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In high school, I had a 3.9 GPA. I had friends. I was involved in band. From the outside, my life looked like it was headed somewhere good. I was also deeply depressed and thinking about whether anybody would even notice if I were gone. Those two things existed at the same time. I was performing well while I was emotionally dying. Eventually, Christ rescued me. I surrendered my life to Jesus, the depression lifted, and the suicidal pull broke. I’m not going to water that story down. Jesus saved my soul, and I believe He saved my physical life too. But here’s where we have to use some wisdom: My testimony is not a formula. I can’t look at another Christian who is fighting depression and say, “Well, Jesus took mine away. If you really trusted Him, He’d take yours away too.” That isn’t wisdom. And it isn’t what Scripture shows us. That tension—between trusting Christ completely and knowing when to receive other kinds of help—is what I unpack in this week’s episode of The Rebellious Remedy: [WATCH: You Can Love Jesus and Still Need Mental Health Help] Psalm 42 gives us a man whose soul is downcast while he is actively putting his hope in God. Jesus Himself said in Gethsemane: “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death.” — Matthew 26:38 BSB He prayed. He submitted Himself completely to the Father. And He asked Peter, James, and John to stay with Him. So where did we get this idea that strong Christians never struggle? Or that needing somebody beside you means your faith is weak? There are two mistakes we can make here. We can spiritualize everything: “You’re depressed because you don’t trust God.” “You’re anxious because you aren’t praying enough.” “You just need more faith.” But we can also make the opposite mistake: Treating every season of sadness, fear, grief, or distress as though it must have the same cause—or require the same kind of help. Neither approach is wise. A counselor can help you recognize a destructive pattern. They cannot forgive your sin. Medication may help reduce symptoms. It cannot give your life purpose. Your pastor can help you understand Scripture and walk through suffering. He may not be trained to treat a mental illness. Different kinds of help can serve different purposes without competing with Christ. Jesus remains Lord. Every legitimate helper serves underneath Him. That’s the distinction I spend most of the episode working through—including how to think about whether you need a trusted believer, your pastor, a medical professional, a mental-health professional, or some combination of them. [WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE] If you’re struggling right now, start by telling the truth. Ask yourself: How long has this been happening? And: What is it stopping me from doing? Then match the help to the problem. Maybe you need to finally tell a trusted Christian what’s actually happening. Maybe you need your pastor. Maybe you need to talk with your doctor. Maybe it’s time to make the counseling appointment you keep putting off. And if you’re in danger, you need immediate help (call 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline now). Faith isn’t a reason to hide. We care for the mind because it belongs to Christ. We seek wisdom because it belongs to Christ. And when help is needed, receiving that help can be part of faithfully stewarding the life God has entrusted to us. That’s the mission behind Dream Root Wellness: To restore health and wellness within the Body of Christ as stewardship under Christ. So don’t use faith as a reason to hide. Don’t use a diagnosis as your identity. Don’t make a professional your savior. Tell the truth. Bring the problem under Christ. Then get the help that actually fits. If this is something you’ve wrestled with—or you know someone who has—I think this episode will help you think through it with more clarity. [WATCH: You Can Love Jesus and Still Need Mental Health Help] P.S. One question: Have you ever felt like asking for help meant your faith wasn’t strong enough? Hit reply and tell me yes or no.
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At one point, I wrote this prayer in my journal: “God, I know You have so much more for my life. Reveal to me the purpose You have for me.” And over time, the answer became pretty clear. Dream Root Wellness needed to serve Christians clearly. Jesus needed to stop being someone I mentioned when talking about spiritual health and become the foundation of everything I was building. I knew what needed to change. But knowing what God was calling me to do meant I actually had to do it. And that’s...
There was a point during my paramedic years when I weighed more than 240 pounds. And I remember looking in the mirror and barely recognizing the guy looking back at me. Now, I didn’t get there because I woke up one morning and decided to destroy my health. I was working ridiculous hours. A scheduled 12-hour shift could turn into 16, 18, sometimes close to 20 hours away from home. I had more than an hour of driving on each side of it. I’d stop at White Castle or Burger King because it was...
Hello Reader, There were nights during my paramedic years when I’d get home around 4:00 in the morning. I was technically working 12-hour shifts. But between late calls, paperwork, and driving more than an hour each way, those 12-hour shifts had a funny way of becoming 18- or 20-hour days. Sometimes I’d stop at White Castle or Burger King on the way home. Then I’d get home and eat the food my wife had left for me in the refrigerator. So was I hungry? Probably. But was hunger the whole...