Mental health and illness has always been a touchy subject in society and in the church. It can be difficult to accept and even more difficult to overcome. Charles Spurgeon once said, “The mind can descend far lower than the body, for in it there are bottomless pits. The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.” Mental illness is not a new phenomenon.
But as Christians, there are a number of truths that we can hold on through our struggles.
It’s more common than we think
The prominence of mental health issues has risen due to increased awareness, impactful events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and generational shifts towards prioritizing mental wellness. In fact, 1 in 5 people will struggle with mental illness in their lifetime. That means whether you are at church, in your Life Group or just hanging out on a Friday night, chances are someone around you is struggling.
2. It’s not your fault
Like the man born blind in John 9, it isn’t a punishment for sins (be it yours or your family’s). Of course, sin can make the issue worse, but it’s not because of your sin! Our world is fallen and with that comes diseases and other failings.
3. You are not alone and are loved
God’s people have suffered—mentally, emotionally, and physically—since the fall. Even Christ himself cried out in despair on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46), echoing a psalm of lament (Ps. 22:1). When we suffer, we are not alone. Of course, he was sinless in every way, but throughout Scripture, we see examples of him relating to anxious feelings and even distress. Jesus understands what it’s like to wrestle with heavy feelings and circumstances. That should bring us so much comfort! And no matter what, we are assured that we are loved! For God so loved you that He gave His one and only Son!
4. We all have the ability to improve our mental health
Our bodies and minds are not perfect. They can become injured or ill. But we also have the gift of free will and conscious thought, and with that comes a battle of the mind. We all as humans are waging a war to keep our thoughts healthy and our bodies well, Christian or not. There is freedom in shifting our perspective from being ashamed of our mental health struggles to seeing them as a normal part of being alive. I’m not ‘messed up,’ or at least not more than anyone else. Let’s let go of this cognitive distortion of ‘bad Christian’ when our mental health isn’t at its best and then look at ways that we can get healthier. That also doesn’t mean we need to stay mentally unwell. Just as we all have the potential to be mentally unwell (like our bodies can be physically unwell), we all have the ability to improve our mental health.
