Peace of Mind 1 – 2 Dangerous Mental Health Myths

 

Often, we are facing battles that no one else can see. What do we do when we don’t understand what we’re feeling, and hope seems far away?

Peace of Mind

In our new series, Peace of Mind, we will learn how to fight our mental battles and find peace.

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and for the next 7 weeks we are going to become healthier, victorious, and peaceful when it comes to the battle of our mind.

Today I want you to learn:

Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of wisdom.
 

When it comes to our mind… we all have weakness and struggle.

You like me might have thought… others maybe struggle with mental health… but not me… I would never have a mental health crisis.

Have you ever felt…

• persistent sadness or hopelessness?
• guilt or shame?
• Low energy or fatigue?
• Loss of interest in hobbies or activities?
• Thoughts of self harm?

These are symptoms of depression.

 

Have you ever felt…

• On edge or restless?
• Irritable?
• Clammy hands?
• Dizziness?
• Upset stomach?
• Change in appetite?

These are symptoms of anxiety.

 

These are symptoms that others might not even notice.

Some of you relate. Outwardly everything may appear fine, but inside you are struggling.

Depressed, anxious, stressed, word down, but you are not alone.

In preparation of this series, these symptoms gave me pause. I do believe that there have been times in my life where I struggled with depression and anxiety.

Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of wisdom

 

Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
There is a resistance to the subject of Mental Health in the Church. I do not ever remember a sermon directed at this subject.

1 Thess 5:23-24 (NIV) 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

“May the God of peace sanctify you through and through.  May your WHOLE SPIRIT, WHOLE SOUL, and WHOLE BODY be kept.  The one who calls you is faithful, and HE WILL DO IT.”

Not only is the subject of you body and mind a Biblical topic, God promises to keep us in this area. HE WILL DO IT.

 

“Church shouldn’t talk about Mental Health.”
“Coming to Jesus fixes everything.”

Jesus does save us, redeems us, fills us with Holy Ghost power, and works all things for our good!  This is all true, but just because Jesus saved you, does not mean he has fixed ever broken area of our life yet.

I have never seen someone come to the altar and…

“Jesus saved me and now I have 8% body fat and have abs! I am ready to run my first marathon…”
“I have become born again, and now my credit score has improved so that I can give to missions…”
“I came out of the baptistry with an improved resume and was immediately hired for the job I wanted…”

Just because Jesus saved us, does not mean that every area of our life is fixed.
God is still working on us.
God still wants us to work on ourselves.[fl3]

We want to set God free to work and we want to set you free to work.  BOTH ARE NECESSARY to be everything God has called you to be!

 

What is mental Health?

Emotional – Psychological – Social well-being

 

Mental health impacts all the areas of your life. How you think, determines how you feel, and determines how you will act.

Mental health determines how you will handle or mishandle stress, relationships, make choices, respond to difficulties.

 

2 Dangerous Mental Health Myths

There are these unbiblical beliefs that show up in the Church and we should expose them for what they are.

 

Myth #1 – Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health

This myth states that Christians shouldn’t battle and struggle with anxiety, depression, and burnout.

If you do face these issues, it is YOUR FAULT… You don’t have enough faith. You are not praying enough. You must have a secret sin.

You can love Jesus and still face depression.
You can faithfully read God’s Word and battle anxiety.
You can attend Church, sit on the front, tithe, and serve, and yet struggle to overcome trauma.

The myth is that Christians shouldn’t struggle… the truth is that Christians can face the struggle and come out victorious. 

Some heroes in the Bible faced mental health crisis.

• Elijah was once so depressed he hid in a cave and asked to die. (1 Kings 19:4)
• David was once so in despair he seemed to lose his mind.  (1 Samuel 21)
• Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, a life marked by loneliness. He cursed the day he was born. (Jeremiah 20:14)

Christians often respond to a mental health struggle with remarks like “You need more God, and you need more faith.”

It is always true that we need more God and more faith. Who doesn’t!?

It may also be true that you need more God… and you need …

• More sleep and vitamin D sunlight!
• A better support group.
• A healthier diet.
• The help of a doctor to perform hormone treatment to balance out your hormone deficiency.
• The use of medicine to help with a chemical imbalance.
• Therapy.

Struggle does not mean you are a bad Christian, it means you are HUMAN!

