To those suffering from mental health issues: I can relate. More importantly: God knows and Christ is enough. He sees the darkness that surrounds you. He knows your deepest despair. He sees when anxiety threatens to strangle you. And He knows when you are tormented by intrusive thoughts.
A mental health issue paints a very dark picture. And you carry that picture on your back, You feel it weighing you down like a ton of bricks. I can relate. I’ve been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD etc, There are days when it feels like an effort just to breath, let alone do something or care for my kids. Every single day I felt this weight I carried around and that I was alone in this, until I found a treasure.
The treasure is Christ. He is called our Living Hope. Yes, even when everything feels hopeless. He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Yes, even when life feels like an eight-wheeler sitting on our head. He is called the Alpha and Omega. Yes, even when our future seems unsure. He is called the Good Shepherd. Yes, even when it seems like everyone else abandoned us.
I always say, when two people fall into the river, one must at least be a good swimmer. Otherwise their both in trouble. Sadly, this is not the case with all people. Even people with no mental health conditions are still broken and fallible. They have human limits. So it’s a good things Jesus walks on water, right?
I’m not trying to argue that mental health can now somehow be this very fluffy and light thing to carry around. But you were never meant to carry life alone! God never promises us a life free from trouble. But He does promise that He will never leave or forsake us. And when we trust in Him as the Son of God (the only One who can save us), our eternal destination is taken care of.
We just have the responsibility to accept His grace. And grace He gives in abundance. I cannot testify enough how God has been carrying me with His grace this entire time.
The problem with mental health conditions, are the lies that it feeds our minds. I remember when I was so depressed that I wanted some retail therapy. I bought the stuff, but I was never happy about it. With OCD, I am tormented by these what-ifs and it increases my anxiety. Anxiety makes you feel like you are dying. And depression makes you feel like nothing has a purpose anymore. But those are just lies.
The Word of God is our manual for life. It’s not there to give a solution to every single problem or take away all our troubles. But it does give us a manual on a relationship with Christ. He is the One holding our hand through this. Yes, we go for counselling. Yes, we take medication. Yes, we try relaxation techniques. And those truly work, but unless we have Christ as our foundation, the mental health conditions will drag us further down a dangerous spiral.
Speaking of spiral and lies – in psychology I have learned that the mind creates pathways and if those pathways exist long enough, that will be your minds default. Psychology does help us to understand the mind better. But we also need to understand who’s behind these lies. Yes, satan. The enemy. He is the father of lies and he will tell you anything to bring you down…until you take your own life.
This is my call to everyone suffering from mental health issues, even those who are just going through a hard time right now: Christ is enough! He’s the Father to those who have been abandoned by people who were supposed to love them. He’s the strength to those who feel like they can’t go on anymore. He’s the joy to those who are drowning in despair. He’s the One holding your hand right now.
We live in an imperfect world, but Jesus is perfect. He never fails. He never leaves or forsakes us. I know it’s hard to even have a glimpse of hope in the midst of these mental health conditions. But that’s why Christ is our Living Hope. A Hope that never dies. This is my call to you to take a stand in this whirlwind and grab the hands of Jesus. We need Him. Let Him carry you through this. Let Him be the true remedy. Let His Words council you with the truth. Let His peace that surpasses all understanding, melt away your anxiety.
Take a stand and let Him carry you. He is waiting with open arms.
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