The Intersection of Faith and Mental Health

It’s hard to be a person with mental health challenges—especially in many faith communities. 

When anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses are interpreted as a lack of faith or insufficient prayer, it creates shame around an already difficult struggle. 

I’ve seen a lot of positive change in the Church regarding mental health perceptions, but there’s also still a lot of stigma and shame. 

In many communities, Scriptures about not being anxious are used to condemn, rather than comfort, those who struggle. 

What if, when Jesus said not to be anxious, He was issuing an invitation into help and health and healing—rather than using a weapon of shame yielded against those suffering? 

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 

To me, these verses don’t read as a condemnation. Rather, they read as a comfort for people with anxiety. God isn’t disappointed with the anxious; He’s offering them supernatural peace and comfort! 

Just as we’d get treatment for a broken wrist or stomach bug, we deserve to receive care for our mental health. Just as we’d respond to people with auto-immune diseases by showing compassion and empathy, we can do the same for people struggling with mental illness. 

Wrestling with your mental health doesn’t make you less holy. It doesn’t mean you haven’t tried hard enough. 

It just means you’re a human with challenges—like everyone else. 

So, you can get the help you need without feeling embarrassed. 

Get the therapy. Pray for peace. Take the medication. Practice the self-care strategies. Share with people who can love and support you. Experience God’s supernatural comfort. 

Jesus came so we could be whole again—in body, mind, and spirit. You don't have to forsake the wholeness He offers because of shame or stigma.