Peace Over Darkness & Mental Health Battles This Christmas

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [John 14:27]

“Peace, bringing it all to peace. The storm surrounding me. Let it break at your name…. …Jesus. Jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus. Jesus. You silence fear…”

I have sung the words to that song, Tremble, many a time when going through the darkest battles for the life of my husband. Walking through the mental health battle for his life. Praying and asking the Lord for strength, for discernment, for wisdom. For peace. For breakthrough in the battle to come. For deliverance from the mental health illness that swirled around us. Let it break at your name. Protect his life, in Jesus’ name. Knowing that Jesus’ name held power.

The name that is above every other name is the only One that can save. Jesus- The only One who has power in the battle. That name- the One who conquered the grave, conquered sin & death. God, The One who is mighty over all creation, Sovereign over every circumstance.

I would lift my hands in praise and prayer asking for the Lord to move in His mighty power in our life, to protect my husband’s life, to help me as it was all so much to bear. The burden and weight of responsibility and caregiving for mental health illness took its’ toll on me too. Of course it did. 

God was in the midst though. God was moving in the deep waters of what I was wading in, the deep waters of what we were living in. God heard my cry. Out of the deep. He answered me. 

He didn’t bring swift and immediate healing. But He did give His presence. He did continue to be with me, to walk with me, to guide me, to give me His strength, His peace when I was spent. He gave me clarity for the next step in care. He led the way. He protected my husband’s physical life as we continued in treatment and therapy for his mental health battles. 

Jesus has power over the darkness. 

There can be light and truth and goodness even in the midst of the heaviest of depression, because God has not left. He is right there in the suffering with you. Or did you forget, dear friend, that Jesus also suffered deep agony & suffering in His life on earth too. He experientially understands suffering and can come close in our suffering. He, alongside the Holy Spirit, can intercede on our behalf as we pray and do not know what to pray.

We can lift our hands up to God and our tear-stained faces in praise, and He will hear us.

He will move on our behalf. We do not know the timing or the way in which He will move, but He will give us what we need as we trust in Him and lean into Him in our pain, in our darkness, in our difficulty.

God is at work for our good, and He sits in our suffering with us.

You, friend, are not alone in your battle. You are not alone in your depression. You are not alone in your anxiety. You are not alone in your suicidal thoughts. God is present. Turn your face towards Him. Ask Him for His help, for His deliverance. Ask Him for His guidance. Tell a trusted friend too. Seek the help you need through God and therapy and medication.

God brings peace that is not of this world. Hope that can help us carry on. Hope through Jesus who conquered sin and death and all the diagnoses and illnesses of this world that are part of our imperfectness.

Put your hope and faith in Him and ask God to come into the midst of what you are walking through right now. Ask Him for His strength and hope. His guidance. Ask Him for His peace.

He might not heal you from your suffering, but He will give His presence, His strength, His guidance and help you as you walk through your battle. He cares deeply for you, friend.

That’s why Jesus came down to earth in the first place—because of His great love for you and me. He is the only One who can bring peace. Peace that is not of this world. The peace and calm that comes only through the Holy Spirit’s power. Peace that can be found even in the midst of a swirling battle and storm. God’s peace.

Invite Him into your life friend, into your battle, into your struggles. He is there waiting to walk alongside you in them.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [John 14:27]

Here’s the song from above: “Tremble” by MosaicMSC. Listen to it Here on Youtube and be encouraged.