David had plenty of firsthand experience with the challenges of mental health. He shares all about it in the psalms.

4 min read

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

-David, Psalm 37:23

In observation of Mental Health Awareness Month (May), we thought it would be helpful to contribute to the mental health conversation from a perspective of faith and spirituality.

Granted, this isn’t an easy conversation. There is still much about mental health that we don’t understand.

One thing in particular that we are trying to get a better grasp on is how faith in God intersects with issues like anxiety and depression. Clearly, believers are subject to the same pressures as everyone else. Though we have peace with God through Jesus, this doesn’t mean that our minds are always settled and peaceful.

So, what does it mean?

Even though Christians are subject to the same mental health challenges as non-Christians, we do have some unique and therapeutic resources to draw upon daily.

David the Counselee

David of the Bible is perhaps the hallmark example of a devoted believer who had acute mental health needs. We referenced David’s struggle in a previous post and this is another to complement.

Put simply, David integrated his relationship with God and his struggle with anxiety and depression. Rather than trying to keep his difficult thoughts and emotions apart from his worship, David incorporated them into his interactions with God. What he offered to the Lord wasn’t always pretty, but it was always worshipful.

In the Psalms are where we learn the most about David’s internal struggles. They read like a personal journal, with posts representing the whole spectrum of human emotion, from desperation to elation and everything in between.

Out of the 150 chapters, 73 psalms are attributed to David. In these poetic writings, we see two consistent and contrasting themes: (a) life can be brutal, (b) there is always hope in God.

David the Counselor

In Psalm 37, David writes as a counselor. Normally, he is the one crying out, but in this case he is instructing those with struggles like him.

David, the melancholy psalmist, outlines seven practices for improved mental health. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David gives some do’s and don’ts for keeping your heart and mind in a good place. In abbreviated form, here they are:

1. DON’T FRET. In verses 1 and 7, David says “Fret not yourself because of evildoers…” It can be unsettling when we see all the evil and evildoers around us. David had the same harsh reality in his day. But worrying about it doesn’t help. There are things we can do to help with the problem of evil, but fretting isn’t one of them. The first imperative is, don’t fret.
2. TRUST THE LORD. In verse 3, David says “Trust in the LORD…” Faith in God has much to do with our mental health. The more we actively trust Him, the less space there will be for anxiety. We can trust that God will take care of the things that concern us in his time and in his way. The second imperative is, trust the LORD.
3. DO GOOD. This is the follow-up to “Trust in the LORD” in verse 3. Together, it reads “Trust in the LORD and do good.” This one implies relationship with others, that we are part of a community. There is something about doing good to others that helps you feel good. The opposite is usually true as well…doing bad can make us feel bad. Doing good is good for us on every level – heart, mind, and soul. The third mental health imperative is do good.
4. DELIGHT IN THE LORD. In verse 4, David says “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Do you enjoy the Lord? Are you finding His grace is sufficient for you? Are you personally blessed by His goodness? The fourth imperative is delight yourself in the Lord.
5. COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD. In verse 5, David says “Commit everything you do to the LORD, trust Him and he will help you.” To commit literally means to roll, or to release something. To commit your way to the Lord means that you are releasing control of your life into His kind and capable hands. The fifth imperative is to commit your way to the Lord.
6. BE STILL IN HIS PRESENCE. In verse 7, David says to “Be still in the presence of the LORD…” In our fast-paced and noisy world, it can be difficult to practice the discipline of stillness. But just like a vehicle needs to be in “Park” to receive fuel, so we need to put in Park every now and then in order to be re-fueled. The sixth imperative is, be still in his presence.
7. CEASE FROM RAGE. In verse 8, David says “Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!” It’s an increasingly angry world. Have you noticed how everyone’s fuse seems to be shorter these days? Might there be a correlation between our anger and our mental health crisis? The good news is that if God’s Word says to cease from anger, that means it is possible. With God’s help, the unhealthy patterns of anger can be broken for good. The seventh imperative is to cease from rage.

These seven imperatives come from a person who walked the difficult road of mental unhealth. David, who literally lived much of his life in a cave of depression, was also a passionate worshiper of God. Today, his example and his writing can help us bridge what seems like an impossible disconnect between faith and issues of mental health.

David practiced his own imperatives and because he did, what defines him is not depression or anxiety. What defines David is his life of worship for a God who loved him at all times and who remained faithful in all circumstances.

May the same be said of you and me.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.