Mental Health

I. Introduction

Pray

Re-cap of 5th Sundays

Focus on health related topics

Last time - physical health; this time mental health

Remember how God put us together

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

So we see that God took the ground, a physical material thing, and breathed life into it, the spiritual immaterial - then that combination created a unique creation…. Humans

The thing to note here is that we are both physical AND spiritual

That's why when we die, what happens to our body? Turns back into dirt

And what happens to our spirit? Goes back to an immaterial place where God dwells

Why does this matter for health?

It matters because we need to understand who we are; how we are built

We are not just a body, and we are not just a spirit - we are BOTH

And also within that combination, we also were given free-will, or the ability to think for ourselves - or in other words, our mental capacity

That’s what we’re focusing on today - Mental Health

II. Understanding Mental Health from a Biblical Perspective

Definitions

Mental health is a state of well-being that enables individuals to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well, work productively, and contribute to their community.

It's about how we think, feel, and behave.

Key aspects of mental health include:

Emotional well-being: How we manage our emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear.

Psychological well-being: How we think about ourselves and the world around us.

Social well-being: How we interact with others and build relationships.

Transition - So our mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social behaviors, feelings, and tendencies; which is all part of the complete person that God created

Body, Mind, and Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Sanctify you completely”

The word “sanctify” broadly means to be set apart as sacred; or in other words, holiness

In Gen 2:3, God “sanctified” the seventh day, meaning He set it apart as sacred.

In Leviticus, Yahweh tells the entire people of Israel to maintain being sanctified (Lev 11:44–45) through outlining biblical regulations for maintaining purity.

The New Testament similarly reflects the idea that followers of Christ have been sanctified or set apart as a result of Christ’s holiness (Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Thess 2:13).

Something important to note on this teaching is that a distinction is sometimes made between justification and sanctification

Justification refers to having saving faith in Jesus, and as a result, Christ’s holiness and righteousness covers us for our salvation

Sanctification refers to the process of gradual purification from sin and progressive spiritual growth that should mark the life of a true believer in Christ.

This doctrine of sanctification draws on New Testament passages that emphasize a move toward holy and righteous living that characterizes following Christ in faith (1 Thess 4:3–8; Rom 6:19–22)

So our works doesn’t save us, faith does.... but true faith without works is dead

Meaning that we are justified by our faith, but sanctified by living out our faith day by day..... moving toward a life that looks more and more like Jesus’

So when Paul writes in 1Thess 5:23 - that may God sanctify you completely - he is not just addressing our spirit (that is part of it), but he is emphasizing a life that is daily lived in pursuit of righteousness, holiness, and sanctification through following Jesus

So what we think, how we act, how we REact, how we INTERact, how we view others, our relationships, even how we feel - should all now be reoriented with Christ as the reference point

Constantly moving and growing .... sanctification

Testimony - <talk about when I first came to Jesus and things started to look different>

Transition - so when we reorient our perspective and how we live in reference to Jesus, it means addressing all the things in our life

III. The Reality of Stress, Anxiety, and Fear

Sad reality of mental health

The reality is, all of us struggle with mental health

To be clear, mental health is a broad term that spans a lot of different issues

So most of us might not have a mental illness per-se (some may), but I think its safe to say we all struggle with some kind of mental health issues at some point

Whether it be stress, anxiety, or fear - dealing with mental related issues are becoming more and more common in today’s world

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that anxiety disorders affect over 400 million people worldwide

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 million adults in the U.S. (around 18% of the population) experience anxiety disorders each year

COVID and the policies that surrounded COVID also poured gasoline on the issue:

A study published in the JAMA Network Open found that rates of anxiety and depression tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 31% of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and 27% reporting depressive symptoms

The American Psychological Association reported that nearly 91% of Gen Z adults (ages 18-23) reported experiencing physical or emotional symptoms due to stress.

Workplace Stress: The American Institute of Stress notes that 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, which can lead to serious health issues.

