In the hallowed corners of faith where “Halleluyah” and “Amen” ring forth, where we find comfort in community and the gift of salvation is offered, there is a hushed conversation that often goes unheard. It’s the conversation of mental health.
In the paragraphs that follow, I enter unchartered territories discussing the wrong ways in which some Christian handle mental health, discussing stories of Bible heroes, who in their trials, mirrored what we now refer to as mental health challenges, and discovering tips for navigating these turbulent seas.
Before I go on, I should state that this post is intended to provide general information about Christianity and mental health. I’m not a mental health professional or counsellor. This is not a professional advice. The aim is to encourage a conversation on this topic and offer my opinion.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. It affects how we think, feel, and act.
“Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you’re frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with.”
– Mind.org.uk
Two common ways of dealing with mental health is to:
1. Downplay the signs and ask “Are you not a Christian”, “Don’t you believe God?”
2. Ostracize the person.
But these are wrong. Illness, even physical illness, is not caused by a lack of faith. As the body can be ill, so also, the mind can be.
Moreover, a cursory look at some Biblical characters will reveal signs of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Mental health is not mentioned in the Bible. However, we will look at the expression of familiar emotions by these Bible heroes.
Bible Heroes: A Closer look at Mental Health in the Scriptures
1. Job
You may have heard the common phrase “the patience of Job”. Job was a man who believed in God and always kept his faith and patience no matter what troubles Satan thrust upon himself or his family. His patience is legendary. But we still see his frustrations.
“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man-child is conceived’” (Job 3:3). That same speech ends with the declaration, “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes” (Job 3:26).
“I loathe my life,” says Job, and therefore, “I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 10:1).
See how Job complained bitterly about his situation yet the Bible said “Ye have heard of the patience of Job” (James 5:11).
Job suffered but not in silence. He didn’t curse God. He didn’t turn away from God. This showed him as a human.
How then can we expect people to bear their burdens without sharing it?
Just a wild thought: I wonder if Job was living in this age, maybe he would have been so distraught that he would have posted his complaints on Facebook. Or maybe not.
2. Jeremiah
Bible scholars refer to him as the weeping prophet because of the travails he went through.
God told him not to marry to spare him from grief.
When God called him, he wanted to excuse himself.
“Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” Jeremiah 1:6
Not so easy, Bro Jeremiah.
So, God reassured him that he will put words in his mouth.
He spent 40 years preaching and prophesying. Particularly, he prophesied about the coming destruction of Jerusalem.
Then, one day, a man named Pashur, chief governor in God’s house, someone you would expect to know better, beat Jeremiah and put him in stocks ( Jeremiah 20:1 -3). The next day, Pashur released Jermiah. You would think Jeremiah would be quiet. No. He gave him stern warning from God (4 – 6)
What followed was unexpected, Jeremiah started lamenting that God had deceived him. He would have wanted to stop preaching, but the fire was burning in him. He was lonely, ridiculed, and beaten.
“If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”, Jeremiah 20:9 ESV
And is if following Job’s script, he also cursed the day that he was born
Jeremiah 20 was a roller coaster of emotions.
Thankfully, this is not where Jeremiah’s story ended, he still gives us hope today.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” – Jeremiah 29:11
3. Elijah
I remember this aspirational song we sometimes sing: Lord, send another (make me another) Elijah to bring the fire down…
Elijah, won a great victory against the prophets of Baal as fire from God enveloped his sacrifice. He stopped rain for 3 years 6 months and then prayed for rain to come. What a great conduit for miracles that he was.
Great was his faith that he told his servants to go seven times to check for the signs of rain.
Then, a threat came from Jezebel came and Elijah was discouraged. He wished for God to take his life.
“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4
Thankfully, that’s not where his story ended. Just then, an angel came and fed him.
Bro Elijah is back and prophesying God’s judgement on Ahab (the husband of Jezebel) for killing Naboth and taking his vineyard.
Tips for Mental Wellness in your Faith Journey
As Christians and humans, in general, we sometimes face difficult situations in life, that would bring mental anguish, sorrow, deep sadness, and discouragement. The Biblical heros we look up to had their fair share. Let this comfort you that as God saw them through, he will see you through. They later got to the bright side of their lives. Jeremiah’s story did not end in Jer. 20. Elijah’s did not end in I Kings 19. Your story is not ending in this chapter yet.
Think about God’s faithfulness in time past. Record your victories so that when discouragement comes knocking, you can respond with receipts.
Be mindful of what you listen to and feed on.
Pray. Talk to God about your worries, your situations. I was surprised to find some research on the effect of prayer.
Prayer can reduce feelings of isolation, anxiety and fear as well.
A 2009 study showed that people who prayed showed significant improvement of depression and anxiety compared to the control group who had no prayer session.
When you need to, seek professional advice. Get counselling. See a therapist.
Remember that God cares for you and He has not brought you this far to leave you.
Note: The information on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this blog is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
P. S. Except where indicated, Bible verses are from the King James Version.
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