4 Ways to Understand the Mind of Christ in Depression or Anxiety
“We have the mind of Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
What does it mean to have the MIND of Christ but struggle with a MENTAL health challenge like depression, anxiety, or other related challenges?
Paul is quoting Isaiah 40:13 in reference to this scripture, in which the chapter is a prophetic poetry of God’s comfort, security, salvation, and restoration for His own - no one dictated this for God - His love for us is constant. Thus, all this signifies the loving role of the Holy Spirit … being in us the Mind of Christ … changing the meta-narrative about who we are and who we are … in our challenges … even our mental health challenges.
Let's review four comforting ways to discover an encouraging Biblical / Scriptural perspective on having “the mind of Christ” in depression, anxiety, and any mental health condition.
1. The mind of Christ is a truth perspective about you (it’s all a mindset that shapes and empowers our lives).
"Now, we have not received the spirit of the world, but rather the Spirit who is from God, that we might KNOW the things freely given to us by God." - 1 Corinthians 2:12
Depression and anxiety (or other mental health stressors) can cloud our emotions and thoughts, which makes it hard to "build up your most holy faith" and to keep believing Him. It can feel like it’s taking every ounce of life to keep believing. In other words, there’s no emotional or physical energy to “push through.”
However, having the mind of Christ is not a spiritual goal or objective; it is more about resting in our inherent identity in Christ. Knowing what we have freely received in Him and how that shapes and empowers our lives (and mental health doesn’t mean we lost it)!
The mind of Christ is an opportunity to see the Father as Christ sees Him. Then, how the Father sees Christ is how He sees you. We can do nothing to change that; our spiritual disciplines (or lack thereof) do not. Let that sink in a moment!
We are now part of His fullness with all spiritual favor/blessings (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:27). Depression and anxiety or any diagnosis doesn’t change that - if anything, Jesus draws closer in our mental health pain (as if He could get any closer than He already is) to gently whisper that reminder to us or maybe saying … “You’re still full of my favor … I’m still here … I won’t leave”.
The mind of Christ speaks to His love and Spirit at rest within us—a satisfaction of being fully graced as children of God (John 1:12, 16).
Friends, you can rest in knowing that when the mental health stressors cloud your faith and you are trying to believe in Him, know that He believes in you because you are precious, of extreme weighty value, to Him (Isaiah 43:4 “precious in my sight”).
2. The mind of Christ reassures you that you always have His presence (never lacking grace and mercy for mental and emotional health challenges).
"...which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." - 1 Corinthians 2:13
It is common for people living with mental health stressors to feel disconnected or distant from God. That "disconnected" feeling is because of the symptoms, not God separating Himself.
Having the mind of Christ means, by His Spirit, you always have loving belonging, forever connectedness - an inseparable love union (1 Cor. 6.17, Rom. 8:37-39) … not just access (for some, access implies distance).
We are “seated with Christ” — placed in the same victorious life (Eph. 2:6), lacking nothing from it and always having his unending grace and mercy for every and all our challenges - including mental health (see Hebrews 4:16).
God’s presence is not an emotion. Despite our feelings, He is at rest within us (John 14:20). Thus, He always wants to guide us to rest … which is about renewing, healing, and restoring. His presence always comes with His nature to give and bless.
For example,
Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” really means “because He is my shepherd, I never lack anything.” Then, in v. 2 … “He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters …”.
As a beautiful shepherd, Jesus always guides us to safety, rest, and abundance of nourishment that restores our souls (v. 3). The sheep receives … The Shepherd looks after his own.
So, this is why the apostle James wrote that when we endure trials—yes, this includes mental health difficulties—we can still grow and rise from the ashes, "lacking in nothing." The Apostle Paul encouraged us that we can grow (improve) through our trials because we have Him as our Hope (Romans 5:1-5) and empowering our Hope (Romans 15:13).
Do you see it … Jesus is doing everything! We don’t have to convince him or get His attention with our actions to do it! The Mind of Christ knows He’s already at work!
The tough questions are welcomed!
