Approaching Mental Health Like Jesus Would
By Jessica Brodie
Mental illness is a huge problem in our society. It’s probably always been a problem, but numbers show it’s growing right now at an alarming rate. Part of this growth might be from awareness—we simply know more and are talking more about it, so more people are starting to get the help they need.
And we do need help. Look around at what we face on a daily basis, from rage and addiction to the almost-constant distractions surrounding us. Many of us not getting the social support we so desperately crave, and technology has made it ever easier to isolate, whether intentionally or not.
Our family has had to work extremely hard to address mental illness with our youngest daughter, and she has come such a long way. A lot of this had to do with help she has received over the years from counselors, doctors, and medication, but equally as important has been the hard work she has done emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually to try to manage her moods so she doesn’t spiral into disaster.
What might Jesus say today about all this? While he did not specifically address depression, anxiety, and other mental and emotional issues, he said a lot about how we should live and care for ourselves, both through his words and his actions. We know that Jesus, as the Son of God, was both God and human, “Word became flesh” (John 1:14 NIV). Therefore, even though he was perfect, Jesus was also very much human. I think he understood what it meant to struggle with emotions and mood swings and temptations.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at five ways Jesus protected his own mental health:
1. Jesus took time away from other people for himself
Sometimes today we feel like we need to be everything for everybody. We’re always accessible on our cell phones, always reachable, and we have trouble saying no to demands of our time even when we’re exhausted.
One thing that can be so important is quiet time alone by ourselves, whether that is for prayer, exercise, or contemplation and meditation. Jesus modeled this throughout his ministry. Many times, his disciples would be looking for him only to find out he had gone off alone to pray. The night before his arrest, he made time to go off and pray alone in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus worked hard teaching, preaching, and healing, and I’m sure it was exhausting. Along with this, he showed us that it is perfectly OK and, in fact, a very good thing to go off to connect with God, thereby reconnecting with ourselves.
As the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
2. Jesus expressed his feelings
Jesus had feelings, and he expressed them, showing us it is healthy and right to do so. Yet sometimes, we humans bottle up our emotions inside. We think it’s a sign of weakness to show we feel things, to let other people know when we are sad or scared or angry. But repressing emotions can make them worse, and it’s not an authentic way to live.
When it was important to acknowledge his feelings, Jesus did so. When his friend Lazarus died, the Bible tells us Jesus wept (John 11:35). When he saw God’s Temple being treated disrespectfully, he got angry (John 2:13-17). When he felt dread over his pending arrest, he sweated droplets of blood and begged God not to let this happen if it was God’s will (Luke 22:40-46).
Expressing powerful emotions can be very important for us to do. Note that this doesn’t mean we should be ruled by our emotions. Rather, expressing our emotions is actually a way we can rule our own emotions, managing and controlling them in a healthy and helpful way.
3. Jesus took breaks when needed
I used to feel such pressure to work until the job was done, exhausting myself physically and emotionally in the process. Or I’d get so stressed out and think I needed to figure out a solution. Taking a break—or even letting it go until the next day—felt like quitting. Yet I know in my heart this was my ego talking.
However, this isn’t the behavior Jesus modeled at all. In fact, the Bible tells us that when hard times occurred, Jesus did what we might least expect: he took a nap!
In Matthew 8, we’re told a “furious” storm arose and swept waves into the boat. The disciples were terrified… yet Jesus was sleeping through it all. When they woke him in their terror, he handled the problem with ease.
In John 4, we’re told Jesus and his disciples were journeying through Samaria when he grew tired from the journey and sat down by a well around noontime (John 4:6). That well would turn out to be the well where he encountered the Samaritan woman, where he first acknowledged his divinity.
We, too, should take breaks when needed. Proper rest is critical when it comes to mental health.
4. Jesus spoke his mind
Sometimes we keep our thoughts to ourselves when they really should be expressed.
The Bible shows us that Jesus spoke his mind when he needed to, even if it made him unpopular. He told the Pharisees when they were being hypocritical (Mathew 23:13). When lack of faith astonished him, he called the people out for it (Mark 9:19). When he got irritated about being tested over and over and over again, he said something (Matthew 16:4).
When it’s important, we need to take a lesson from Jesus and have the courage to be honest with others, even if we lose friends or risk discomfort or other difficulties.
5. Jesus set boundaries with people
Jesus spent his life teaching, preaching, healing, and helping people. Indeed, he gave up his very life for every one of us. Yet he also was firm with his boundaries when he needed to be. When he was tired or needed time with God or had something else of importance that called him away, he didn’t cave to the wants and wishes of the crowd but rather set boundaries around his own time and space.
Luke 5:15-16 tells us about a time when Jesus was thronged by a mass of people begging to be healed, and he simply walked away from them to spend time with the Father.
We, too, need healthy boundaries. It’s OK to tell your child you’re too tired to play right now, or your church that you can’t head that committee because you’re busy doing other things that honor the Lord. Boundaries help us serve and honor God better.
These are just a few examples, but they show us it’s important we understand that self-care and self-respect help us be and do better for the Lord—and for our own mental health. It’s not selfish. It’s modeling our savior.
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