Handling Physical and Mental Distress- Conflict Resolution God’s Way
Christians know the importance of patience in the spiritual life. They recognize God’s patience toward them in light of their sin and slow growth in godliness. They know what God’s Word says concerning the importance of patience with other believers within the body of Christ. At the same time, one of the greatest inhibitors to patience is physical or mental distress. Many times we struggle to cultivate and endeavor in patience because we feel the weight of physical suffering or mental preoccupation. How should Christians handle physical and mental distress?
In this week’s episode of the Biblical Counseling Podcast Pastor Jeff Christianson and his wife, Jennie Christianson, offer counsel for those suffering from physical and mental distress. Christians often walk through seasons where suffering taxes their soul and infringes upon their ability to exercise spiritual disciplines. In these seasons, we recognize the necessity of God’s Word. God’s Word alone offers solutions for our problems and satisfactions in our hearts. In Psalm 1, we see the picture of a tree never withering or failing to bear fruit because it sits by streams of water--a representation of the spiritual life available for believers in God’s Word.
If we are in conflict situations with others, we must exercise patience with different parties. Counselors must have patience with their counselees. Spouses must be exhorted to have patience with their partners. Parents need patience with their children. We must remember that endurance under trials produces maturity (Romans 5:3-5). God often uses trials to cultivate necessary heart dispositions so that we may become more fruitful for his service.
Here are a few tips for processing physical and mental distress. First, consider whether you have put too much pressure on yourself. Often mental distress is self-inflicted. Our hearts race past our minds as we say yes to commitments we can’t keep. Ask yourself these questions: have I put too many things on my plate? Are my expectations for myself realistic? Am I piling on opportunities to avoid other commitments in my life?
Second, we must look to the great cloud of witnesses. Often, we feel alone in our burdens. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us that many Christians have walked roads of distress and suffering--and have overcome! Seeing other Christians live in faithfulness encourages our hearts toward perseverance. Hebrews 12:1-2 also exhorts us to remove any self-inflicted weights. We often complicate simple commands through sinful and unwise choices. If we devote ourselves to God’s service, clear any obstacles which hinders us, we will find ourselves free to commit our whole being to him.
Third, we must learn to rejoice in the Lord. In Philippians 4, Paul uses the glorious realities of the gospel to fuel his worship amidst suffering. If we want to be anxious about nothing, we must pray about everything. We must set our minds on the things of God rather than man. If we fail to renew our minds, we should not be surprised when we find ourselves burdened by the struggles of life.
Want to learn more? Listen to this podcast to hear Pastor Jeff and Jennie address:
- The necessity of patience for conflict resolution
- Steps for handling physical and mental distress
- Practical tips for rejoicing in the Lord
What You'll Discover in this Episode:
Resources:
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Another wonderful podcast by Jeff and Jenny! Pastor Jeff, I have often bitten off more than I could chew ministry wise and I have discovered the wisdom that you mention, that the power of say NO is the power of saying YES to something else. Sometimes that yes represents my family, sometimes it merely represents my opportunity to rest from a lot of labor. So thankful that I am a Calvary chapel university student!