A Christian’s Perspective On Mental Ill-Health

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I hear in the news of many people committing suicide, from pastors to young children, which is not supposed to happen. Mental health illness is real, and it is not a respecter for persons. Anyone can suffer from mental ill-health. Often, people suffer from mental ill-health in silence, and they don’t reach out to anyone out of shame in most cases. 

What Is Mental Ill-Health? 

Mental ill-health issues affect a person’s thinking, feeling, behavior, and mood. These conditions impact day-to-day living; These cognitive issues can be short-term conditions or long-term chronic conditions. 

Mental health conditions can range from behavioral disorders such as depression, anxiety, fear, worry, and compulsive behavior. 

Causes Of Mental Ill-Health

Abuse

Trauma

Experiencing discrimination

Sever stress

Long-term physical health

Social relationships (friends, leaders)

Negative thoughts

My Battle With Mental Ill-Health

My battle with mental health issues started in 2012 and lasted until 2020. I suffered silently with severe fear, anxiety, bouts of depression, and suicidal thoughts (very short-term) for eight years. 

My mental health issues were caused by a social relationship (a friend) who kept repeating a particular phrase over and over to me. She would say it in a joking manner, but my mind was processing it, and before long, it became a stronghold in my mind. This message repeated to me was what started my mental health issue. As a Christian, I believe the enemy got hold of that thought in my mind and used it against me, and this was because I believed what was said to me. 

This traumatic experience made me build defense mechanisms around me, such as fear, anxiety, worry, and depression. These emotions had the best of me and controlled my day-to-day activities. I lost opportunities because of this; I lost friendships because of my mental health issues; I became a recluse. All I did was go to work and come home. I did not have a social life. 

I knew something was wrong with me, something was not right with me, but I was not sure how to overcome it. I also knew I wanted to talk to someone about what I was feeling and thought about seeing a therapist, but I did not make a move to see one; for some reason, I did not feel the urgency to seek help. God was working behind the scenes. 

In 2015, I began having suicidal thoughts and planning how I would do the unthinkable. One faithful day, as I was deep in thought and figuring out how I wanted to end my life, I heard The Lord say to me verbatim, “What do you think you are doing? You have work to do” after that day, all thoughts of suicide left me; praise The Lord!!

But, I still suffered from fear, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and being comfortable in my “comfort zone.” Fast forward to 2020 – when my depressive mood was becoming unbearable. I would wake up one day ready to conquer the world and wake up the next day feeling down and not wanting to do anything. It was an awful feeling; you feel stuck and not motivated to do anything productive. I cried out to God and asked Him, “Father, why do I feel this way?” Immediately God responded to me and said, “Renew your mind,” my spirit immediately recognized that is what I am to do. 

I got some bible scriptures and started praying them over myself. Here are the bible scriptures that I prayed over myself that helped heal me.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV) 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

to be made new in the attitude of your minds (Ephesians 4:23 NIV)

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2 NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5 NIV)

“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:10 NIV)

These bible verses worked miracles in my mental health healing. I prayed them over myself and my mind multiple times a day. The Holy Spirit led me to pray and fast and listen to encouraging words, and all that culminated in my healing from my mental health issues. 

I am healthy, and by the grace of God, I am healed and an advocate for mental health issues. It is not a pleasant thing to experience because it can control your life and drive you to hurt yourself in severe cases. 

God is Sovereign, and God is Love

I have heard of cases where Christians think that you are immune to mental health issues if you are a Child of God. That is far from the truth. I love God with all my heart, and my relationship with God is the closest it has been; but I did suffer from mental health issues, but God healed me. 

Some Christians think that you do not have to take medication if you suffer from mental health issues. If you think like that, then you are putting God in a box. God can work to heal you in any way that He wants. In the bible, when Jesus was healing people, He sometimes healed supernaturally, and other times He healed with the aid of a physical thing. That is how God will also heal two people suffering from mental health issues differently. He might heal subject A supernaturally through prayers and fasting, and He might heal subject B through physical means such as medication or therapy. It is for The Lord to determine the best means to heal someone. All we have to do is pray and fast and receive the revelation from God on what to do. 

Here Is A Personal Story On Healing Not Related To Mental Health

I had a condition called Pica where I will crave ice all day long, and I find myself chewing ice every thirty minutes. This habit was terrible for my teeth, and I had no idea what it was doing to my health. For over a year, I struggled with this condition, and I will pray that God will heal me from this condition. I was expecting supernatural healing, hoping that one day I will wake up and the craving will disappear (it did not disappear). One afternoon, as I was taking ice out of the ice tray, I prayed to The Lord, asking Him to heal me and that chewing the ice will damage my teeth, and I did not know what the ice was doing to my body. The next day, I found myself researching a topic and somehow found myself reading about Pica and iron. I was blown away by what I read and knew that The Lord had answered my prayer. The next day I went to my local pharmacy and bought over-the-counter iron pills and started taking them, and one month later, I noticed my craving for ice has ceased. To this day, I have not craved a single piece of ice. 

So I say this to say that, Sometimes, as Christians, we are waiting for The Lord to heal us supernaturally, for our diseases to disappear, but God will sometimes heal us with a physical aid. Pray and ask God to heal you, but be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading to what direction He will show you to receive your healing. 

Pray And Be Led By The Holy Spirit

I pray that you will let The Holy Spirit Lead you if you suffer from mental health issues. If The Lord leads you to seek help from a therapist or counselor, please do not hesitate to take that step. If The Lord heals you and takes the illness away from you supernaturally, thank Him. Whether God heals you through medication or supernaturally, still thank Him for all, He has done for you. 

Fear is what grips a lot of us. That is one way that the enemy controls the children of God. Fear is a mental health issue that controls your mind and your life. But The Lord said, He has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of sound mind, but in our fallen world, a sound mind seems illusive. Meditate and pray this bible verse over yourself daily. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV) 

If you are going through mental health issues, we are here to help you. Please contact us at lnjlifecoaching@gmail.com.

If you are having suicidal thoughts and need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Available 24 hours – 800-273-8255

Have you experienced mental health issues? 

How did you get healed?