Let’s start today’s post on mental health for Christian teens with a quick mental wellness checkup:
What three adjectives would you use to describe how you feel about your life right now?
When I consider my life, I feel . . .
Category 1: Angry, anxious, frustrated, scared, lonely, depressed, stressed, apathetic, ashamed, powerless, confused, disgusted, sad
Category 2: Peaceful, content, joyful, grateful, ecstatic, energized, eager, blessed, confident, amazed, optimistic.
If you fall happily into Category 2, what I’m about to say will come as no surprise. You likely have this down pat. (But feel free to read on anyway, as it might help someone you know!)
If, however, you better fit Category 1, it’s time to consider some faith-based mental health strategies. Because contrary to pop psychology, the key to robust mental health is not to feel better about yourself but to cultivate joy outside yourself.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
=In This Article
Surprise—You Are Not Alone
For those of you who fall firmly into Category 1’s adjectives, you find yourself in a very crowded room. And if I could physically gather every “Category 1” person on Earth into a single space, I’d bet on you being shocked at the number of familiar faces you’d see.
Look around and you’ll see a whole world thirsting for relief from life.
Your brother—the one you look up to because he always seems to have it together—might be there. The really smart girl whose biology notes you borrowed last Tuesday could very well be there. The captain of your cheer squad, the guitarist for your church’s worship band, the cute boy you’re hoping will ask you to Homecoming.
Your best friend.
Were you aware of how much company you have?
Mental Wellness Reality Check: Others Are Hurting Too
An unspoken rule of human nature is that when a person is hurting, she becomes blind to others who are also in pain. Most of us feel like we’re the only ones walking a certain treacherous road.
But look around and you’ll see a whole world thirsting for relief from that four-letter word called life. Loneliness, isolation, pain, grief . . . No need to list all the issues here. What we want are the answers.
Where can relief be found?
You Have the Answer: Jesus
Jesus is the answer to every hurt, every need, every desperation. As a Christian, you know that. Sometimes you forget because there are so many other things distracting you, but the answer is still Jesus. And all faith-based mental health strategies center around the very simple truth that true joy is found in Jesus.
Take note: I am not a mental health professional, and if your issues with fear, anxiety, depression, etc. are affecting your life and making it difficult for you to function normally, you absolutely need to seek the counsel of a professional and trusted adult mentor. But for all other teens looking for a mental wellness boost, the strategies that follow will have you soaring.
2 Ways to Cultivate Joy Outside Yourself (You Need Both)
1) Focus on Jesus
If you are seeking pleasure in anything other than God himself, you will always end up disappointed. Because nothing else can fill you all the way up. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has also set eternity in the human heart.” That means you were wired to crave more than this world has to offer, and that can only be found in Jesus.
So why doesn’t it make you feel better? It might be that you’re still focused inward: What can Jesus do for me? Why doesn’t he answer my prayer? Where is he in my life? See my post Desiring God as the Ultimate Source of Pleasure for more help with this.
2) Focus On Fellow Believers
Sometimes it takes showing another the love of Christ in order for you to see it at work in your own life. Joy in Jesus doesn’t end with the gift of faith. Christians experience joy by focusing on the welfare and growth of fellow believers.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
Philippians 1:3-5
“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 1:4
In the Bible, Paul repeatedly starts his letters by thanking God for his fellow Christians, then goes on to express matters of concern for them. Verse after verse of encouragement (along with a little tough love) show the focus of Paul’s joy—other believers.
“Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Philippians 2:2-4
Related: New Year’s Resolutions That Will Benefit Others
See How One Tiny Step Changes the Whole Trajectory
When you focus inward on your problems and your hurts, you lose your focus on Jesus. Look around and notice the others who sit in the same boat as you—or worse. When you reach out to them and share the love of Christ, you will start to see his work in your own life.
Anyone who has struggled with ailing mental health knows there’s no quick fix, and I’m not suggesting this is a fix-all either. But taking this one step in a new direction can change the entire trajectory of your mentality and, ultimately, your life.
Cultivate joy outside yourself when you open your eyes to the people God has placed in your life and see Jesus at work!
Mental Health for Christian Teens: More Resources
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
- From Silence to Song: How to Find Your Heart of Praise
- Where to Look in Scripture During Your Darkest Nights
- Feeling Blue? Trust That God is Always There
- How to Help a Friend Through Depression
- A Christian Teen’s Guide For Good Mental Health (article from Cornerstones for Parents)
Joy, peace and contentment were the first three words that came to my mind. Boy, am I blessed! On any given day, however, my “words” could easily fall into the first group and your message of focusing on Jesus is the best answer. It is a slippery slope when one starts to slide into that pit of depression and despair but our friend Jesus is always there to pull us up and out. We only need to look for him and take his outstretched hand. Love and hugs to you and yours, Lauren. God bless. ❣️
Thankful, very very thankful for what God has done. God could have chose to turn away and leave us, but he didn’t do that! He sent his One and only Son to save us and make us His own now and eternally forever. Thankful to all those he has brought into my life. Thankful for the gift of God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to work faith in our heart. All blessings that keep us close to Him and give such peace and joy! 🙏🏻♥️✝️
Comments are closed.