What Is Mental Health
An Introduction —— Mental health is one of the most discussed topics in our culture today. Anxiety, depression, and stress are conditions that millions of people live with each day. Our youngest generation is experiencing the struggles of mental health more than any other generation.
What is mental health?
And how can we understand and navigate the narrative of mental health as followers of Jesus?
Mental Health —— Mental health refers to our well-being mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Each of these areas play an influential role in our overall well-being.
Being Human —— The story of mental health begins with an understanding of being human. What does it mean to be human? Being human means that each one of us is created in the Image of God. We have a divine imprint upon our lives. He created each one of us uniquely, with purpose and the ability to reflect His nature.
There are two facets of being human that are indispensable to mental health.
First, God created humans as multifaceted beings. He created your physical body and all if its biological functions. He created your brain with the capacity to think. He created you with the capacity to feel a wide array of emotions. He created you as a relational being so that you could thrive in relationships and community. And He created you with a spiritual capacity to be in relationships with HIm. All of these aspects are foundational for mental health.
Second, God created humans as integrated beings. This means that each part of being human is not an island. Each facet of being human influences the whole.
For example:
Our senses—feel, touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell—influence our thinking and emotions.
Our thought patterns influence our emotions and brain.
Our physical exercise influences our brain which affects our mood.
Our relationships influence our brain and emotions.
Each facet of being human is interdependent and influences the other parts. We are a unified whole.
Mental Health + Rediscovering Being Human —— The entrance of human autonomy apart from God, also known as the fall, in Genesis 2 affected every facet of what it means to be human.
Our body
Our mind
Our emotions
Our relationships
Our relationship with God
We live in a broken world.
We feel that brokenness in every crevice of our humanity.
Therefore, it makes sense that many of us would, at times in our life, struggle with our well-being in one or all of these areas.
The good news about mental health and being human is that there is hope. Hope to rediscover what it means to be a thriving and healthy human. Hope that we can invest into each of these areas of our life. Hope that through Jesus we can learn what it means to be a human created in the Image of God.
Much Love + Peace,
Wesley Towne, Founder