Now, the causes and severity of these cases are hotly debated, BUT what is clear is that mental health issues seem to be getting worse, not better

Transition - But this isn’t only a problem in today’s world

Biblical Examples

In the bible, we find some of the most faithful people experiencing stress, anxiety, and fear

For example David

The Psalms are full of David’s struggle with fear, anxiety, and stress

Psalm 34:4–6 ESV

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 55:4–5 ESV

4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.

David writes constantly of his struggle with fear, anxiety, and stress given his situations

But what you find in the Psalms are these lamentations, followed by rejoicing and peace found in the Lord - a picture of the reality of putting our trust in the Lord continuously through daily life

But the most surprising example of someone who experienced and battled mentally was Jesus Himself

As He was preparing to be arrested, tortured, persecuted, and then ultimately executed in the most horrific way - He went into the Garden at Gethsemane to pray...

Matthew 26:36–44 ESV

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

In Luke’s account, he adds that Jesus was praying so hard that He was sweating droplets of blood

Luke 22:44 ESV

44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Now, you might think that sweating blood is some supernatural occurence, but it can actually happen...

Hematidrosis is a rare, but very real medical condition where blood vessels near the sweat glands rupture and make its way out of the pores. It can be caused by extreme physical or mental stress

Jesus is no stranger to the hardships of emotional pain and mental battles

The bible is so open, honest, and real about the realities of life.... that is one of the big reasons why I believe it to be true.

If you were going to make stuff up, you wouldn’t write that Jesus was struggling with His mission to become the sacrifice for all. You wouldn’t write that the great king David was scared, fearful, and experienced so much sorrow

But the bible openly and unabashedly accounts these real-life events in all its truth and realness

Transition - but as real as the issues are described, the solution is also made very clear

IV. Faith as a Tool for Renewal

Like a doctor diagnosing the problem, describing the issue, and prescribing a treatment - the Word of God also gives us a prescription for mental health battles

If we were sitting in the doctor’s office, the prescription scribbled on the notepad would look something like this...

Philippians 4:4–9 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So what we can extract as practical things we can do to battle mental health are:

Prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving

Think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise

And practice the things we learned, received, and heard in the Scriptures

Rejoice and trust in the Lord

Prayer

The #1 solution to battling any sort of mental health issue is PRAYER

Prayer is the starting point

Opening communication with God is where everything will flow out of, like floodgates on a dam

Our God is a living God; active in our lives

The Holy Spirit is with us always - sometimes we might feel alone, but never alone again

And God is omniscient ; meaning there is nothing He doesn’t know about

That allows us to be open, honest, and vulnerable with our prayers

And when we do, it opens up a dialogue with God

Not just us speaking, but God speaks to us

And as we pray, we reorient our minds and our spirit toward reliance on God

Like a child coming to their parents for direction, safety, and protection - we can cast all our anxieties, stresses, worries, emotions, and fears up on Him, and He will shield and protect us

Psalm 28:7 ESV

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

We usher in His presence in our current situation, our current battle

Transition - and when we rely on Him, when we communicate with Him, when we reorient our perspective in relation to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in our minds and our spirits; there’s a shift that happens

Setting your mind on God

When we are in prayer and when we are keeping God at the center of our life - it redirects our minds to things of God

The Scriptures constantly direct us to set our minds on things that are of God

In Phil. 4:8 Paul writes to think about things that are honorable, true, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise

In 1 Peter 5:8 - "Be sober-minded; be watchful."

In Romans 12:2 - "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

In Colossians 3:2 - "Set your minds on things that are above."

