Your Mental Health Matters

Your mental health can sometimes be compared to a car that is having trouble but looks great

But if we lift the hood a little and take a closer look, it’s clearly not running right.

There could something wrong and you may be the only one who knows it.

What you see isn’t what others see.
They see you from the outside, you see you from the inside. You know something is wrong even if you can’t identify what it is.

This series isn’t about activity, it’s about identity.

Your identity matters because it is the essence of who you really are.
It’s about your heart and soul and right now a lot of people are hurting inside, they are not firing on all cylinders.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began

Adults ages 35-44

• 58% have seen an increase in chronic illness
• 45% have mental health diagnoses

Adults ages 18-34

• 50% have mental health diagnoses
  

There are plenty of Biblical heroes that battled what we now call mental health issues.
To deny that Christians struggle with mental health issues is poor theology.

Elijah was so depressed he wanted to die.

David was in such despair at times he cried out to God over and over.

Jonah wanted to die because God didn’t direct Him as he thought.

God wants the best for you.

• God doesn’t want to see you limp through life in secret pain.
• He doesn’t want you to suffer in silence.
  

We live in a fallen broken world and that is why we need saving. That is why we need Jesus.

“Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:9-10

He restores that which is broken.

He makes us whole again.

Jesus seeks you and saves you.

We will always fight for our mental health.
You need to know you are in a fight and you can be healthy. You can endure whatever you are going through. You can be made whole again or stay whole.

The moment you let your guard down the enemy will attack again and again. He always attacks you when you are at your weakest.

Mental health isn’t just a medical problem, it’s a spiritual one.

The enemy attacks your mental health because your mental health impacts all of your decisions and your decisions turn into actions.

Every action you have ever done has always been initiated in your mind.

The Bible tells us that the thief who is Satan, comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10

The enemy has split republicans and democrats. He has split nations. He has turned kids against their parents.

The media has spread lie upon lie dividing neighbors and even families. Who do you think has sowed all this discord? It’s the enemy. He always leverages social situations to get people to turn on one another because he thrives in chaos.

The enemy steals your future, kills your joy, and destroys your plans.

If we are all in a canoe and you are not paddling in the same direction, its only a matter of time before people start to complain and hit each other with the paddles.
Then instead of rowing the boat in the same direction everyone is just fighting and the boat drifts wherever the wind blows. Right now Americans are not rowing in the same direction and have grown used to hitting each other with the paddles we have.

One paddle is social media. Another is the news media, another is our educational institutions.

We fight the enemy with truth.
and the truth is Jesus knows what’s going on in our world.

He knows how you feel and why you feel the way you feel because he felt that way himself.

The God of the universe was lonely, he suffered, he was betrayed, he had lies spoken about him, and he was tempted just like you and I.

In Matthew 4, the enemy attacked Jesus mental health.
He didn’t fight him with a sword or knife, the enemy went after Jesus mind.

Jesus had just been baptized. God the Father was there, the Holy Spirit was there, and Jesus himself was the one modeling this new life to us.

After Jesus’ mountaintop moment of being baptized, he descends into the valley where he is tempted by Satan himself.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:1-2

Jesus was physically and emotionally at his weakest point and that is exactly when the devil came to tempt him.

The enemy will do the same to you. When you are tired, hungry, weary, on that business trip, separated from a loved one, or just isolated from others who care about you, you will be tempted to believe lies, to compromise your values, and to give in.

Don’t do it. Don’t you quit.
These are mental health issues and they really do matter. You matter.
Don’t ignore them or pretend you are all good if you are not. And even if you are mentally healthy, you know someone who is not.

Satan comes and tempts Jesus in three distinct ways

In every temptation Satan attacked Jesus identity saying “If you are the Son of God.”
That was an attack on his identity. He wanted to get Jesus to doubt who he was and if God actually said what he said.

First, Satan tempted Jesus physically.

He tempted Jesus to make the mental decision to do whatever felt good physically. To do whatever feels right. He told Jesus to turn the stones into bread because it would make him feel better.

“The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4

This is a physical temptation to do whatever feels right.

For example, porn feels good to watch so why not watch it? Sex feels great so have it with whoever you can.

More people are addicted to porn than ever before in history right now.

1 in 4 men struggles with some type of porn addiction or regular consumption of it.

Men think about this if you are married or want to be one day.

• 80% of women who have a husband or partner that has been diagnosed with a sexual addiction suffered from depression in a recent study.
• 4 out of 10 women say that they withdraw their emotional connections to a partner with a sexual addiction.
• 60% of women who developed an eating disorder after discovering the actions of a partner with a sexual addiction
  

Satan tempted Jesus to do whatever felt right physically and Jesus refused by standing on the Word of God.
He stood on the truth because he knew the truth is what matters.

Second, he tempted Jesus emotionally

Satan tempted Jesus to question God’s love.
He was tempting Jesus to doubt God and God’s providential plan.

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Matthew 4:5-7

Satan wants you to doubt God in ever conceivable way.
- He wanted Jesus to question God’s plans for him.
- He wanted him to feel abandoned.

One major fear many people have is the fear of abandonment. It can come from childhood trauma or losing a parent, divorce, or many other things.

The Bible says that Jesus is the rock. He is solid and will never leave you or abandon you.

You cannot put the Word of God on the same level as your feelings because your feelings can betray you.

Feelings are emotional. It doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t real or serious, it means that sometimes how you feel and the way you feel don’t match up with reality.

God promises to never leave us or abandon us.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

That’s God’s promise to you.
He will never leave you nor forsake you.

In moments of doubt, say “My heavenly Father will never abandon me.”

Regulating your emotions is very hard. They will go up and down, just stay anchored to Jesus and hold on tight to Him. You can get through the storm, God will be with you in it.

When Peter walked on water the storm was raging.

Jesus didn’t calm it when Peter stepped on the water, Peter had to trust Jesus. By the way, there were almost a dozen other guys in the boat who thought Peter was nuts.

Third, he tempted Jesus with control

Satan tempted Jesus to gain something he could not give.
Satan didn’t have the authority to give Jesus the world. God owns it all yet Satan tempted Jesus to bow in worship to Him.

People crave control.

• When you have control you have power.
• Power will make people turn on one another and lie to each other.
• That’s why so many political leaders end up being corrupt.
  

Our culture constantly sends us messages that we should be discontent because we don’t have this and that.

• “we should be paid more so we can have more”
• “we should have more respect because we deserve it”
• “expect the world to revolve around our needs”
  

The original message from Satan is that you will never be really happy unless you have control over your life and the power to influence others for your benefit.

You fight this lie with the truth. Your first priority should be to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
Matthew 22:37

Put God first.

God is in control, trust Him.

First love God and follow His ways for they are good. Jesus wants to help you.

He wants you to be whole. Whole mentally, emotionally, and personally.

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Hebrews 2:18

This is what you need to do

The apostle Paul gives an analogy of a warrior putting on all their gear to fight the enemy so they will be able to stand firm.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
Ephesians 6:13-15

You need to recognize that your mental health matters

• Stop ignoring problems or wounds that may have been plaguing you for years.
• If you aren’t struggling, someone close to you is. help bring them to the feet of Jesus.