Mental illness is a clinically significant disruption of a person’s thoughts, moods, behavior, or ability to relate to others, severe enough to require treatment or intervention. Not everyone suffering with mental illness acts “scary and crazy”. The truth is those suffer with mental illnesses are more likely to be harmed than to harm others. Mental illnesses are not always the result of a character flaw, personality weaknesses, or bad parenting. God can heal all mental illness! There seems to be a lot of guilt and shame on someone who is struggling with mental illness. There is no guilt and shame for those who are in Christ Jesus! Sometimes mental illness are the result of chemical changes in the brain. Sometimes trauma can lead to mental illness. Trauma is what happened to you, that should not have happened to you. Sometimes trauma is what should’ve happened that did not happen to you. Sexual abuse can lead to mental illness. Hurting people people! Pain seeks pleasure! If you don’t deal with your , your emotions will deal with you! Success can often lead to mental illness. Isolation can lead to mental illness. The mind is our battle ground and must be renewed everyday. Many of us find ourselves shackled by the chains of disappointment, depression, anger, and fear. 1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. Psalms 6:6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. Psalm 88:6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Psalms 142:1-7 I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. 5 I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, “You are my refuge,My portion in the land of the living. 6 Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.” 4 Steps To Mental Health 1. Rejoice in the presence of the Lord. Philippians 4:4-5 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand”. Jesus Christ is always there! Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 2. Reflect on the provision of God. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Matthew 6:31-33 ““Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” 3. Rest In the peace of the Lord. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Jesus is our peace! John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Peace does not come from the absence of something but the presence of Jesus. Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. We don’t keep the peace — He keeps us! 4. Reflect on the purpose of God. Philippians 4:8 “Finally whatever things are true noble just pure lovely of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things”. We can’t always control what come into our , but we must be selective about what comes into our . Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Talk about the answer more than the . Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” 1 Corinthians 12:18 “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” 1 Corinthians 12:21-22 “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” I pray you would learn to be a wounded healer. God will use our pain, struggles and our brokenness to bring healing and hope to others. John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The Kingdom needs you, we need you.