Encouraging truths for Christians with mental illness
Paul speaks of a thorn in his side that he pleaded with God to remove multiple times, but God simply said that His grace is sufficient. If your thorn is a mental illness you’re struggling to cope with, here are a few truths to encourage you today!
- You are not alone. Jesus was cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross so that we will never be alone today. God is with you, even in your suffering. Jesus was forsaken in His suffering that God may be with you in your suffering today.
- It’s not your fault. Like the man born blind in John 9, it isn’t a punishment for sins (be it yours or your family’s). Of course, sin can make the issue worse, but it’s not because of your sin. It’s also important to surround yourself with people who will point you back to Christ in these times - when you draw near to God, He draws near to you!
- God feels for you and is with you! You have a saviour who cares deeply for you and feels for you. Even though Jesus knew He was going to resurrect Lazarus, Jesus wept because He felt the the pain for the family. We are all broken in our own ways and the Lord is near to us in our brokenness. And even when we can’t find the words to pray, the holy spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26).
- Let God’s Word speak to you. The Bible isn’t afraid to talk about emotions. Take a look at Job and Psalms, which are full of songs of lament and people crying out to God. Yet, most psalms of lament end positively, being reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness, only that they had forgotten it during the period of lament. God’s Word is alive and it will speak life into your situations.
Though the thorn may stick for a while, but you can rejoice in the greatness of God. God loves you so much and remember that God’s grace is sufficient for you and His strength is made perfect in your weakness as you fill your heart with God’s Word.
Adapted from @thegospelcoalition
For immediate assistance, call the National Care Hotline (1800-202-6868), Institute of Mental Health Hotline (6389-2222) or Samaritans of Singapore (1800-221-4444)
To connect with a christian peer support community, visit www.psaltcare.com
To help you connect with appropriate mental health resources, visit www.mentalconnect.org