5 Lessons from the Bible about Mental Health

Note: This article is not a substitute for receiving help or a diagnosis from a behavioral health professional. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Though mental health disorders worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, five lessons from the Bible teach us how to achieve happiness.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an uptick in mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, among adults. While adults suffered from social isolation and economic loss, school closures also took a toll on the mental health of children.

Even though many Americans are less isolated than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, they still face stressors. These stressors include violent events in the news and the difficulty of buying gas, groceries, and other essential goods with soaring inflation.

But God provides His wisdom whether you’re feeling a general sense of hopelessness or experiencing a serious mental health disorder. Because life is full of suffering and God wants us to have a joyful life, He revealed truths on mental health that are now supported by research. Here are five lessons from the Bible about mental health.

1. A Healthy Body Leads to a Healthy Mind

Christians know that their bodies are temporary while their souls are eternal. But 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 provides a lesson on the relationship between our body and soul: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Because our bodies are temples, God wants us to take care of our physical health. There’s overwhelming evidence that our physical health improves our mental health, including research on the benefits of exercise. 30 minutes of exercise at least three days a week reduces anxiety and depression and improves mood and self-esteem.

There’s also a growing body of research about nutrition’s impact on mental health. Exercise and nutrition are upstream, holistic approaches, meaning that they help prevent physical health problems. People should still use medical care to intervene when they do become sick. For families that have difficulty affording prevention or intervention, there are resources that can help them maintain a healthy diet and access health care.

People who are especially selfless often neglect their physical health because they’re busy caring for others. A healthy body is still important because we cannot continue doing God’s work without one.

2. Have Fun with Your Family

God’s work also happens in our households. One reason that God blesses us with family is because they “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). But it’s because of this lesson that families often feel overwhelmed. The Bible tells us that we are obligated to carry our family’s burdens, but finances, caring for children or the elderly, and relationship troubles can cause great stress.

Others can help us shoulder this burden, whether they’re in our nuclear family, extended family, or even the chosen family of our faith community. We can ask a spouse to help us with household chores, ask a sibling to visit a sick parent, or ask a friend how to resolve communication issues in a relationship.

Because our responsibility can make family seem like the source of our problems, our mental health depends on finding joy in family fun. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to engage in healthy activities. Outdoor recreation, game nights, and church socials are all ways to bond with our families, who God gifted to us for our happiness.

3. Find Friends Who Share Your Faith

Christians see their church and fellow believers as one big family. John 15:12-13 teaches us a lesson about loving our friends as we do our family: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

The isolation from the pandemic demonstrated how important friendship and social ties are for mental health. Research from the Mayo Clinic shows that healthy friendships reduce stress, increase happiness and self-worth, and even lead to physical health benefits because “older adults who have meaningful relationships and social support are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.”

The same research uses faith communities as an example of a way to meet friends. The Christian faith teaches its followers to love one another with brotherly love, or philia. Treating one another as one big family has several benefits. Our friends are mentors who encourage us to follow Christ’s teachings and live in God’s perfect image.

A friend’s mentorship also helps us stay away from unhealthy habits–including excessive drinking and eating junk food–that prevent us from becoming our best selves. Children need mentors, too, and (aside from their parents) should develop three additional relationships with a pastor, coach, teacher, or other healthy adult.

When we indulge in unhealthy habits or fail to follow Christ’s teachings, the brotherly love of a friend can help us forgive ourselves. A friend’s love is similar to God’s unconditional love, which puts our minds at ease.

4. Going to Church Works 

While the friends we meet at church become a source of happiness and love, the very act of going to church improves our mental health. People benefit from spirituality, or participating in rituals during church services and feeling connected to something greater than themselves. In Jeremiah 32:27, God asks, “Is anything too hard for me?” We know that God is greater than our problems, and when we feel hopeless, there’s relief in trusting in God to answer our prayers.

We also benefit from our ministry because helping others reduces anxiety and stress. Sharing the Gospel, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or helping a neighbor with a project are not only our obligations but also make us feel better.

 5. God Gave Us Tools for Our Mental Health

Sometimes we need extra help as we take care of our physical health, relationships, and spiritual life. The Bible gives us many lessons on the importance of seeking wisdom, including in Proverbs: “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding” (Proverbs 3:13). We seek wisdom from others because different people have different expertise. Behavioral health experts are no exception, and they share wisdom through services ranging from diagnosing a mental health disorder to counseling couples or individuals.

Until recently, many people felt embarrassed to discuss behavioral health because of how others might perceive them. But even the happiest and healthiest people understand that no one’s perfect, and behavioral health services are tools that help us become our best selves and live in the image of God.

Though we struggle with finances, the wellbeing of our children, and other hardships, no one suffers alone. The Bible teaches us lessons that prove God’s unconditional love and provide examples of how to improve our mental and physical health. God wants us to take care of our bodies, find moments of joy with our family, treat our friends with brotherly love, worship Him, and seek the wisdom of behavioral health experts. These lessons give us a sense of relief from our suffering because, with God, anything is possible.