Am I Still a Believer if I am Struggling with my Mental Health?
Am I still a believer if I am experiencing mental health struggles? Has God abandoned me?
Some denominations or theologians will have you believe that all mental health struggles are struggles with sin or the demonic. The Bible does not confirm this and in fact, points to a different truth.
While “mental health” is a modern concept, the Bible often addresses the different struggles that make up our mental health. Instead of using the term “mental health”, it often addresses the heart and the mind as the root of our thoughts and what we would consider to be “mental health” in our modern vernacular.
“Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:27), “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5) and “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3) all refer back to the ancient understanding of mental health.
Each of these verses also refers back to God as the one who ultimately helps us with our heart & mind struggles. How did God help others in scripture when they were experiencing challenges? Did He call out their sin?
In 1 Kings 19, after God performed miracles through Elijah, Elijah says, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, I am no better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4) Does God respond to Elijah’s suicidal ideations with condemnation and rebuke? Not at all! Instead, God provides Elijah with comfort and support in the form of an angel, and then even speaks directly to him to press him towards the goal. (1 Kings 19:5-18) Elijah’s thoughts of depression and suicidal ideation did not separate him from God, but actually brought God closer.
Can anyone doubt Elijah’s faith? After proving God’s power as his prophet to Ahab, Jezebel and the Israelites on Mount Carmel, Elijah’s godliness is clear and proven. Yet, he faced depression to the point of suicidality, and God did not give up on him. Is he the only case of God responding this way in scripture?
After killing an Egyptian and fleeing, God calls Moses from a burning bush to lead his people out of slavery and under the yoke of the Egyptians. Unlike Elijah, we clearly know that Moses is a sinful man. Yet, how does God respond to Moses’ anxiety? Does he chastise him for his fears?
In Exodus 3 & 4, God responds to all of Moses’ fears and anxieties, not with confirmation of his sinfulness and inadequacy, but with ways that show He is adequate and will be with him. Not only does God not chastise Moses’ anxiety in condemnation, but He continuously reminds him that He will be with him and to trust Him. He even provides Moses with a mouthpiece, in the form of his brother, Aaron, to alleviate Moses’ anxieties and provide the support that he needs. Moses’ anxieties follow him throughout his journey through the wilderness, but so does God’s presence and closeness to him.
Our mental health struggles do not disqualify us as believers. Instead, they give us an opportunity to turn to God and surrender to Him. He may not remove what is causing us pain, as he did not do with Moses or Elijah, but He will be present with us in our struggles and not leave us or forsake us.
We later see Moses & Elijah together at the transfiguration with Jesus on another mountain. (Matthew 17:1) Even in this moment, Jesus’ disciples felt fear and were terrified, falling facedown on the ground, after all they had already been through with Jesus! But Jesus called them not to be afraid, and look up to Him-when they did this, they saw only Jesus.
We, too, are called to look up to Jesus in our struggles to focus solely on Him. When we focus on Him, over our circumstances, He provides peace, comfort and support, just as He did with Elijah & Moses.
Our problems are not too big for Him, but if you find your mental health struggling, feel free to reach out to Rooted Willows Counselling for support.
