Christianity and Mental Health
Hey, you’re a Christian.
You’re not supposed to be depressed.
The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Man, your faith must be weak.
You just need to pray more.
Ever had someone tell you that? It hurt, didn’t it? Almost broke you, in fact. Left you feeling confused. Frustrated. It left you wondering about yourself. It left you wondering whether your faith really is weak. It left you wondering whether you really are a Christian. You may have even wondered if God cares. Or if He’s mad at you. Or if He even exists.
Hi, I’m Dr. K Martin also known as Dr. K. I’m both a child and adolescent psychiatrist and general psychiatrist based in the Southeast. My goal with these brief posts is to provide you with quick and easy access to information about mental health. Now, I thought about titling today’s session “spirituality and mental health,” but I have little personal experience with religious or spiritual backgrounds outside of Christianity, so I decided to stick with what I know.
My background is in Christianity, so this message is specifically directed to those who belong to the Christian faith. Now, I do think that anyone could potentially find some benefit in listening to this talk, so if this topic interests you, then I invite you to stick around. Still, keep in mind, I am neither clergy nor your personal mental health provider, so before implementing any of the tips suggested in this talk, please consult your own clergy and mental health provider.
Okay, so Christians, I am offering this information to you as a sister in Christ who is also a psychiatrist. And this is what I believe to be true — following Christ does not automatically exempt you from struggles with mental illness. Let me say that again — following Christ does not automatically exempt you from struggling with mental illness. I’ve never read that in the scriptures.
Let’s look at John 16:33. Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Now, first we need to note that Jesus wants us to have peace and says that in him, you will have peace. But read the next line — in this world, you will have trouble. Now how many of you can testify to that. Raise your hand if you have experienced trouble in the world. Everybody. Everybody. And you’re a Christian. You are not exempt from trouble. And trouble may come in the form of struggles with your mental health. That’s the truth, y’all. I’ve seen many a strong Christian— with faith to move mountains — that struggled with mental illness. That doesn’t mean that they are any less of a Christian. That just means they’ve got a big struggle. But they’ve also got a big God. Yes, indeed. Let’s look at the last part of that verse — back to John 16:33: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In Christ, we are overcomers. Overcomers. You and me. We — are overcomers. You may be saying — well, Dr. K, I’m in Christ and I’m not overcoming this mental illness, this mental illness is kicking my tail. Well, if you tell me that, I’m going to ask you some questions first.
My first question would be this: are you doing all the things you know to do to take care of your mental health? Really, are you? Let me tell you, most of the time, when I’m working with patients, I’m just reminding them to actually put into practice what they already know to do. Are you taking care of your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising? Are you avoiding the use of drugs, tobacco, or excessive alcohol that damage your health? If you have health conditions like high blood pressure or cholesterol, are you taking the medications as prescribed? Okay, if you can check a box by all of those things, and you’re still wrestling with symptoms of a mental illness, have you reached out to a health care professional. If not, you need to. Y’all, we have to check all the boxes and do what we know to do.
So, case in point — let's say a man is hungry. But this man is full of faith — he's got a lot of faith. Would it make sense for him to be sitting in the house with some bread, chicken, and sweet potatoes and say, “I’m waiting on God to take this hunger away?” Nah, bruh. Action is needed. God has richly provided the man with what he needs, but the man needs to get up, take advantage of the resources around him, and fix himself a plate. We have to take action to take care of our mental health. Don’t just sit there and wait for God to “heal you.” You need to take advantage of the resources God has provided to facilitate the healing.
Now, let me remind you of one of the many benefits of a being a Christian — you have an amazing God Who loves you, Who’s got your back one-hundred and wants the very best for you — and this very same God who created the sun, the moon, and the Aurora Borealis cares about you and your mental health. One of my favorite verses is 2 Chronicles 16:9 — “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God is on the lookout for You and wants to help you. But if you read the context around this verse is 2 Chronicles 16:9, you’ll see that a King was rebuked by God because He didn’t follow God’s plan but followed his own way and had to deal with the consequences.
And so, that brings me to another point. As a Christian, I believe that you have your best mental health when you align yourself with the purpose and plans that God has for your life. You may ask, “Well how do I do that?” And I’m going to stir up the Sunday School teacher within me and tell you this: get up and make meeting with Jesus the first appointment of your day. The very first thing in the morning--wake up and read your Bible. Wake up and pray every day and all throughout the day.
And, if you or a loved one are fighting mental illness, make sure to do the spiritual work of the fight. Wage warfare in the spiritual against the illness — dismantle any demonic strongholds that may have set itself up against you. In the name of Jesus, break every chain off of you. Speak that truth of the word that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Pray healing scripture over yourself. Pray God’s favor over you. And if you don’t know how to do this for yourself, find an intercessor or a spiritual leader who can.
