The Healing Game: Mental Healing

Mental health is one of the most critical and talked about subjects in our nation right now as it is estimated about 1 in 4 people suffer from a diagnosable mental health issue while 50% of people will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lives. Furthermore, an estimated 21 million adults have at least one depressive episode each year and the numbers are even more pronounced among teens and young people. 

The number one thing people struggle with according to all the research? ANXIETY.  

Does the Bible have anything to say or teach us when it comes to this important subject of mental health? It actually does give us some tools to navigate many of our mental health challenges. Things like anxiety, fear, depression, hopelessness, and feelings of being overwhelmed. These tools, along with other tools like counseling from mental health professionals, can help pave a way for healthier living. 

And here are two of the things we see in scripture:

1. Jesus himself had to navigate many of the mental health challenges that we do. Jesus experienced anxiety. He experienced feeling overwhelmed. He experienced pressure and stress. He experienced relational burdens. He experienced physical exhaustion, and he experienced the attacks of His adversary, the devil, who wanted to plant thoughts wrong and destructive thoughts in his mind. We see this in Matthew 4:1-11 when Jesus fasted for 40 days and the enemy comes to tempt him with thoughts and in his mind. How did Jesus overcome these attacks?

• He answered the attacks and lies of the enemy with THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD. "it is written," he would say over and over. The enemy tries to speak lies and create false realities, but the word of God grounds us in truth on who God is in His character, who we are, and all that God has secured for us in Christ. 

2. Other people in scripture, like the Apostle Paul, struggled with mental health challenges. Paul faced things like rejection, persecution, isolation, misunderstanding, imprisonment, and physical abuse (2 Corinthians 11:25-30). How did he keep strong mental health? He gives us a clue in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Paul reminds us that God has not abandoned us and left us alone. Instead He has given us three incredible things to constantly remember:

• POWER

• LOVE

• A SOUND MIND

As Raymond Boyd shared yesterday during the message when he faced intense anxiety and fear, he would take the word of God (specifically 2 Timothy 1:7) and would confess it out loud and remind himself, "God has given me the ability to do this. God is for more and not against me. God loves me and is with me in the struggle. God has not abandoned me. God has given me a sound mind and I can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." What happened was a peace and strength and grace came over him. Praise God that He can help us with our mental health challenges. Know we are here for you if you need any prayer, support or counsel. To see the entire message you can go here. 

We love and appreciate you!