Blue Monday… most depressing day of the year?

As the Christmas lights fade and the winter nights stretch on, the third Monday of January has come to be known as “Blue Monday” — supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Whether or not this title is accurate, it’s undeniable that many of us feel the weight of post-holiday blues, cold weather, and the challenges of everyday life during this season.

For some, January may feel like a time of fresh starts and resolutions, but for others, it can be a month of struggle, where light and hope seem distant. If this resonates with you, I want to remind you that you are not alone.

Mental health is a complicated topic – too much for a short email. The Bible is filled with stories of people who experience a vast range of emotional, mental and physical challenges. Psalm 34:18 assures us.

“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Even in our deepest struggles, God is near, offering comfort and hope.

As someone who has benefitted from counselling in the past, I would encourage anyone facing serious struggles to seek help – we wouldn’t expect someone to heal themselves of a broken leg without medical care, so why wouldn’t we seek help in our mental brokenness?

The source of mental health challenges varies, and there’s no one-fits-all easy solution. One website includes a list of truths to hold to during mental health strugggles. I keep coming back to this:

I am already accepted and already loved. I don’t need to prove myself; or pretend or perform. I don’t need to fix myself or other people. I don’t need to atone for my own mistakes. I don’t have to take control or make the world safe. [Read: The Gospel – Good for (Mental) Health]

So often the public conversation about mental health seeks to explain our human experience with all its ups and down without reference to God. Whilst there is so much good wisdom in the world, there is also a lot that is unhelpful. That’s why our team at OCCA are working to create some video content next year, explaining how the Bible speaks into this issue.

A couple of things to get you started:

• Where does our value come from? Two OCCA videos from Simon Edwards
• Is Mental Health Biblical? with Paul Tripp
• Pastoral Care Advice from Biblical Counselling UK.
• Mental Health and Your Church: A Handbook for Biblical Care (by Helen Thorne and Steve Midgley)

Let’s remember that God is the ultimate source of our hope, a steadfast anchor even in the stormiest seas. As Psalm 42:11 reminds us:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.”

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