Theology Of Mental Health 05 | Following Jesus Through Pain
Introduction—Mental Health in the Biblical Story.
Mental health is not something that humans created or discovered in the modern world. Mental health is deeply rooted in the ancient biblical story. Mental health and every bit of human flourishing was God's design. He created well-being. He created our minds. He created our emotions. He created relationships. He created us to be in a relationship with him. To understand mental health, we have to understand God's intent for creation and the story of mental health within the biblical story.
The Bible tells a story of mental health from Genesis through Revelation. There is a mental health meta-narrative in scripture. From the story of creation to the fall to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the story of well-being threads through the Bible.
Within this meta-narrative are three significant moments.
After walking through a theology of mental health, it is important to end this series with how this should inform and form the way that we live as followers of Jesus.
How do we follow Jesus through mental health challenges?
The answer to this question is practical, conceptual and hopeful. And the answer to this question should ultimately lead us to a place of wisdom, understanding and freedom from shame.
Mental Health & Following Jesus
Now that we understand the meta-narrative of mental health in the story of the Bible, I would like to draw a few conclusions about mental health and following Jesus. In light of the storyline of mental health in the Bible—from creation to the fall to redemption—what does it look like to have a healthy understanding and relationship with our mental health as followers of Jesus?
Here are a few important conclusions…
Jesus was not immune to pain in a post Genesis 3 world. He was overwhelmed to the point of death and sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. He wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. He was betrayed by one of his friends Judas. And he was brutally murdered by crucifixion on a cross taking the punishment for human sin as the innocent Son of God. Jesus knows pain on every level. He understands your pain. And he experientially empathizes with your pain.
Jesus followers are not immune to pain in a post Genesis 3 world. We experience suffering in this world like Jesus. Romans 8 tells us that we experience present suffering and sometimes we groan in our suffering longing for the day that we will fully be redeemed. Suffering is not God's plan. And yet, God can do good even through our suffering. That is the story of the cross. And that is our story in suffering. No person desires to suffer. And all of us desire for suffering to end and this broken world to be fully redeemed. In this already-not yet space that we live in, we also realize that God is present and at work in our lives in the midst of suffering.
Jesus followers can follow Jesus and experience a mental health condition. Because suffering is a reality, we sometimes experience suffering in our mental health. For various reasons, we may at times struggle with anxiety or depression or relational wounds or trauma or burnout or overwhelming stress. We should not feel spiritual guilt for struggling with our mental health. A mental health condition is not a lens through which we should judge a person's spiritual health. The truth is that mental health challenges are a normal part of suffering in a broken. You should never feel spiritual shame for struggling with your mental health.
Jesus followers can experience a gradual renewal and restoration of our well-being. When we reconcile with Jesus our relationship with God is reconciled. When we reconcile with Jesus our relationship with God's design is reconciled. We get to participate in the renewal of our mind, emotions, relationships and relationship with God. Meaning, we get to proactively invest in our mental health. That is a step that all of us should take in following Jesus. Discipleship to Jesus is holistic. Every part of us God designed. Therefore, every part of us should be valued and invested in as we follow Jesus.
Jesus is the safest and most compassionate relational home to process our mental health pain. Jesus understands pain physically, mentally and emotionally. He also feels deep compassion in his very nature. He invites us when we are weary and burdened to come to him and find rest for our souls. We can process all of our internal pain in prayer to him. He is safe. And he cares. You have permission to talk to him honestly about your pain.
Jesus' church should be a safe and compassionate community for followers of Jesus to find support in our mental and emotional pain. The church should be a reflection of Jesus. We understand pain. We believe that the painful crucifixion of Jesus is the heart of our message of hope and salvation. Therefore, we should be a place of support for people in pain, reflecting the gospel message and the heart of God. The church is the place of redemptive hope in a world full of pain. And we all need people. Pain is too hard to navigate alone. Reaching out for support and help is one of the most healthy steps we can take in healing. And the church should become the safest community for people in pain.
Hope for Mental Health
Making the connection between mental health and following Jesus brings us hope. In this intersection, we find hope in three ways.
We find hope in normalization. You are not alone. All of human history has felt deep soul pain and mental health struggles. And Jesus, himself, felt deep mental and emotional pain on earth.
We find hope in redemption. God cares about you and is with you through your suffering. He is present with you as you walk through suffering in this world. You have the suffering savior with you. And he understands experientially what you are going through.
We ultimately find the depth of hope in the very essence of hope—Jesus. Jesus is our hope. And Jesus invites us to a relational place of hope in him.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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” - Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
There Are Better Days Ahead.
Much Love + Peace,
Wesley Towne, Founder