7 Inspirational lessons for Christians Who Have Mental Health Issues

We often ask ourselves these questions when our or a loved one's mental health is affected. What does God require of Christians suffering from mental health issues?

How can Christians who have mental health issues stay strong in their faith?

The answer to these questions will vary from person to person, depending on personal beliefs and opinions.

Matthew 11:28–30

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Here are inspirational lessons for Christians who have mental health issues; keep in mind that you're not alone; there's hope!

1. Have faith and take action

Faith without actions is dead. The faith that we have isn't just faith, but faith put into action is faith in action. Even though you have faith, it might take a long time to realize the importance of practicing faith and having faith.

The mental illness you have is just that, an illness. It's not what defines who you are. Having faith alone can lead you to believe that your faith will be enough to overcome mental illness if you pray harder or do more faith practices such as bible study and church activities.

Noooo! Faith is just a tool to remind you of things bigger than yourself and the importance of always striving to improve your mind and body for Christ.

2. Have faith in God and not in faith alone

This disease has stripped so much from life — opportunities for friendships, dating relationships, time with family but through the experience with God, he can give you the strength to put faith into action. In times of trouble or illness, we seem to be looking for faith with action. We all want to know what practical steps we can take when feelings of depression have us down. But, the reality is that faith without actions is dead faith — it doesn't make a difference in our lives if we don't use it.

(Ephesians 2:8–9)

God’s Word says that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or work

3. Be kind and seek help

Our mental health needs are valid and deserve to be taken seriously by our friends, family members, faith communities, doctors, therapists. Unfortunately, sometimes faith and spirituality are used to stigmatize people with mental health issues. The faith that you were raised with taught us that faith and works go hand in hand.

Therefore, faith is a tool to remind us of things bigger than ourselves and the importance of always striving for improvement for Christ. Of course, faith isn't perfect, but it's not meant to be perfect- faith means having a relationship with God no matter how much we screw up.

4. Be careful who you share your faith with

Christians find it hard to talk about mental illness. They feel that their faith and beliefs are challenged by someone else's faith or mental illness. Some people believe that faith is enough to "cure" mental illness, but faith without actions is dead faith.

When someone has mental health problems, they need to avoid people who question everything they do or make jokes about it. If you're around these types of people all the time, there can be a lot of negativity surrounding your mental illness that can lead to problematic consequences.

It is advisable for Christians with mental health problems to stay away from people who think this is a big joke.

5. Always seek help

Remember," there is always a crack in everything, and that's how the light gets in."

Mental illness doesn't define you. It's just something you deal with daily. Seeking professional help is not a weakness; having mental health issues does not mean you're less of a person than anyone else. Getting treatment for your mind and body is not a bad thing — it's courageous.

6. Get treatment and take responsibility for your faith

It doesn't matter what faith you have; faith without actions is dead. Faith and work go hand in hand. So instead of focusing on faith alone, you can start to focus on faith with action by doing the following steps;

• Exercising (working out, cycling, morning run),
• Eating healthy (healthy foods),
• Studying the bible (mind and body health).
• Join an online support group where you can talk through stuff with other users who have had similar experiences

You may feel like you're fighting a losing battle against mental illness, which can cause feelings of depression, but faith isn't about being perfect — faith means having a relationship with God no matter how much we screw up.

7. Take it one day at a time

When things are tough for you, whether you are trying to figure out how to get out of bed some days, finding a new doctor, or just figuring life out, always have faith in Christ to help guide your way through the dark times and into the light. It would be best if you recognized your symptoms, so they don't take over your life.

Instead of trying to achieve "perfect faith," aim for progress instead. People with faith-related struggles should try not to get too caught up in perfectionism because it can be emotionally and spiritually harmful. Rather than using faith as an excuse not to try at all, people should use their faith to decide what they want their life goals to be — whether it's accomplished through faith doesn't change the fact that faith helps motivate them.

In Conclusion;

It is important to have faith and take action in your life. It can be difficult when dealing with mental health issues, but even more so if they are not addressed. It is also important to know that mental health and faith are not mutually exclusive. There is a way for you to have both, as well as your spirituality in general. The key here will be to find a balance between the two; make sure you take care of yourself mentally and physically so that your spiritual life can flourish too! You can be kind, seek help, share your faith carefully without fear of judgment or condemnation, consider treatment options for difficult symptoms, take responsibility for your thoughts and actions daily — all while maintaining your connection with God. It may seem counterintuitive, but it's an assurance that many people would say they've found success in this way! The key is finding a balance between our spiritual lives and practical realities so that neither becomes overwhelming. So, how do you relate mental health and faith?