Why the Church Keeps Getting Mental Health Wrong

We are in the middle of a global mental health crisis. Depression, anxiety, suicide. We've never seen numbers like this. The church hasn't always helped either. And I want to talk about how we can do better to help millions of people who are desperate for hope. Welcome to Provoke and Inspire, where I wrestle with culture and current events by asking, "What would Jesus think and what would Jesus do?" Chances are you or someone you love is battling mental health issues. As Christians, this can feel especially complicated. Shouldn't we be immune to this kind of struggle?

Unfortunately, the church hasn't always done a good job to prepare us. We haven't talked about it enough, and when we do, it's often oversimplified or unhelpful. Look, I'm not a mental health expert, but I care deeply about reaching people, especially those outside of the church. And this isn't something we can afford to ignore. So, I want to talk about four basic principles that I believe can help us to respond to the mental health crisis with wisdom, compassion, and truth.

Number one, start with a broken heart. Our first response should be asking God to give us his heart. Look, if we don't care, we can't help. We can have all the right answers, but without compassion, it will just fall flat. For many of you, this is personal. Your heart is broken. But even then, it's easy to become numb. The need feels massive and it can just lead to feeling apathetic. Look, you can't fix everything and you're not supposed to. But God is asking you to reflect his heart and do your part. The rest is up to him.

Number two, fight the stigma. The church has often gotten this wrong. If someone is physically sick, we send them to the doctor. But if someone's anxious or depressed, we tell them to think differently or to pray harder. Mental health is real and complex. It doesn't fit neatly into categories. Trauma, genetics, brain chemistry, spiritual warfare. It's rarely just one thing. We need to be the first ones to say, "This is real. It matters, and you're not alone." Christians should lead the way in creating spaces to talk about mental health without shame.

Number three, don't oversimplify it. One of our biggest mistakes is oversimplifying the issue. Just pray more. Just trust God enough. Just have faith. I believe in prayer. But look, we live in a broken world. And God doesn't remove every struggle. Mental health challenges can come from so many places. From biology, from sleep, from diet, technology, addiction, isolation, and yeah, even our spiritual lives, of course. But it's never just one factor. And if we reduce it to a formula, we lose credibility and we fail to really help. Let's approach this with humility, wisdom, and a willingness to address every angle.

Number four, bring it to God. While we acknowledge the complexity, we also can't forget the power of prayer. In fact, it's the only real power we have. And it's not passive. It's not pointless. Prayer is how we fight. It's how we bring people before God when we can't fix them ourselves. It's recognizing that there are limits to what we can do. That we only have five loaves and two fish. And that God has to multiply them by his power. Look, you're not the savior, but you are called to pray. So, keep praying. Get desperate. Be persistent. Ask boldly. And don't stop until God moves.

As followers of Jesus, we have access to the truth and spiritual resources that offer the only true hope in our world's battle with this mental health crisis. We need to lead the way in and outside of the church. But to do that, we must start with compassion, speak without shame, resist easy answers, and remain diligent in prayer. There is real hope. God has not abandoned this generation, and we shouldn't either.

Thanks for watching Provoke and Inspire. If you enjoyed this content, could you do me a favor and hit that like button, leave us a comment because this ultimately is a conversation. Hit that bell thing, I think, right? And uh YouTube seems to be recommending another video for you to watch. Check it out. Stay involved. Also, provokeandinsspirepodcast.com for everything else. That's it. Peace.

‍