Part of battling mental health issues is occupying your mind with things that are good, as opposed to things that are harmful

Although many thoughts are automatic, we can largely control what we set our minds on - it mostly comes from what we choose to occupy our time and what we choose to put our attention toward

What we choose to put our attention toward becomes what we think about

So if we are filling our time and our attention with worldly things - it becomes what we set our minds on

And not to say we shouldn’t think about worldly things, because that is a part of living

But there is a point where we become choked out by the weeds of this world

If we are constantly obsessing, thinking, and engulfed in things of the world, God gets put on the back burner and the gospel gets choked out in our life

To keep our minds on ‘things above’, we need to keep God front and center in our life

Hard to keep your mind on God if you don’t spend time with Him

Transition - Prayer is key to setting our mind on things above, but we also need to exercise self-control and discipline

Self-control

To occupy our attention and to keep your mind set on the things of God requires consistent habits

Reading the Word, staying away from things that harm our minds, bodies, and spirits

Living out faith in Jesus isn’t just a verbal thing, it requires action

To consistently and permanently shift to setting our minds on Jesus means we have to develop the self-control and discipline to intentionally spend time doing the things we learn, receive, and hear from the Scriptures

Saying you follow Jesus and living in a manner that is contrary to what the Word of God says, you can’t expect to reap the benefits

In the battle for our minds, our daily habits, actions, and what we choose to engage with becomes a critical piece to this process of sanctification

If we aren’t actively putting ourselves in an environment to grow spiritually, we weaken our ability to maintain a mentally healthy state

If what we are engaging with distracts, distorts, or re-directs us from what God deems is righteous; then we’ll find our minds will follow down that path

And best believe the enemy is trying to re-direct our habits, our attention, and our time with things that are not of God

1 Peter 5:7–8 ESV

7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Remember, mental health involves - emotional, psychological, and social well-being

Practicing the Way of following Jesus, living it out; will allow those areas of our life to grow, flourish, and improve

Like all things, following Jesus is not always easy, but its always worth it

Sometimes we have to battle our desires, our tendencies, and our lifestyle, in order to follow Him

Like a farmer, to see growth in the renewal of our minds, it requires some work - a farmer needs to plow the fields, water the ground, remove rocks and weeds from the field. But just like the crops that the farmer plants, working to follow Jesus always becomes fruitful.

Transition - But there is joy in this work - there is joy to serving God.... that is the last, but not least, step to this process - is to....

Rejoice and trust in the Lord

Gratitude and thanksgiving produce mental well-being

Psalm 28:6–7 ESV

6 Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

God gives us assurance in times of trouble

1. John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you..."

John 14:27 ESV

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

2. Isaiah 26:3 - "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you."

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Its all works together

Prayer, changing our habits, setting our minds on the things of Jesus - AND rejoicing and trusting in the Lord

What results is peace

Peace is defined as a state of tranquility or wholeness; or in Hebrew its shalom

To be at peace is synonymous with a healthy mental, emotional, psychological, and social well-being

Peace is the result of putting all our burdens, cares, anxieties, stresses, worries… up onto God, and submitting wholly to Him

We’ve all heard the fruits of the Spirit, but have you noticed the verse after?

Galatians 5:22–24 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

As we shift our lives, our minds, our actions, our behaviors, our INTERactions, and our REactions to rely on Jesus - we are crucifying our flesh, meaning we are putting our own thoughts, wants, behaviors, aside and submitting all of ourselves to be conformed to the Way of Jesus

And the results are the fruits of the spirit

V. Conclusion

I’ll close with this:

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, its ok to seek professional help

There are many professionals out there that deal with mental health issues that are centered on faith in Jesus

But the gospel, the good news, is not just the salvation of our soul - that would be good news enough!

But its also that, in Jesus, we can find refuge

Refuge not just from life’s situations, from bad things happening

But refuge even from the storms in our minds

He calls us, and gives us, a Way to live that can break the chains of mental health issues - that has the power to change people for the better

The invitation is that we now have a foundation, a reference point, to live in a way that allows us to grow into better human beings

To be sanctified and transformed - through the renewal of our mind, renewal of our bodies, and renewal of our spirits

Closing Prayer