My Story

Coming from a dysfunctional family, emotional pain and mental struggles were normalized. I was only taught ineffective ways to communicate, so it was almost expected that I would face mental health issues as an adult. And yes, those struggles came and wreaked havoc on my mind daily. I battled to communicate, to connect with people, and even to connect with God. I struggled to understand who I truly was.

But even in all of that, I was genuinely a Christian. I desired to know Christ and connect with Him, even though I often found it difficult to act and think like Him.

Part of my struggle came from generational issues. Mental health struggles were present on both sides of my family — both my mother’s and my father’s — leaving me in a heap of emotional pain.

For many believers, struggling with mental health can feel confusing — even shameful.
But for me, struggling mentally actually increased my faith.

Once I learned that reaching out to Jesus in times of distress was a proven, no-fail method, I clung to Him with everything I had. The shame of my past began to lift, little by little, as I realized that it wasn’t my pain to carry — it was the Lord’s. I had to understand that these burdens were never mine to bear alone. I could place my shame, grief, and sadness on Christ.

Still, some questions often creep into the heart:

• If I trusted God more, wouldn’t I be stronger?

• Does my anxiety, depression, or emotional struggle mean I don’t have enough faith?

• Is God disappointed in me?

These are honest questions.
But the truth is this: Struggling mentally is not a sign of weak faith.

In fact, Scripture shows us that some of the most faithful men and women of God battled deep emotional struggles, and God did not reject them. He drew nearer.

I thank the Lord that even when I was drowning in emotional pain, He never let go of me.
Emotional healing is a process. It takes time, but Jesus walks with us every step of the way.

What the Bible Says About Mental Struggles

1. The Bible Is Full of Mentally Struggling Believers

When we read Scripture carefully, we find that emotional and mental anguish is not hidden — it’s laid bare:

• David, a man after God’s own heart, often cried out in distress, sorrow, and despair:
  "I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears." (Psalm 6:6)

• Elijah, one of the greatest prophets, once prayed that he might die out of deep fear and depression:
  "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life..." (1 Kings 19:4)

• Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, lamented over his loneliness, sorrow, and rejection.

• Jesus Himself, in Gethsemane, expressed overwhelming anguish:
  "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death..." (Matthew 26:38)

If emotional pain and mental distress were signs of lacking faith, why would God call these men faithful?

Faith is not the absence of struggle; it's trusting God in the midst of the struggle.

2. Mental Struggles Are Part of Living in a Broken World

Since sin entered the world, brokenness has touched every part of our lives — physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental.
The Bible even tells us that the consequences of sin can affect the third and fourth generations (Exodus 20:5).

Many of the emotional burdens we carry are deeply connected to what has been passed down to us. We often mirror what we have seen and experienced.

The Bible reminds us:

"The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22)

Our bodies get sick. Our minds grow weary. Our hearts sometimes break.
Jesus never promised a life without suffering, but He did promise His presence in it:

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

I praise the Lord that He is willing to bear with us through all of our infirmities:

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..." (Hebrews 4:15)

Our mental health struggles are not punishments from God.
They are reminders that we need a Savior — someone greater than us whom we can cling to, who can carry us when we are too weak to stand.

3. God Cares Deeply About Our Mental and Emotional Health

The Bible shows that God doesn’t just care about our outward actions — He cares about the heart, the mind, and the soul.
He cares about every thought, every feeling, and every burden we carry.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

This scripture reminds us: God wants us to bring every thought to Him — the anxious, the fearful, the broken.

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

If you are struggling mentally today, know this:

• God is not disappointed in you.

• God does not love you less.

• God is not asking you to “try harder” or pretend everything is okay.

He is inviting you to come just as you are—weary, heavy-laden, hurting — and to find rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-30).
He longs to bring peace into our troubled hearts.

4. Faith Often Looks Like Reaching for Help

Sometimes, the most faithful thing you can do is to reach out for help through prayer, biblical counseling, community support, or even medical treatment when needed.

Simple tools like journaling and writing can also help.
But the most powerful tool God has given us is His Word.

"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)

Jesus Himself is our Advocate.
He wants us to come to Him, to trust Him, and to use His Word as the standard of truth, helping us separate the lies we have believed from the truth about who He is and who we are.

I also praise God that He has given us sweet fellowship through our brothers and sisters in Christ:

"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

God designed the body of Christ to be a place of support, strength, and healing, not a place of shame or condemnation.

There is no shame in seeking help.
There is no weakness in admitting you are struggling.

In fact, when we are weak, Christ’s strength shines brightest:

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Reaching out for help — and admitting that we have emotional pain — is not weakness.
It is humility. It is a strength.
It invites the power of Christ to rest upon us:

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Final Thoughts

Struggling mentally does not mean you lack faith.
It means you are human — living in a broken world — and in need of the healing, hope, and strength that only Jesus can provide.

True faith is not about denying your pain.
True faith is about trusting Jesus to walk with you and heal you.

You are seen.
You are loved.
You are not alone.

You have a Father and a Heavenly Husband who is waiting to heal the deepest parts of your heart.