Christian leaders need to expel the myth that faith and mental health are incompatible

Mental health and Christianity have long had a complex relationship. This is because conversations around mental health in the church, in my experience, have often been seen as something to either dismiss under the guise of “being strong in the faith” or have been equated with something demonic that needs to be cast out in a particular way.

But both approaches lack nuance and neglect that God made us with emotions. Therefore, emotions can’t be negative by default. We see this in Ephesians 4:26, which distinguishes between human and righteous anger.

Typically, fellowship in Christianity is through sermons, conferences, and small groups. However, as necessary as those are, they often fail to address practical ways to handle emotions in everyday life. 

Typically, fellowship in Christianity is through sermons, conferences, and small groups. However, as necessary as those are, they often fail to address practical ways to handle emotions in everyday life. Conflict resolution, grief, etc. - these are all common human experiences. Yet, myself and many fellow believers note that the Church has often failed to practically equip believers to walk through these difficult emotions.

I have fallen into this camp as someone who is more solution-oriented and can easily dismiss emotion. But the past two years have begun a process of unmasking this perspective for me.

So what prompted this journey, you may ask? Well, as someone who traditionally doesn’t open up, I was diagnosed with a chronic condition

So what prompted this journey, you may ask? Well, as someone who traditionally doesn’t open up, I was diagnosed with a chronic condition which forced me to be vulnerable with those around me about how it affected me.This forced me to learn how to share such a sensitive part of my life with various people - and be prepared for the rejection that sometimes comes with it.

In the thick of this, in 2021, I noticed Christian influencers online talking more about therapy. Jackie Hill and Preston Perry were part of this, as they have a clothing collection captioned “Jesus and Therapy”. So, just after the pandemic in 2021, I sought an online therapist.

This led me to the therapist I am currently with. She helps me learn the principles of healthy communication and processing emotions healthily—all while submitting to God.

The following year and a half saw me discover more Christian content creators who, through a conversational style format, touch on the nuances of emotions and practical ways to navigate conflict.

The podcast The Basement with Tim Ross was also major for me. As a former pastor and now full-time podcaster, Tim teaches people how to be vulnerable and often uses the acronym HOT - Humble Open and Transparent. His cousin and Christian Hip-Hop artist Lecrae’s podcast also helped as he has spoken about how having the right community around you can affect your mental health.

But most recently, Trauma Therapist Dr Anita Philip’s New York Times Best Seller The Garden Within (which I’m yet to finish) has been a real eye-opener. The illustrations she shares in the book between agriculture and biology paint a picture I had never seen before. Anita describes emotions as something that should be nurtured. When we feel a certain way, instead of neglecting it, investigate why we are experiencing it and seek God throughout this process.

While delving deeper into God’s word and directing me to certain content creators, I discovered scriptures that clearly spoke to maintaining mental health in practical terms. From boundaries that allow you to love people from a distance to healthily embracing emotion, I learnt that the Bible has so many examples of this.

One that hit me hard is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” The context of this scripture in John 11:35 is when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. But before doing this, he took the time to be still and express momentary emotion with Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary even though he knew the miracle he was about to perform.

Through this, it is evident that Christ did not see embracing emotion in the obtuse negative way that we Christians can sometimes fall into. We must master the artful balance of embracing and processing emotion without letting it have the final say in our obedience to God. Learning how to process emotions is key to maintaining mental health.

* Woman Alive will look deeper into faith and therapy in our June issue, out at the end of May. Subscribe now!