Cast All Your Cares on Him Because He Loves You

There has been a lot of talk about mental health the last couple of years. Between the pandemic, the previous and upcoming elections, racial tension, immigration protests and lawlessness around the country, the economy and a slew of other stressful things happening in our nation and around the world, constant lying from our politicians and media, the divide and lack of God in our culture, and even illness and death of loved ones, it’s only natural that our peace of mind might take a hit. 

Whether it be depression, anxiety, debilitating fear or a more serious issue, many Christians are ashamed to admit they struggle with their mental health. I suppose we think that we should have faith big enough to work through things on our own and if we can’t, we must be weak spiritually. The truth is, even the strongest among us can feel overwhelmed, fearful or even hopeless.  

Thinking about this prompted me to dig into Scripture to learn what the Bible has to say about mental health. The Psalms alone offer a wealth of insight regarding how people like King David and the sons of Korah (great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle during David’s time) dealt with depression and anxiety (for example, see Psalms 42, 88, and 142). 

David consistently went to God with his worries and troubles, and he didn’t hold back. He was brutally honest and direct with God, not only in sharing the depths of his despair, but even expressing frustration with God. He spoke openly, writing his feelings down as he prayed. God knows our every thought, every feeling and every circumstance. Nothing we’re battling on the inside is a surprise to Him. We may as well be honest, right? 

I know when my daughter, Linley, was fighting for her life in the NICU after a botched simple medical procedure soon after she was born, what David wrote resonated with me a great deal. I cried out to God in despair, and sometimes, I was even a little angry with Him. The wonderful thing about God is He can handle our pain, our fears, and our anger. Being truly honest with Him and with ourselves invites Him to bind up our wounds and bring peace to our weary hearts.  

There are many other verses in the Bible that talk about anxiety, fear or feeling troubled. Here are just a few of them: 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV) 

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV) 

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV) 

While these passages may not directly address more severe mental health issues, they still give us ample evidence that God cares about our mental health. He knows how very human we are and that the circumstances of this world will affect us from time to time. 

I encourage anyone suffering with their mental health to such an extent that you’re feeling hopeless or unsure how to carry on, to please reach out to and talk about it with a Christian counselor, pastor or trusted friend right away. You are not alone; you are not the only one, and you are not expected to “fix” it on your own. Also remember that drawing close to your Heavenly Father is going to be your best source of comfort as you seek peace. Sometimes it’s hard to dig ourselves out of our shame, guilt or discouragement long enough to remember this truth. We were never meant to walk alone. Jesus is right there beside us, offering His hand, His sweet embrace and perfect comfort. 

God does not promise that we won’t have troubles in this life. In fact, He tells us to expect difficult times in our lives as Christians. He does promise always to be with us as Christians, and to work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). And while it took me a while, I can now see so much good that God has accomplished in my life and in the lives of others through the terrible tragedy of my daughter’s medical accident that has left her severely brain damaged and handicapped for the last 41+ years.

Most important of all, we have a Savior who has been there – He experienced severe mental anguish as He prepared to die in our place on the Cross to pay the punishment and penalty for our sins that we couldn’t pay. Through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, as Christians we have the assurance of an eternity with Him and victory over the troubles of this world.  

God may be using that difficulty in your life to help you see that you need Him and need to depend upon Him rather than your own strength. That is sure what He taught me in my time of trouble with my daughter’s medical tragedy. Linley’s medical tragedy from a doctor’s stupid mistake taught me empathy for others and forgiveness, and totally changed me. It brought me into a much deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as I learned that I needed to trust God and His plan, and quit believing I could accomplish and handle anything on my own through my own strength, hard work, and determination.

God sometimes uses our most difficult times to expose a weakness in our faith or trust in Him, or to draw us into a closer personal relationship with Him. He always wants to teach us something through our trials. I am still not great at this all the time, but I am trying to get better at not asking God “Why?”, but just asking “Lord, what are You trying to teach me in this difficulty? I need Your help, and I want to learn what You are trying to teach me. I trust You and Your plan. Thank You for loving me.”

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