How Being a Christian Can Help Your Mental Health.
Life is one odd series of events. You never know what may be up around the next curve. For many people, having faith and trusting in God is their main port in the storm of life. Having a strong Christian faith should not be dismissed, as it is often done. There is actually scientific proof that having a strong faith can help mental health.
Being religious or spiritual and having a strong connection with God can provide support and give a person something to focus on in times of needs. Beyond that, a Christian faith can enrich a person’s life and enable him or her to find other support. Finally, having a strong faith gives people a sense of purpose and lets them form a connection to a power much greater than anything on Earth.
These benefits can enable a person to live their life in a different way. Faith lends a hand in beating stress, being healthier overall and becoming a part of a strong community. Here’s a more in-depth look at each of these ways faith improves your mental health.
Reducing Stress
One of the main reasons why faith can reduce stress is that people who have a deep faith will rely on it in troubling times. Think about how you react to a bad situation. If you have a good Christian faith, you likely turn to God through prayer. You ask him to help you and to give blessings. You may ask for protection and strength. Just having this bond and opening yourself up to a faith that God will heal and will make things better can help to get rid of stress. It calms the mind and the body.
Think about faith as putting your life in someone else’s hands. When you go to God in prayer and ask that his will be done, you are putting your life in his hands. You are telling him that you are giving up your worries and your stress to him and trusting in him to handle the situation and help you through it. Even when it comes to other people, when you hand off your issues to someone else, it takes a huge burden off you.
In addition, when you start putting your faith in God and speaking to him through prayer, you are able to better recognize the things that are most important in your life. For example, when you say your daily prayers, you probably thank him for your loved ones, a roof over your head and stable employment. You likely do not thank him for all the little things that are really not that important in the big picture. Knowing what is important in your life leads to a life that is less stressful because you learn not to sweat the small stuff.
Encouraging Overall Health
The backbone of Christian faith is following the Bible and doing good in your life. If you have a strong faith, you likely don’t participate in risky behaviors or do things that could put your mind and body at risk. The benefits of this are obvious.
In addition, a strong faith is a form of optimism. You learn to give your woes up to God and trust in him to lead and guide your life. It is much easier for you to have a positive attitude and outlook on life. It has been shown time and again through various studies that optimism leads to a healthier person. It helps people focus on the good sides of life and not dwell on the bad things, leading to a happier person overall.
Building a Strong Community Connection
Christians like to form communities and welcome other Christians. When you become a Christian, you become part of this large group of people who will always be there for you. There are many Christian colleges that can help educate you further and they are a great community to learn from. When you fall on hard times, you have people you can reach out to who will help you through whatever it is. You also have plenty of shoulders to cry on and people who will be happy to listen to you talk about whatever may be bothering you. Knowing that you have people to count on can be a great comfort no matter what may be happening in your life.
The community doesn’t end in your physical area either. You can meet others from around the world and connect through publications, such as The Way International. Having a community behind you can give you strength even when things seem dire. It gives you hope that you can make it through anything.
Christian faith has always been under fire from groups that don’t believe or have issues with Christian teachings. However, when you have a strong faith, it can change your life. It can help you to feel happier. It can help you to beat stress and get through rough times. It can lift you up when you feel down. It is something that will always be there as long as you put your faith in God, you can become an optimistic and happy person who doesn’t worry about the small things and who has a great support system behind him or her.
