The Maker and Mental HealthSample

Day 3 — A God Who Saves

Has someone ever told you that you need to fix yourself? As if your mental illness was simply a wrinkled collar or a broken picket fence.

Hear me clearly, you do not have to “fix” your mental health. It is not your fault that your brain struggles with a chemical imbalance. It is not your fault that trauma has led to triggers. It is not your fault that you feel so deeply.

In Psalm 69, we find David struggling like never before. He is broken beyond repair & knows that he cannot fix it.

“I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched…many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” (Psalm‬ ‭69‬:‭3‬,4)

David is worn out, David is tired. David has various enemies trying to destroy him.

The last part of verse 4 stands out immensely, “I am forced to restore what I did not steal”.

There is injustice here. There is injustice in David’s story. There is injustice in our stories.

And we cannot fix injustice.

But - hear me, this is not a moment to be hopeless if you feel that way, that’s okay. Take a moment to dwell in it and feel all the emotions.

Then, hear me. In all of David’s despair - he recognizes his humanity: he cannot fix himself or his life. However, he knows who can - his Maker. His Heavenly Father. His God.

Throughout Psalm 69, David asks for God’s deliverance over 3 times. He says “save me”, “deliver me”, and “rescue me” because David recognizes that he cannot fix how he feels. But there was a God who could change his situation.

So how does this relate to you - over 2000 years later?

God is still a rescuer. He is still a present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). And God cares about your mind.

This doesn’t mean that He will fix everything. This doesn’t mean that He will take all the pain away on earth (we are promised this in Heaven!). And this doesn’t mean that you will be healed completely.

It does mean that you can ask Him for all of those things. It does mean that He created therapists with special gifts to help you process and cope with your illness. It does mean that He has allowed the discovery of medication to change lives & imbalances. And it does mean that He is compassionate and loving towards those who have been directly impacted by a broken world.

“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck." (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭69‬:‭1‬)

Our God is mighty to save and we declare that He will always leave the 99 to dive into the deep waters with the 1. He will indeed save you, even if it doesn’t look like you think it should. He loves you, Child. Oh, how He loves you.

You are more than your mental health. He calls you daughter. Son. Beloved. Wonderfully Made. Precious. Worthy. Forgiven. Loved.

Keep going - it will be worth it.