MENTAL HEALTH & THE CHURCH
MENTAL HEALTH & THE CHURCH
By: Jack Guyler
The question that is often asked is, “Should the Church Talk about Mental Health?” My answer is an emphatic YES. And here’s why. It is a serious topic facing many people and families in our world. If the church is going to bring the healing and help that Jesus wanted it to do, then the church must at least talk about it. Mental health affects both those who attend church and believe in Jesus as well as people who aren’t religious or who may even be atheists. But everyone needs help because at some point, everyone deals with some sort of mental health challenge.
As a follower of Jesus, I believe the Good News in the Gospels is the best news! It is the ultimate path to healing. It is the way to know the God who has created us and has come to save us from ourselves and from the sin that holds us in bondage to things that harm us and can destroy us. And as someone once said, we can find healing apart from Jesus, but never complete and full healing. Even Christians sometime forget that salvation is not only deliverance from the power of sin but wholeness for the whole person. This is why Jesus said we are to love God with our heart, mind, soul and strength. God is concerned about our whole self, not just in the narrow sense of our soul. This is why the church needs to offer itself to the mental health crisis. While the church is not an organization of professional counselors and therapists, it can certainly be a part of the healing process for people facing this crisis.
Unfortunately, the church hasn’t always responded well to the mental health crisis. Here are some of the false responses from the church:
Ignore it – pretend it doesn’t exist or that Christians are exempt from mental health issues
Lack of faith – some of the church says that if you have a mental health issue it’s because you don’t have enough faith
No response – some local churches don’t respond at all because they don’t think they have anything to offer to help in this crisis
Sign of weakness – if you say you have a mental health issue, then some in the church say you have a weakness. The message that is sent here is, “it’s ok and normal to have a broken leg, but not broken emotions.”
Shouldn’t be talked about – some feel mental health shouldn’t be talked about in the church just as some say sex or money shouldn’t be talked about
Here are some corrective responses the church should take concerning mental health:
Talk about it – the more the church talks about it, the more everyone, including people of faith, will see it’s quite normal to struggle with anxiety, depression or other mental or emotional challenges. It would further show the church isn’t afraid of it and that it doesn’t need to be treated like the plague. People don’t need to be shunned because they are dealing with mental health challenges. It would further open the door for people admitting they have challenges and would promote people seeking out help
Reduce the stigma – going along with the previous one, the more we talk about it and let people know it’s a real problem (it’s not just in your head), the more people will feel ok to talk about it, to feel normal and pursue help if needed. Hopefully we get to the point where people can talk about their mental health issues like they do their physical health issues
Love & Compassion – may the church come to the place where it shows the love of Jesus to people with mental health issues just like Jesus shows his love for all of us. The church above any other group is tasked with showing love and compassion to all people. Jesus loved the afflicted, the sinful, the outcasts and demon possessed. His love knew no boundaries. The church should do no less toward those with mental health challenges
Support – may the church make it a priority to help those dealing with mental health issues. This could look like devoting a message series to talk about mental health, develop support groups or small groups for people to share their struggles together or setting up a fund to help provide financial resources for people to get the professional counseling they need
May the church become the safe place where people with all types of challenges, including mental health challenges seek peace, comfort and both human and divine connection.
