The Battlefield Called the Mind
The mind is a battlefield often ignored. We are continuously concerned about the battles going
on in our heart and for our soul but the church as a whole considers the mind and mental health
to be taboo. The mind, however, is the first place we see to create a domino effect in the other
areas. Mental health is important to the church! Some of you who know me know that I have
OCD and have struggled with anxiety and depression. Occasionally I still do. I started posting
on my instagram most Mondays doing a “Mental Health Monday” post and the main theme is
that you are not a bad Christian if you struggle with mental health issues. A lot of people always
say they are “too blessed to be stressed” or that “Christians should always be happy and joyful”
but you can be blessed and joyful without necessarily “feeling” happy like people think
happiness is. Sometimes people in the church will be dismissive and say “oh they just need to
pray and read their Bible more” not knowing that prayer and a Bible verse is all that one person
has to keep them afloat and they still feel like they are sinking. Does God want us to live full of
anxiety and depression? No! But neither does He want us to live with diabetes and broken
bones. It’s the nature of a fallen world. We need to talk about mental health and not be silent
about it. Bear one another's burdens and realize that even though you may not understand,
ignoring it only hurts the people around you. So many young people today face anxiety and
depression among many other things and if we brush it off we are basically brushing them off.
Same goes for the older and middle aged that you may never know have struggled because
they have made a mask to hide behind for fear of being judged “less than” as a Christian. So
many people in the Bible that God used had dealings with anxiety, depression, and doubt. God
doesn’t make mistakes and if we use the resources God has given us through counselors,
doctors, and teachers/preachers, we can turn this battle ground into holy ground. Don’t be
silent! You are not alone!
-Kelsea Taft
