Mental health is a very important subject that people need to talk about yet it’s also a sensitive one. The stigma built around it forces those who suffer depression to mask their struggles and this often leads to suicide. That’s why it’s important to seek professional help, advises pastor Adam Weber, a dear friend of the late pastor Jarrid Wilson who recently took his own life.
The Sioux Falls pastor touched on his friend’s death on a podcast on Wednesday and says that it’s okay to admit that you’re not okay. It’s okay to admit that you’re struggling mentally, as what Wilson had been vocal about.
Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts.
Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression.
Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD.
Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety.
But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort.
He ALWAYS does that.
— Jarrid Wilson (@JarridWilson) September 9, 2019
Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.
Weber, who leads Embrace Church, reminds his fellow pastors to be open about their struggles with mental health. To speak up when things are not okay in their life and to share their thoughts about suicide. It helps to take it out in the open instead of bottling it inside. He tells them that “it’s OK to not be OK” and that “it’s OK to ask for help.”
“There’s just some weird dynamics of being a pastor and a lot of time it feels impossible to raise your hand and say, ‘I’m not OK, I’m struggling, there’s things in my private life that are not pleasing, I’m having these thoughts that I know are wrong, I’m thinking about killing myself,’” he says.
I am devastated.
This morning I received the horrible news that my dear brother & fellow pastor Jarrid Wilson went to be with Jesus last night. He reached out to me late last night and I prayed for him. I’m without words… Please be praying for his wife Juli & his 2 boys. pic.twitter.com/GQqNgf0lMv
— adamweber (@adamweber) September 10, 2019
I am devastated. This morning I received the horrible news that my dear brother & fellow pastor Jarrid Wilson went to be with Jesus last night. He reached out to me late last night and I prayed for him. I’m without words… Please be praying for his wife Juli & his 2 boys.
However, Weber adds that talking to friends, family, and pastors is encouraged but this is not enough. It’s best to seek professional help from a counselor or psychiatrist and this doesn’t make you less of a good Christian.
“That doesn’t make you a bad Christian. That’s not removing Jesus from your life. No. It’s giving you the ability to clearly see Jesus. If your body physically is all out of whack, it’s impossible to really follow Him. So get help,” he continues.
Everyone should post a picture of their kids and use the hashtag #greatjoys https://t.co/GDRHRXa8Y6 pic.twitter.com/0ocQ33wGGP
— Jarrid Wilson (@JarridWilson) August 21, 2019
Everyone should post a picture of their kids and use the hashtag #greatjoys https://t.co/GDRHRXa8Y6
Wilson, 30, helped Christians battle through their depression and thoughts of suicide. He was a great listener and counselor. However, he shocked the Christian community when he took his own life just hours after he officiated a funeral for a woman who died by suicide.
Officiating a funeral for a Jesus-loving woman who took her own life today.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated for the family.
— Jarrid Wilson (@JarridWilson) September 9, 2019
Officiating a funeral for a Jesus-loving woman who took her own life today. Your prayers are greatly appreciated for the family.
Talking about Wilson’s suicide, Weber says he didn’t see it coming. He regretted not having talked to his friend more and asked him more questions about his mental health. He wished that he could have told Wilson to seek medical help.
When troubles and worries plague us, we often turn to our friends and family or to the church for a listening ear. We also seek God’s guidance through prayer. When struggling with severe depression, it’s okay to get help from doctors because God sent them to answer our pleas for help.
Megachurch Pastor And Mental Health Advocate Jarrid Wilson Dies By Suicide | TIME
A California megachurch pastor who frequently spoke out on the issues of mental health and his own struggles with depression died on Monday by suicide at the age of 30. Subscribe to TIME ►► http://po.st/SubscribeTIME Get closer to the world of entertainment and celebrity news as TIME gives you access and insight on the people who make what you watch, read and share.