all knowledge of the law, and putting on Love, that has no limits.

To be, “spiritually mature,” is to devoid that title altogether. To begin each day with the knowledge of God’s mercy, and not my own strengths. Today, I begin again, as a child, earnestly desiring the love of my Father, like I’ve never tasted love before.

The Heart of God

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Mark Basily

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Luke 19:1-10

If we break down who Zacchaeus was, we see a tax collector, who was rich, who was short, who runs up a tree to see Christ through the crowds. He is presented in a fairly undignified way.

The fairly Gospel ends with a courageous declaration – “Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” – Luke 19:10.

The transitionary moment of this Gospel was Zacchaeus in the tree, and our Lord walking under the tree. If we press pause at this moment when Christ looks up and sees Zacchaeus. You can imagine this moment when their eyes meet. Zacchaeus would have frozen. At this moment, what did Zacchaeus see in the eyes of Jesus? He would have been able to see into the heart of God. He would have felt the love, the mercy, the tenderness, the kindness – all that flows from the heart of God. This is the moment that would have changed Zacchaeus’ life forever. The moment when he looked into the heart of God.

God looks into our hearts, that is what He is most interested in. We, too, need to look into the heart of God – to understand Him, and to understand our place in the heart of God. If we understand our place in the heart of God, then our lives can be changed. We will see the love He has for us, we will see the forgiveness He has for us, the restoration, the kindness, all for us. We will see our place in His heart.

The iconographer of the Father’s embrace for the Arabic church spent a few months working on this icon. We got to know him and watched him work. One day I came to the liturgy and he had just completed the face of Jesus. He was staring at the icon and I said, “it looks really good.”

He said, “Abouna, I want you to pray the mass today and gaze into His eyes, and after the liturgy tell me what you felt.”

He wanted to make sure that whoever looks into the face of Christ would feel His Love, His warmth, His compassion. That whoever looked into the face of Christ would see the heart of God. We need to know and to see the heart of God.

I was walking in the park with my kids, and a man asked me, “what is God’s message to me today?”

So I responded, “God’s message for today is that He loves you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure.”

“I don’t know about that.”

And he left. How can we not know that? How can we not know that God’s loves us? We need to look into the heart of Jesus, and allow it to change our lives in the same way it changed Zacchaeus’ life.

Every day, we need to look into the heart of Jesus. Jesus looks into our hearts each and every day, and we need to look into His heart. What do you see when you look into the heart of God?

Can You Keep A Secret?

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Yacoub Magdy

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Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus was considered by many to be a sinner. He was a rich man and this made people presume that he was greedy and dishonest.

When we read his story, we see a man that was willing to give half his goods to feed the poor.  He also says that if he took anything from any man wrongfully, he will restore it fourfold. If he had truly taken and stolen money from others, then we know it’s not possible to restore fourfold. He was willingly giving away half his goods, with only half left. If it was not his own, he would be in severe debt if he gave away four times the original amount of money he had.

Zacchaeus was presumably wrongfully accused of theft. All tax collectors were hated by the Jews because of politics. When they approached St John the Baptist, they asked what should they do as tax collectors to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? St John did not tell them to quit their job, but only to perform their work with honesty, and not to take more than they are due. They had authority from the Roman Empire to take on more than just taxes. Some of them were not honest, but we cannot say this about all tax collectors. Zacchaeus’ pledge of half his goods is a testament to this.

Zacchaeus was rich AND a good man, with a burning desire to see our Lord. He was loyal to his friends. When Christ came to dine with him, Zacchaeus invited all the people to dine with them. We see a good man, but his goodness was only seen by Christ. Our Lord looks to the heart, and not the external. If we do good in secret, then only He knows. He loves to see us do good without external influences on our deeds. Zacchaeus teaches us to keep part of our goodness in secret between us and God.

Recall the story when Samuel the Prophet went to Jesse’s house to select one of his sons to be ordained as king of Israel. Jesse was very excited to receive a visit from the great prophet. He lined up all his sons, the strongest, the tallest, the ones built for war and leadership. There was one son that he did not include. His youngest, and most good-looking, for this was not a desirable quality in a king, as it suggested youth. The wars were won by strength, and having good looks would not get a king anywhere. David’s role was to take care of the little sheep.

Even Samuel was impressed by Jesse’s other sons. Immediately when he saw the oldest, he thought this must be the one that God had chosen. To his dismay, the Spirit of God told him that this was not the one. None of the sons were accepted by God. Samuel asks Jesse if there were any more, and Jesse tells him about David, the one that could never be fit to be king. Just a boy looking after sheep.

Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

The Lord looks at the heart above all else. This grants us give comfort, for the Lord knows our hearts, He sees our intentions. We must not worry if people do not see this. It is human nature to deceive people and to be deceived, but God cannot be deceived.

During the final year of HH Pope Kyrillos VI’s life, he was sitting on his throne and was so sick that he slept while he was sitting. The people brought a demon-possessed man to him. The man cried and fell in the presence of the sleeping pope, and the demon fled. He didn’t put his Cross over his head, he didn’t pray, but when the demon caught sight of the pope, this was enough.

Fr Raphael commented on this scene saying, “Of course the demon fled, for the Lord knows, and the devil knows, what is happening within the heart.” Even the devils know what happens in secret. This is an awakening to us all. When no one else can see, what do I choose to do? I can do what I please, or I can do good and the Lord will reveal His secrets to me.

Between friends, you know if a friend is trustworthy in their ability to keep your secrets. This happens with us and Christ. When Christ knows that you are the type to keep secrets, He will give you more.

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

Psalm 25:14

There is so much joy when there is secrecy and a personal relationship with us and our Lord.

Once a man and woman separated and wanted a formal divorce. A priest began to visit them separately, praying with them and counseling them. After a long time, they were brought back together and restored as husband and wife. A man then went to the priest and said, “did you know that these people would go back together?” Imagine the thoughts of the priest as he simply said, “Did they?” He was not trying to display his efforts, but they were for the sake of God.

We once visited a Greek family who had children. Fr Mark sat with the two children and they loved him very much. They wanted to show him something that they found interesting. With delight, Fr Mark said, “What is it?” Then the children brought out Upper Room Media. Fr Mark kept showing interest as if he was not the founder of the app. Fr Mark saw the joy it brought the children to discuss this finding, and he did not want to take this away from them.

The Lord reveals His secrets with the one who keeps His secrets.

Your Sins are Forgiven

Translated from a sermon by Fr Louka Sidarous

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How much can I ask from my Lord? It was not too much for our Lord to cure someone who was paralysed. We hear in the Gospel a story of a quadriplegic man that could not move his arms or legs. Could this be too much for Christ?

As the story goes, it was not even too much for our Lord to call on someone who has been dead in a tomb for four days, and his body rotting. Lazarus was raised from the dead with just the call of our Lord’s voice.

Nothing is too much for the Lord. It is only too much for the man that loses faith.

Can a quadriplegic move his arm again, or can a dead man to rise again? But when a man loses his faith, he loses everything with it.

If we look to Christ, who can do anything, we can say with faith, “No, nothing is impossible.”

After years of sin, I wake up to myself and I think is it even possible to return to where I once was? I used to pray with all my might, all my heart, with tears, then prayer became routine. It was like it meant nothing to me. How can I come back now?

Of course I can come back. I should not deceive myself in this way. If faith can return to the heart through the power of Christ, then my prayers will be restored. It doesn’t matter how many years I was away.

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God

Joel 2: 25-26

After years of apathy, I feel dry, there is no life within me. After years, the locusts have eaten me up and there is no goodness left. I have become like a harvest that has been attacked by locusts. The harvest was once green and blooming, but it is now dry and lifeless.

Why are we afraid to return? Why don’t we return to the faith we once had? With respect to an individual’s personal life, we should increase in fruit and our relationship with our Lord.

By the age of 30 or 40 or 50 years of life, in the church, in fellowship, in communion, but where is my harvest? Where is the fruit of the Holy Spirit? The love, the joy, the peace, my fruit should be visible. As St Paul says in his letter to Philemon,

For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Philemon 1:7

St Paul knows that the fruit that is in Philemon will refresh the hearts of the brethren.

You will find a person that is not greedy for the world, this person increases in holiness each day. We grow up and get older and begin to fail. We become weaker, and more complacent. We have bad experiences in this world and we lose the fight.

Just as Christ was able to heal the paralysed, He can also speak to our hearts and return life to our souls. For a life in Christ is unlike anything else. We come back and we can do more, and serve more, and work in secret place, with our joy coming from our Lord, we can produce fruit for God to please His heart.

Repentant and return to our Beloved is always much greater than the healing of the sick, even the raising of the dead. The healing of the human body is much easier than the healing of the soul. The healing of a body, but to heal a soul and to return it to its former strength – in spirit, in love, from the depth of the heart, in humility, in the Christian life, in self denial – is much greater than the raising of the dead.

Let us come back to our Lord, in humility, and beg that He restores our faith so that we may live joyfully with our Saviour, glory be to His Name forever, Amen.