Pastor Craig Groeschel seeks to remove stigma about mental health among Christians
Christians are not immune to mental health challenges, said Pastor Craig Groeschel of Life Church, a megachurch with multiple campuses nationwide. He address this issue in his new book, “Heal Your Hurting Mind.”
“This book is so personal to me, because I know what it feels like to be a follower of Jesus and still feel stuck, wondering if things will ever get better,” he says.
“What I’ve seen, both in my own life and in the lives of so many people I’ve been able to pastor over the years, is that we don’t get better by keeping our struggles hidden and trying to overcome them alone. The truth is, you’re only as strong as you are honest.”
Many churches have blamed mental health problems on a lack of faith.
“We haven’t always created the space for people to be real about what they’re going through,” Groeschel said, according to Crosswalk Headlines. “And that has to change, because the church should be the most honest and safe place in the world. In fact, the starting point for salvation is admitting you’ve sinned and made a mess of your life and are desperate for a savior. It’s the one place we should be able, and even encouraged, to talk openly about everything.”
The road to healing begins with honesty.
“That means being honest with God, honest with yourself and honest with people you trust,” he said. :In John 5, Jesus asked a man who had been suffering for 38 years, `Would you like to get well?’ That question stopped me in my tracks. Sometimes we get so used to our pain that we stop believing things can be different. The desire to heal and the courage to ask for help is where it starts.”
The journey begins with the first step.
“From there, it’s not one thing,” Groeschel said. “It’s prayer, community, practical strategies and for some people, professional help. That might mean therapy, medication, better sleep, better habits. None of those things means your faith isn’t strong enough. Mental health conditions aren’t about weakness. They are conditions, like diabetes or high blood pressure, that need proper care. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. With God, there’s always hope.”
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Groeschel has applied these principles in his own life.
“With God’s help, I changed my thoughts, and it changed my life,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I was at a point where I couldn’t believe I could ever change. But meditating on that verse replaced my negative thoughts with God thoughts. Hope and joy and peace and trust started filling me. Little by little, for the first time in years, I felt strong. I am different today, and it’s because of the power of God’s word.”
–Alan Goforth
Photos: craiggroeschel.com
