The past eight months of my life at home has been rather "chaotic". This is not due to my parents having any problems, but to a relative of ours that has been suffering from a mental illness known as schizophrenia that my parents have begun caring for. Without going in depth talking about my family life, I want to highlight some points about the illness, because I believe that a lot of normal, healthy people can exhibit similar symptoms (though I'll admit I'm overlooking some symptoms that may be prominent, just please bear with me) in their spiritual life due to sin.
Let me first point out the obvious: Schizophrenia is a sickness of the mind. It interferes with the sufferer's ability to make commonsense decisions, to connect with reality and to build healthy friendships. Some of those with the illness have "delusions of grandeur", where they believe they are God, or some other important figure, and become lost in an imaginary world in their heads. This makes it extremely difficult for a person with this disorder to function as a normal human being in the real world we live in. It becomes especially difficult when the individual cannot understand that he/she needs help, and that others are the ones who are sane and truly want to help them.
Spiritually speaking, so many of these symptoms happen as a result of sin in a person's spiritual life(how they respond to God). There is the ever-persistent pride, who scews reality, telling one that life is the story of Me, that I "deserve" to be noticed and praised, and that I am most important. This is naturally pleasant to believe in our flesh, but it is also a complete lie. On the other side of the coin, humility is not about denying any worth of yourself to be "good" like you "ought", but seeing yourself as you truly are--and then not making so much of a deal over yourself because of it.
Sin can also make healthy relationships impossible. When sin entered the world, not only did it separate us from God, but it also severed the fellowship between man-and-man. Sin is never a private ordeal, it hurts you, but it also hurts others--gossip, greed and jealousy never brought anyone into a true, loving friendship with one another. Sin only cares about the preservation of the individual, and shines the spotlight on self.
The ability to not recognize a need is a spiritual blindness that the unbeliever suffers from (2 Cor. 4:3-4), and makes the idea of salvation and the cross seem ridiculous(1 Cor. 1:18). You cannot save someone who doesn't believe he's in grave danger.
God said He's good, that He is love, that we are "sick" and in need of a new heart & mind through His work, but many believe sin's lies. The fruit looks too sweet, the fragrance of its juice too seductive. They would rather trade their dream-world for God's reality, and it may seem blissful for a time, but the sobering truth will one day be presented to them, and they will be held accountable for their choice.
Thankfully, we have a God who is greater than our sin! He has provided a way through the cross to redeem us from our fatal state. He is stronger than the devil, the enemy of our souls. His Spirit can reach through the fog of our sin-birthed fantasies and show us the glorious reality of Christ. The truth of God is more beautiful, precious and glorious than the earthy dreams and hopes of man. Through His salvation(and by His grace), His Spirit and His Word we can walk in the Truth and live Life eternally.
