The Christian and Mental Distress

Posted on: January 13th, 2019

In my prayers, I request the Lord to continue to give me good health in my body, mind, soul, and spirit. So many of my age group are falling prey to Alzheimer’s and other mental abnormalities. I therefore believe that my prayers for myself and others are legitimate.
There are mental conditions which require medical treatment, i.e., clinical depression, the afore mentioned Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and many others which need a good doctor and accompanying treatment.
For every day, common mental states we might confront, I have made a list of scriptures which may help you as they have me. They may also be read as a “pick-me-up” on a daily basis:
I Pet. 3:14-15—Take yourself off the throne and enthrone Christ
Dan. 3:17—Do what you can; let God do the rest
Prov. 28:1; Matt. 6:34—Don’t make up your own worries
I Sam. 30:6; Phil. 4:6-7—Pray
Ps. 30:5—Remember every cause of distress will pass
Phil. 4:13—Resolve not to let your concern conquer you
Matt. 9:20-22—Reason within yourself
Heb. 12:5-6; II Tim. 4:17; Matt. 28:18-20; Is. 43:2 Ps.23:4; Dan. 3:25;
Acts 7:56; Gen. 16:1-16—You are never alone
We can reflect on these reasons at length and many are the lessons and applications which we could glean. However, to do each justice would be to transgress the length restraints we must deal with to handle all eight. Let’s look at #8.
Loneliness has been the reason many a poem and song have been written. Social media may have done much to abate this emotion, but one has only to look at popular song lists in Billboard to see how loneliness as a subject is the inspiration that sells.
Negatively, we all at some time in our lives have suffered from loneliness. Using the vernacular of my generation, “It stinks.” That coldness, sense of loss, yearning for someone or something we could share, feel, cry in relief for. . .. The goose bumps, the sense of being set apart from the rest of humanity. How it destroys our self-confidence and interferes with our social interactions!
Or what of the loss of a close loved one? A relationship, let’s say, between son and father. For the son, there is no one to go to when you need advice, reassurance, money. To a father it is a loss which makes him question his very faith and wonder if he ever wants to live anymore.
Switch the relationships to grandparents, brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters, husbands, wives–the term broken heart takes on new meaning, doesn’t it? One hates thinking about it, but we know we are going to face just such occurrences. Hamlet (Act I, scene ii) shows Shakespeare’s insight: “ How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world.”
The scriptures given will help us all until time and God gives us respite.

“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song
As the burdens press, and cares distress, and the way grows weary and
long.
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched by my grief.
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”

Reflection upon God’s words of comfort and prayer, the care of your loved ones around you all, can be a balm to your hurt if you would only let them. Points 1-7 can all be dealt with if you only take advantage of the ways of handling your problems which God has provided. Let’s face it; we are all in this life together, and we love each other as Christians. Eschew pride. Let your Christian friends help. Don’t let Satan entrap you into the abyss of self-pity.

Larry Purkey