Maria Jacobs is a national Christian and jazz recording artist, speaker, and newly published author whose story is marked by faith, surrender, and hard-won healing. In her literary debut, Tell Them About Me: A Journey through Bipolar Disorder and the Faith Walk into Remission, Jacobs offers an unflinching testimony of life at the intersection of mental illness, medical treatment, and unwavering trust in Christ. In the conversation that follows, she reflects candidly on losing everything, hearing God's voice in the darkest season of her life, and discovering renewed purpose through remission, obedience, and grace.
Q: For readers encountering your story for the first time, who is Maria Jacobs today-and how has your journey through bipolar disorder and faith reshaped your understanding of purpose?
Thank you so much. That is a wonderful question. So my life completely centered around making it the business of music for so many years. Music was my getaway, my safe space, from a lot of struggle throughout my young adult life. All I wanted was to make it in the music business. I thought my struggles would be over if I just had the big career that I dreamt of.
Today I know so much better. I really had to learn to love the Giver much more than the gift. But that came through much hardship and surrender, and when I finally did, my whole trajectory changed professionally, but most importantly, spiritually. Today, Jesus is at the center of my life. He is my safe space, the true Giver and the true Creator. This gift of music that He has given me is His, and is to be offered up for Him. The intensity of my faith today comes solely from nearly losing everything. But I am grateful for every hardship that drew me closer to Christ.
Q: The title of your book comes from a supernatural moment when Jesus told you, "Tell them about Me." Can you take us into that encounter and explain how it transformed the direction of your life?
Well, it was the darkest moment of my life. Everything had been stripped from me. I had no work. People had left my life. They didn't know how to handle me in my difficulties. I was alone, renting a meager room in someone else's house. I didn't know how I would pay my rent. I couldn't go back to school to finish my degree program and I couldn't work. I had nothing and what was truly hard for me was that I couldn't even make music. Jesus wanted me leaning only on Him. He allowed me to lose it all. The moment I heard His Voice, my feet were still firmly rooted in the natural world.
So, I struggled with it. I doubt, I feared, but I knew deep down that it was Him. It took a long time for me to process what He wanted from me. In my mind, it meant He was listening all along, and He never left my side, even though I felt so spiritually dark for years. Why did I fear? His Voice was not judgmental or scary. But my life was a mess and I was like, "oh, Jesus sees my mess. What do I do?" I don't know why this would be a surprise for me. After all, He died for us while we were in our sin, while we were a mess. So it wasn't a surprise to Him what I was going through. He knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5), so what was there to be afraid of? I guess I felt like failure, a disappointment to Him. I was still so sick.
It eventually became clear as I began to heal. All He wanted was for me to share the miracles He would be working in my life. It's taken a long time to write about my encounter and to talk about it but today, I am so joyful to let people know that in the unpleasant noise of my difficult life, came His loving Voice that pierced through that noise, and changed everything.
Eventually I would realize that He wanted me to testify as to His infinite mercy. He didn't want me to lash out at people who were hurting me at the time, he wanted me to love them, forgive them, and yes, share His Word. My life today is not by my own design. It is simply by His grace, and I want to honor Him in all that I do.
Q: You write with remarkable honesty about the highs, lows, and realities of bipolar disorder without separating faith from medical care. Why was it important for you to show how God works through both divine intervention and proper treatment?
There are so many people that are afraid to get treatment. While millions of people are living with bipolar disorder in this country, there are so many more who never documented their disease by seeking help. The road to successful treatment and medication is long. It's bumpy. It's uncomfortable. It's difficult, but it is so necessary and so worth it. Some people refuse the help when they find out just how tough the journey can be. I'm here to tell you, sometimes God heals through doctors and medication, giving you a very unique testimony. I mean, He can wave His Hand and take away all disease, but where would the lesson being in that? I had so much growing to do and I did it along a very bumpy road.
As a result, the lessons that I learned are irreplaceable, and I don't regret one step in the process, because I learned to seek Him first and not to lean on earthly things for healing and comfort; Not to lean on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) I don't want people to doubt the Lord because the healing is not instantaneous. It certainly was not for me. I'm not gonna lie. It was a long and difficult journey, one that I'm so grateful for because it drew me closer to Christ and that's what He truly wants. That is the whole point. Faith and medicine can coexist. He sent the right doctors.
Q: There are moments in the book where hope feels almost extinguished. What sustained you in the darkest seasons when remission felt impossible?
Jesus did. He was sustaining me even when I didn't see it. Even when I thought He wasn't listening. I was hurting so much, I was spiritually blind. But He never let me go. And He was so patient with me. He wanted me to seek Him first. Which I eventually did do, but it took years. Yes, He was so lovingly patient.
Q: Many people struggling with mental health also wrestle with spiritual doubt. What would you say to someone who believes God has gone silent in their suffering?
I get it. I was there, I was one of those people. Even as a cradle, Catholic, I believed that God had gone silent in my suffering. It's a process, you know? I was blinded by my pain for so long. I guess all I could do would be to share my experience and my hope with people who are in that same dark place.
It's why I wrote the book. The longer it takes to surrender, the harder the journey is going to be. It's hard for someone to understand why God would let us fail so completely on our own, only to show us that He is the only way out. It is only by His grace that we can survive. It's a painful lesson. I have had so many trials and errors. I'm in remission now, and I'm still learning. I think sometimes when we feel the furthest from God, is when He is the closest to us. Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." But everyone has to live this in their own life. God is patient. He never tires of us.
Q: As a recording artist, speaker, and now published author, what do you hope readers ultimately carry with them after finishing Tell Them About Me-and how do you pray God uses this testimony to reach others?
I hope that people will know it's really a story about Jesus... A true story about Jesus and how He works in our lives. How He worked in mine. My successes today are not by my own design. Sure, I worked hard, but I worked hard for a long time and got nowhere. Now I'm letting God navigate my life. Suddenly doors are opening.Again, not by my own design, but by His.
I pray that people who read and hear my story understand that they, or their loved ones, can live a full life with bipolar disorder, in remission. I pray that they don't neglect the treatment part of my story. Medication is paramount, faith is essential, and they can coexist. Most importantly, I pray that they know we serve a living God and His Voice is powerful; His mercy is infinite and He will never tire of you. So speak to Him; write to Him (I literally have a Jesus Journal), and don't regret the hardships. They will draw you closer to Christ.
Now Available in Paperback and EBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tell-them-about-me-maria-eva-jacobs/1148690442
https://www.amazon.com.mx/Tell-Them-About-Me-Remission/dp/B0FZYFPH7T
Connect with Maria Jacobs:
https://www.facebook.com/mariaevajacobs
https://www.instagram.com/mariaevajacobs/
https://www.tiktok.com/@mariaevajacobs
https://www.youtube.com/@mariajacobs
