Your mental illness does not make you any less Christian, any less called, or any less loved.

If you watched my stories this week, you probably saw me address the negative feedback I received about a simple “therapy OOTD” post. When I first opened some of those messages, I genuinely thought they were jokes. As someone who openly advocates for mental health, I was shocked to learn that those comments were coming from a place of sincere belief because, guys, you should know who you’re following.

But alongside the negativity, I also received so many encouraging DMs and messages from people saying that because the creators they follow talk openly about therapy, medication, and mental health, they no longer feel ashamed for needing support in addition to God’s healing. I’ll attach the statement I posted at the end of this blog for anyone who wants to read it in full.

Hearing all of this made me realize something deeper: we have an issue within the Church of unjust judgment and an incomplete understanding of how God works. So for this week’s blog, I wanted to talk about not only how God uses therapy and mental health professionals in our healing, but also this damaging belief that having a mental illness somehow makes someone “less Christian.”

One person I always think of when it comes to mental and emotional struggle is Elijah. I’ve talked about him often because his story is such a powerful reminder that even the called can wrestle with deep despair.

Elijah was the prophet who confronted King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and witnessed God's miraculous intervention. And yet, Elijah also experienced overwhelming hopelessness.

After the victory on Mount Carmel, Jezebel vowed to kill him. Elijah fled Israel in fear, exhaustion, and confusion. Under the weight of it all, he collapsed beneath a juniper tree and asked God to take his life. He didn’t want to keep going. But as he slept, an angel met him with food and water, and God met him with a gentle whisper. Not with shame, not with disappointment, not with dismissal. God didn’t treat Elijah as “less called” because he was falling apart. He met him in the wilderness with compassion and care.

And Elijah’s story didn’t end there. God renewed his strength, gave him a new purpose, anointed Elisha as his successor, and ultimately took Elijah to heaven in a fiery chariot. His calling continued, not in spite of his struggle, but right alongside it.

Maybe you’re a therapist who goes to therapy. Maybe you’re a coach who needs coaching. Maybe you’re a teacher in school, too. Whatever your role, needing support does not disqualify you from your calling. God uses these tools to better you and further His calling on your life.

Therapy and God are not in competition; they work beautifully together. God often brings healing through the wisdom, tools, and support He places in our path, and therapy is one of those gifts. Just as we thank God for doctors, teachers, and pastors, we can also thank Him for counselors who help us understand our minds and navigate the wounds we carry. Therapy doesn’t replace God’s healing; it simply partners with it, creating space for clarity, restoration, and growth.

To my brothers and sisters in the Church who live with mental illness:

You are not less called because your mind battles differently.

You are not less Christian.

You are not less loved.

God wouldn’t place you where you are if it wasn’t woven into His good plan for you. I’m sorry if the Church has ever made you feel otherwise. I’m sorry if people have treated you like you’re “less.” But hear me clearly, you are none of those things to God.

He sees how far you’ve come.

He knows every step it took to get here.

And He is so proud of you.