Faith Foundations for Everyday Mental Health
As people made in the image of God, we have souls, spirits, and bodies. We were created with a connection between both the physical and spiritual in our lives. Our mental and spiritual responses and status can effect our physical bodies and this cause and effect also goes the other direction.
When it comes to the topic of mental health, some people have used faith to separate the spiritual from the physical. This false mindset results in people being given only a spiritual solution to a physical problem. For example, “If you had more faith, you could just pray your depression away.” As holistic beings made in God’s image, we must address both the physical with a doctor or counselor and the spiritual.
From the world of faith, there are several faith foundations that can help to ground us in the truth as we seek to live from a place of good mental health:
Embrace Your Identity and Worth
As people made in the image of God, we have an inherent worth and value that come from Him. We do not have to fight for identity and prove our worth because God has already provided those things for us.
Find Strength in God’s Presence and Care
We worship a God who is in control and encourages us to “cast our anxiety upon him because he cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). God is walking with us in every moment of our life, and He wants to be the strength to carry us through.
Build Community and Connection
Just like faith is not designed to be a solo endeavor, we are not meant to walk our journey of mental health alone. God has given us the community of other people to support, encourage, and love us on our journey.
As people of faith at Asbury, we want to be a place where we can journey together to both follow Jesus faithfully and pursue mental health together in community. Our faith helps to ground us in truth as we journey to pursue health spiritually, mentally, and physically.