4 Biblical Components to Better Mental Health

Main Point: The path to better mental health is paved with sincere love, energizing service, conquering hope and a generous spirit.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. —Romans 12:9-13

Love must be sincere…

“When over the years someone has seen you at your worst, and knows you with all your strengths and flaws, yet commits him- or herself to you wholly, it is a consummate experience. To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” —Tim Keller

Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord

I have food to eat that you know nothing about. (John 4:32)

Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Be joyful in hope…

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. —Psalm 42:11

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Share with God’s people who are in need…

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Takeaway: We can improve our mental health through receiving and acting in love, being engaged in service that energizes us, maintaining hope despite circumstances and being generous in spirit.

Discussion Questions
1. What do you think of the “unknown/loved”, “known/unloved”, and “known/loved” idea that Keller talks about? Does this fit with your experiences? Since God knows all about us and loves us anyway, how should that affect our mental health?

2.Do you have a place of service that brings you energy and makes you know how valuable you are to God? Can that place be both energizing and exhausting at the same time?

3.Trauma, persistent stress and negative experiences can steal our hope from us. How does your relationship with Jesus help you to be hopeful in spite of things like this?

4.How do you feel when you act in a generous way toward someone? Why do you think God wired us in this way?

Table Discussion Question – Choose one of these 4 components to better mental health and share why you chose to speak on that one.