Then after you’ve done all that you can do to demolish mental illness on the spiritual front, get with God and ask Him what the plan is for wrestling with this thing in the natural. Ask God what you need to do, where you need to go, who you need to see to overcome. Just ask Him. Then obey Him. Work the plan that He gives you.
Well, you may ask, how do I know the plan?” I can’t hear God. Well, first I’d suggest asking God to help you to discern His voice. And then I’d say read some books on just how to do that. Two I’d suggest are Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. Get with God and download your individualized plan on how to overcome mental illness in the natural. Once again, ask him what you need to do, where you need to go, and who you need to see to overcome. Then, move forward in faith, trusting that He is ordering your steps, directing your path, and going before you and making crooked places straight.
And let me make one very important point that brings us to the intersection of the spiritual and the natural world. Your tongue represents a crossroads — an intersection of the spiritual and the natural — what you speak with your tongue in the natural affects the spiritual which then affects the natural. What you speak with your tongue in the natural affects the spiritual which then affects the natural. Proverbs 18:21 says Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. As believers in Christ, we have all kinds of authority. Authority that we don’t even know we have. And as believers in Christ made in the image of God, your tongue has creative power. Be careful what you say about yourself in your struggle against mental illness. You are not bipolar. Bipolar is NOT your identity. You are a child of God who is struggling against bipolar disorder. You are not depressed. Depression is NOT your identity. You are a child of God who is struggling against depression. You are not crazy or psychotic. You are a child of God who is struggling against psychosis. You are not an anxious person. You are a child of God who is struggling against anxiety. Don’t undermine your healing. Don’t undermine your breakthrough with the careless use of your tongue.
Now — shifting gears — some of you may be wondering, If I’m a Christian, then how come God let me have this mental illness? And this is my answer — I DO NOT KNOW. I don’t know. But I’m going to tell you what I’ve studied in Scripture, what I’ve observed around me, and what I’ve experienced in my own life while seeking to follow God. Sometimes, God will allow trouble like mental illness to come into your life because He wants to give you an opportunity. He wants to give you an opportunity to know Him in a deeper way, and He wants to work in a very intimate way on your behalf. He wants to reveal some aspect of Himself to you that you would not know if you didn’t have this particular struggle. Sometimes it’s in the darkest of experiences that you can see the light of His love the best. Sometimes, it’s in the heaviest of struggles where we see God show up and show out. And I bet that there are many of you out there who can already testify to this. Now, there are other times, when God may allow trouble into our bubble — trouble like mental illness--because the world needs to see how a Christian is going to wrestle with the thing. Oftentimes, it’s our response to trouble that brings God the most glory. If — in the middle of wrestling with mental illness--you are still able to manifest the character of Christ, God is glorified. And if you are able to overcome mental illness and then turn around and help your brother who’s struggling with something similar, to God be the glory.
Now, the general approach to trouble that God has taught me so far is this:
When I perceive trouble, I immediately ask God to remove the thing. I want it gone. Sometimes, He’ll go ahead and remove the trouble and sometimes, He won’t.
So, then, if I realize or if God reveals to me that this trouble is here to remain for a season or two or three, then I’m going to invite God into the struggle with the trouble and ask Him, “Okay God, what is it that You want to do here? How should I respond in a way that will bring You glory?”
And then, I do my best to obey whatever He tells me. I know that if the trouble is here to stay for the season and for a reason, then God’s already equipped me to handle it. He has already got the right people in the right places to help me in the struggle. He’s already got the resources in place, I just need to keep my eyes open and seek them out.
And my final, final point is this: all outcomes ultimately belong to God. He has the final say. Even after you have done all you can do in the fight against mental illness, outcomes still belong to God. You’ve got to settle that in your soul real good. God is sovereign, and He will carry out His purposes. And the outcome you intended — the one you hoped for — may not be the one you get. But, rest assured, God is with you and always will be, no matter what. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. But you have to trust Him with the outcome. And ask Him to help you be okay with whatever the outcome is. Ask God for the ability to remain in His peace, as crazy as that may sound. Ask Him for the ability to say, “It is well,” no matter what. Ask Him for the ability to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” Because, in the end — there is a purpose and plan greater than you and me both. And in the end, God will get the glory. And in the end, we will know and see and realize for a fact that our light and momentary troubles have achieved for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Folks, let’s make it our business to understand mental illness and those who struggle against mental illness. I’m Dr. K, and this has been Mental Health | Plain Speak. And remember, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