Are there any humans here today? Anyone willing to admit they STRUGGLE?
The Struggle is real!  …but so is God’s love, patience, kindness, forgiveness…
 Myth #1 – Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health

 

Myth #2 – God doesn’t care about your mental health

“God is too busy trying to straighten out other issues and bigger problems.”
“God is more concerned with how many Bible verses I can quote.”
“It would be selfish to pray about my hidden mental issues.”

The God of Peace is working on sanctifying you through and through. He cares about your mental health.

A great place to go in your Bible when you are struggling is the book of Psalms.

• The Lord is my light and my salvation—Whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27)
• Lord is close brokenhearted—Saves those who are crushed! (Psalm 34)
• O Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34)
• God is our refuge, strength—Ever-present help time trouble. (Psalm 46)
• Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… (Psalm 23)

Today I want to read a psalm you never want to read while you are struggling…
There are no Chris Tomlin songs about this Psalm…
You will not find a T-Shirt or bumper sticker with this psalm on it.

 

Psalm 88 – the saddest Psalm ever written by Heman

Not the 80’s Heman character who had the power of Greyskull…  Heman (Hey Mon) the psalmist.

Heman was known for his…

• Great wisdom (1 Kings 4:31)

• Musical ability (1 Chron 6:33, 16:41-42)

• Committed parenting (1 Chron 25:5-6)  (14 sons 3 daughters]

• Service to king (1 Chron 25:6)[fl6]

 

Psalm 88:3-5 (NIV)  I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength.

5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

 

Psalm 88:13-14 (NIV)  But I cry to you for help, Lord;  in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

 

Psalm 88:18 (NIV) You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

 

Heman loved God, served God, but was struggling.

You can love God, serve God, and still struggle.

God is not afraid of our honesty. We must be honest if we will ever have victory in this struggle.

 

Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of wisdom.
 

I want to offer you some help today.

Jesus was asked what the most important command of God was…

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Do you know how to love God with all your heart and soul?
Do you know how to love God with all your mind?

When you are thinking those negative thoughts… I am worthless, I am ugly, I am stupid… this is NOT loving God with your mind.

When you are constantly worrying with your mind, it is not actively loving God with your mind.

Your thoughts are essential for loving God.
Your thoughts are essential for the direction of your life.

Life is moving in the direction of your thoughts

I could quote you some scriptures about this… but I want to talk instead about your brain.

Your brain builds over time, starting at birth.

 

Inside your brain are nerve cells called neurons, and they send and receive signals.  (86 Billion Neurons)

In this video are 2 neurons in a petri dish under a strong microscope, and you can see them making a connection. We call this a neural pathway.

In the first few years of life you are forming 1 MILLION NEURAL CONNECTIONS – EVERY SECOND!

This is what thinking and learning looks like… synapse connecting and neurons firing that information.

As you grow your brain goes through a process of simplification known as pruning. To get more efficient the brain starts to think in PATTERNS.

These pathways form at a thought, and once that pathway is formed it is then easier to follow that pattern and think that same thought again.

It is easier to think again, what you are thinking now.
This is good news if your thoughts are healthy, and bad news if your thoughts are unhealthy.

You can change your brain by thinking new thoughts and rehearsing those thoughts.

You can renew your mind by forming a whole new set of neural connectors.

 

This little girl is changing her brain.
She is learning to cope with pain.
She is learning to breathe.
She is thinking positive affirming thoughts about herself.

The pain was real, but how she responded in that pain brought strength.

 

You can change the way you think.

Fix your thoughts on something different.

Take up a new hobby. Learn a new skill.  This is positive and brain changing because you are fixing your brain on something new.

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

There is peace available whenever your thoughts are fixed on the Lord.

Not occasional peace.
Not momentary peace.
Not circumstantial peace.

 

Perfect Peace (Shalom Shalom)

The words for perfect peace are actually “SHALOM SHALOM.”  In Hebrew when they repeat a word it is to emphasize it. God has a peace, a Shalom Shalom peace, that no one else can give.

This SHALOM SHALOM peace can only be received by changing the way you think.

 

Do you want to receive that peace today?

As our worship team comes I want to invite you to start thinking new thoughts.

I want you to plan to do new things.

Whatever you do is easier to repeat.

1 Thess 5:23-24 (NIV) 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

I invite you to come talk to God today. He cares about your struggle.