Mental health.
What do you think when you hear those words? What feelings are coming up for you? Are they pleasant or painful, comfortable or confusing? What images does your mind see? A psych ward, a therapist’s sofa, antidepressant drugs, memories of someone close to you who committed suicide?
If a friend shares with you that she is seeing a therapist and taking medication for bipolar disorder, does that change how you see her? If your neighbor—a super good guy, faithful dad, and an honorable veteran—tells you that he struggles with PTSD and has been under the care of a psychologist with thoughts about ending his life, can you still comfortably let your kids play in his backyard?
If I asked you to send me a text right now describing your physical health, you’d do a good job touching on key indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol level, diet, exercise, sleep and maybe symptoms of aging or illness or perhaps disability. It would all come quickly and comfortably for you as normal conversation.
How does that compare if I ask you to describe your mental health? Would that come as quickly and comfortably for you? Do you even know the key indicators of mental wellness or unwellness, and the difference between a mental disorder, disease or daily normal struggle?
As a parent, are you aware how you are teaching your child about his or her mental wellness, or unwellness? Your choices for discipline, your tone of voice, your household habits, and your own use of screens and technology may be helping or hurting the mental health of your child.
When the Bible says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27), it is calling you to love your Savior Jesus who loves your mind, loves your mental health, loves all of you.
Jesus loves your mental health struggles, in grace he loves to forgive your mental health failures, with his presence he loves holding you and carrying you through mental disorder or dysfunction. Jesus loves your family, and your role in your family, and the care and support you’re trying to give to someone who struggles with mental health.
Jesus loves you with all his “heart” of compassion and mercy.
Jesus loves you with all his “soul,” his very life being received into his Father’s hands when he died for your sins.
Jesus loves you with all his “strength,” exerted three days after he died, powering out of death into a new, glorious life where he is Lord over all your fears, all your anxieties, all your depression, all of your mind.
So, love him with your mind—your mental health. He loves it.
PRAYER: Jesus, your heart, your soul and your strength love me without condition, inviting me into your grace and forgiveness. I invite you into my mind and my mental health, which is sometimes well, and other times not well at all. Save me there. Help and heal me there. I trust in your love. Amen.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Watch more about the love of Jesus for your mental health, the dangers of some common misunderstandings, a definition for mental health and how Jesus enters it, and a book recommendation in his message from Pastor Daron https://youtu.be/p85HZ4ON9Fg?si=CBqiXdkYnxcxOqiT.
