A Gospel Approach to Mental Health

Sometimes in life we choose to go our own way. We make our own choices and we get off God's path for our life. In 1 Chronicles 13, King David chose to go his own way when carrying the ark of the covenent back to his capitol. This led to the death of Uzzah. In 1 Chronicles 15, David is given another opportunity to get back on God's path. He does things the way God wants Him to and the ark is brought back safely. In your life, you may have strayed from God's path. Luckily, we serve a God who is willing to give us opportunities to get back on His path. If you are healing from a mental health challenge, then use this time as a reset for your life. Use that reset to play the role God has given you in life. This means using your talents to glorify Him and help others. Remember, as you heal others may want you to stay on the path you used to be on. Reevaluate these relationships and see if they match up with God's path for your life.

Nobody has physically seen God since the fall. However, as John writes, if we have God's love within us then we can show others the love of God.

Life becomes difficult when we choose to follow Jesus. He promises this. However, when we choose each and every day to take our crosses and follow Him, there are amazing things that can happen in our lives. He uses the bad experiences and pain for the benefit of others. He takes into places we never dreamed of going and doing things we never dreamed we could do. Following Jesus is not easy, but it is worthwhile because we are able to reach our full potential through Him.

We live in a culture where we like to exhault ourselves. This is opposite of God's kingdom, where being humble is valued.  Perhaps there is nothing more humbling than living with a mental illness. By using the humbling experiences brought by living with a mental illness, God can raise you up.

Often we feel like God is not there for us in the midst of our personal storms. We only see that He was there with us after the storm is over. Much like a wind storm occuring at night. We know God is there, but do not see His impact until the light of day dawns. Instead of waiting to see God after the storm, we need to turn our eyes up during the storm to see that He is in control.

There is a great deal of stigma associated with mental illness. This can come from family members, friends, the church, or our jobs. This podcast is designed to provide those with a mental illness a daily dose of hope from God's Word. This first episode strengthens those who have faced stigma due to a mental illness to understand that those who perpetuate the stigma are in need of a change of heart. Pray for those who do not understand mental illness. Live on mission for Christ and you will start conversations with those who do not understand mental illness.

God told Joshua three times in Joshua 1 to be strong and courageous as he went into the promised land. We need to be strong and courageous as we face life's challenges as well. Luckily, God goes before us as we deal with troubles caused by having a mental illness. When our strength is weak, we can depend on Him because He has gone before us.

Often we wonder what our purpose happens to be in life. As Christians we understand that we are on this planet to serve God and to serve other people. This purpose is a lot harder to put into practice. Fortunately, God is there to provide us with help. As Paul writes in Romans 8:32, the God who sacrificed His Son for our benefit will not stop helping us throughout our lives.

Sometimes we feel like we are suffering for no reason. We can become bitter toward life or bitter toward God. In fact, we can become so bitter that it becomes our identity. But that is not how God sees us. If we take the time to step out of our temporary suffering, we can see that God has a plan for us. The story of Naomi from the Book of Ruth is a good example of how God can use suffering and pain as part of His plan for humanity.

God can still use you for His purposes on earth even though you have a mental illness. Jesus states that a man who is born blind was not blind because of his sin or the sin of his parents. There is a reason why you have a mental illness, but it is not because of sin in your life or the life of your parents. You have your mental illness so you can be used by God. This should be a relief to you!

This episode is about why the ministry is called James 2:18. It looks at the verse in the context of the current treatment of those with a mental illness by the wider church. James spoke here about faith being demonstrated via works. This is not a salvation issue. Instead, this is an opportunity for those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ to demonstrate their faith by their actions. This includes helping those with a mental health problem. Additionally, tips are provided for those who have a mental health problem and may have been mistreated by the church in the past. God loves them. An action step toward God may be just what you need to help heal you of your mental health problem.