I’ve been struggling with my mental health and have dealt with OCD for quite some time now. I’ve prayed and asked God for help, I’ve gone to different kinds of therapy with some help and others making it worse. Friends and family have prayed over me, and it has still been a struggle. It’s been hard dealing with OCD and all of the subtypes that come with it. My brain is never at peace, no matter how many times I pray; it’s exhausting. I want to give up, but I won’t. I would appreciate advice on how to trust God during suffering and stay patient, trusting that it will get better someday. As well as some words of encouragement, if anyone has any to share.
One thing that being on this site has shown me, is just how many of God’s people are suffering. I know of those in my life who have serious problems and I pray for them. I didn’t realize just how extensive the suffering was in the church until I came here. So you are definitely not alone if that’s of any comfort to you. Lots of your brothers and sisters are dealing with the same thing.
Have you heard of Oswald Chambers. His name is well known in Christian circles. He died in 1917, and was a great preacher in his time. He also suffered from severe depression and mental distress but it didn’t keep him from serving the Lord and others. It was his faith and dependance on God that enabled him to pull through.
Being a child of God doesn’t keep us from problems or illness or mental distress. It just means that we lean in harder to the One who loves us. Sometimes we’re healed and sometimes we’re not. I can’t answer why that’s so. The important thing is to keep going and keep leaning. Don’t let your struggle be all of who you are. You can live and do and share Christ in your life in spite of what you’re going through.
https://youtu.be/KZDvcEkjthA Why haven’t you healed me - The Chosen scene
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Hello @Willow
This is a hard lesson for a lot of people. One, I had to learn the hard way myself. One day I was going to work, and my car slid off the road on some ice. It was wrecked. I got so angry, I got out and punched the car. The cop that showed up, I have no idea his faith, said to me, “Are you hurt?” I said no, not really. Just my hand, I got so mad I punched the car.
He looked at me, looked at the car, and said: “Did it work?” I had to admit I saw kindness in his eyes. He was not trying to be a jerk. I had to admit “No.” “Oh, so you still don’t have a car, and now you have a broken hand.”
Right then and there, I remember praying to God. It went something like, God, I have no money, lousy credit at the time, and now I have no car. I simply give up. I give it to you. There is nothing I can do about this. Help me, please, in Jesus’ name, amen. Oh, and if you don’t mind, can you help my hand?
Long story short, I felt such peace come over me. I ended up a few days later with $500.00 cash and no credit, walking into a Ford dealership and saying. I don’t want to waste your or my time. I have lousy credit and $500.00. If you can get me in a car for around $250.00 a month, I will buy it. I left with a Sion TC that someone just traded in, for $238.00 a month. One of the best cars I’ve ever had.
Lesson I learned: stop worrying about things I cannot change. Give them to, and more importantly, trust God. If there is nothing you can do about it, why worry about it? It is what it is; it will be what it will be. You may not be able to do anything, or even see it for anything other than how you perceive it. But God knows.
“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:26-28
Guess what?
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-29
With God, all things are possible. Trust in Him.
Peter