In light of the fact that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked The Summit counselor and pastor, Rev. Stephen Walters to share an article for this week's update. He was more than willing to share his heart with us on this important matter.
“Show me a person with anxiety, and I will show you a person whose prayer life is lacking.” I heard this quote a few years ago listening to a pastor that I have a lot of respect for. Because I respect this pastor, his words carry a lot of weight with me. When he made this statement, I was crushed. And, not in a good Holy Spirit way of being crushed. More like a “what is wrong with me?” kind of way.
It crushed me because I have an anxiety disorder. I have been to counseling, and I work very hard to not let it be a dysregulation in my life. I also love God and seek to pray and read scripture daily. I have been preaching since I was 17, and I’d like to think some prayer has been involved in that. I take it seriously when people ask me to pray for them. As a counselor, I pray for my clients. So, when someone says that I have anxiety because I don’t pray enough, that hurts.
I get the verses that talk about anxiety like Philippians 4:6-7 and II Timothy 1:7. And, I know that in reading that it can seem that anxiety is something that shows we have a lack of faith. However, I also know that our God gives us verses that show He knows we will experience anxiety, and He wants to help. For example, Jesus is teaching mindfulness in Matthew 6:34. Psalm 94:19 shows us that we have seasons of anxiety AND God is with us. Proverbs 12:25 even gives us words on how to encourage people when they have struggles.
And these thoughts are not only about anxiety. I believe that the same principles apply to other struggles with mental health like depression, grief, and hurt. I know that churches have been guilty of making the case that faith and faith-based practices should rid people of mental health struggles. I know that some churches preach a message that God, and God alone, will heal these concerns. While I do believe that God can, and often does, heal mental illness, I also believe that God has given wisdom to people to assist in a journey of health and healing. The reason I moved from working in the church fulltime to working in counseling fulltime is that I believed God was calling me to use training and skills, along with the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring hope and healing to people who feel that their mind is preventing them from the life God created them to live.
So, if you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression, loss, pain, etc. please know that God understands. It isn’t because you don’t have faith. It is because we live in a broken world. And know that God can heal you and that God has created people to help the process of healing. We have a phrase at The Summit “Life looking up.” May the joy of the Lord be a strength, and may the work of God’s people bring hope in your life so that your life can be looking up.
