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Mental health challenges affect everyone - even Christians. While having anxiety or depression isn't sinful, how we handle these struggles matters deeply. The good news is that we have a Good Shepherd who cares deeply about our mental and emotional wellbeing.

Where Do Negative Thoughts Come From?

Our negative thoughts often originate from the enemy, who uses the same playbook he's used since Genesis 3 - making us question God's goodness and truth. The enemy will try to convince us that:

God isn't who He says He is

His promises may not be true

Our past disqualifies us from His grace

We are exceptions to His rules

 

The Good Shepherd's Invitation

Psalm 23 provides a beautiful picture of how God, as our Good Shepherd, offers us an invitation to exchange our anxious thoughts for His peace. He:

Makes us lie down in green pastures

Leads us beside still waters

Restores our soul

Guides us through dark valleys

Prepares a table before us, even amid our struggles

 

How Do We Find Peace Through the Good Shepherd?

There are two key elements to exchanging anxious thoughts for holy ones:

Proximity - We must come to His table and get close to Him through:

 

Regular time in His Word

Prayer

Worship

Christian community

 

Posture - We must approach with humility:

 

Acknowledging we need a shepherd

Surrendering control

Trusting His guidance

Believing He cares deeply about us

 

Casting Our Anxieties on Him

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." This means:

Fully depositing our worries with Him

Not just temporarily casting them off

Leaving them with Him rather than taking them back

Trusting His concern for us

 

Life Application

This week, practice these steps toward mental peace:

Identify what's causing anxiety in your life right now

Intentionally bring those concerns to God's table daily

Practice leaving them with Him rather than picking them back up

Find a trusted Christian friend to pray with about your struggles

 

Ask yourself:

What's keeping me from fully trusting God with my anxieties?

Am I trying to cast off my worries or truly deposit them with God?

Do I believe God is genuinely concerned about my mental wellbeing?

Who can I reach out to for prayer support and accountability?

 

Remember: Just because God knows your future doesn't mean He doesn't care about how you feel right now. He is deeply concerned about you personally and invites you to find rest in His presence.