Your Mental Illness Doesn’t Mean You Lack Faith

Matthew 11:28 is one of my favorite verses to read when I’m struggling with my mental health (I love how the CEB version phrases it).

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for years. I’ve been in and out of therapy, and I’m currently on medication (I’m still trying to find one that works). It’s been especially rough the past few months. My mental health has caused other health issues, so I spent months in pain, both physically and emotionally.

I’ve heard all the cliché things people say about mental health.

“If you were really a Christian, you wouldn’t have those problems.”

“Have you really asked God to take away your depression and anxiety?”

“Just cheer up!”

And my favorite: “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle!”

For some of these, I know people mean well. But if you suffer from mental health issues, you understand why they’re not helpful. In fact, the last one isn’t even true.

Knowing God doesn’t exclude you from normal human emotions and health issues. If becoming a Christian took away these problems, why wouldn’t everyone have faith?

You can be a Christian and still struggle with anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, and any other mental health issue you can think of. And that’s okay.

(By the way, do y’all even realize how many people from the Bible struggled with these problems? SO MANY. Yet, that somehow gets overlooked.)

If you don’t hear this from anyone else, please hear me:

Your mental illness does not mean you don’t have enough faith.

Your mental illness does not mean you don’t really know God.

Your mental illness is not God’s way of punishing you.

Your mental illness can’t always be solved through prayer and Bible study (not to say these things can’t help).

Oh, and God will give you more than you can handle. Otherwise, why would we need Him?

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that God sees me even when I’m at my worst. He loves me. He’s right there beside me. I am never alone. Most of the time, especially when it gets really bad, it’s easy to forget that, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

And the same is true for any of you who struggle. He sees you and feels your pain. He’s beside you every step of the way, even when you don’t feel Him. He actually wants to hear from you during those times. It doesn’t bother Him. He wants you to lean on Him, even when you can’t believe things will get better.

And I know firsthand that it can be so difficult to believe it can actually get better.

God never promised things would be easy, but He did promise that He would never leave us during those times. Only He can give us the rest and the peace we need.

Here are just a few more verses to hopefully provide more encouragement:

Isaiah 41:10

“So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Philippians 4:6–7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 46:1–3

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

(This was originally published on Medium.com)