But what if I’m alone? What if no one understands and keeps trying to get me to do something for God to help me? What if it’s painfully lonely?
God is not distant from our isolation or feeling of it - He’s in it with you.
The Apostle John reassured us that when we feel lonely or like no other Christian deeply understand our experience or have no one there to guide us, we have the Spirit to teach and guide us (1 John 2:27). The Great Shepherd doesn’t leave his own - even if they wander off because they are precious and valuable, the Shepherd goes off searching for that one (Luke 15:3-7). Jesus said the Holy Spirit, the COMFORTER, would abide and guide us (John 14:16, 26).
However, try not to stay in isolation - reach out to others and try simple and clever ways to be with them (it doesn’t even have to be about the mental health journey).
From this perspective, consider praying from a belonging and connected perspective, not that false, illusionary, distant idea. You can consider praying, “Lord, in our belonging, teach me, show me, be my buddy through this!” Then, journal or write down what you learn.
Remember, God being distant is a myth; He will never leave us (abandon His own, John 14:18). He is a God within … we are in Christ with all the blessings that come with Him (Eph. 1:3)!
3. The mind of Christ focuses on new life, all that’s right with and about you, and not on your sins or failures (or more work you need to do … “to be good enough”).
With depression and anxiety (and other mental health conditions), it is natural to be highly self-judging, always trying to find a reason (even scripturally) to disqualify yourself from grace (unfortunately, religious rules do that, too). This can lead to constant introspection and trying to work ourselves back into God's good graces … spiritual exhaustion.
Consider this … the mind of Christ is not given more willpower for sin management, or for keeping religious disciplines going in fear God will walk away, be angry (or displease God to anger and punishment).
First, God doesn’t look at us through a sin filter or treat us according to our sin failure (see Psalm 103:10, Hebrews 10:14-18). He looks at us through a love lens, which is always through compassion! Like in the story of the “prodigal son” (or the story of the Prodigal’s Father), Jesus reveals what the Father is like with his brokenhearted son …
“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way far off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran, embraced, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20
No matter if depression, anxiety, or any diagnosis makes you feel “a long way off,” …. see through the lens of the Prodigal’s Father … love never loses sight, and He runs to you with compassion to embrace and forgive (kiss symbolizes it). No matter what our journey has been or what road we’re on … The Father’s love makes Him run to you … on the road! Can you see the Father’s love weeping in relief, “My son … My daughter … is HOME!’ Mental health can’t keep this kind of Father away!
Second, we are in Christ, with all his love and blessings (Eph. 1:3). So, how much more favor or blessings can we get than Christ in us (Colossians 2:8-10)? You can’t. You grow in who you are, not what you can attain more of. Thus, It is rather intimately KNOWING how right we are (righteousness, justification) and the abundant comfort and grace we have been enriched with (2 Corinthians 5:21). Belonging favor, connected to Hope unending … yes, even in mental health severity.
This is what it means to have the mindset of Christ, the mind of Christ to guide you through any mental health stressor to help renew your mind (perspective), reconstruct your heart (resilience), and realign your life (with creative strengths) for more significant, healthier outcomes.
The tough questions are welcomed!
But what if I don’t know how to live this out?
In the beauty (and the non-perfect) place of community.
He will do this by gently guiding you to the right and healthy people (community) to be part of your journey (note: I didn't say perfect people). He won't push or pressure. Instead, He will ignite a grace, desire, and energy to match His delight for you (Philippians 2:13)! It should feel simple, yet not without some challenge.
Something to consider — that’s why we created our curriculums to be used in Grace Groups or Thrive Groups. You can use the workbooks with a friend, 2-3 friends, or as an official group in a church. All these Mind of Christ principles are in our workbooks to help reframe the perspective that reshapes and empowers life - to see improvement with mental and emotional health challenges!
4. The mind of Christ always reminds you that "you are worthy” (you’re constant value without performance).
The mind of Christ means God's mind about you is already made up, and His thoughts concerning you are always good and pleasing. Period. (Colossians 1:12; Psalm 139:17).
The mind of Christ always advocates your redeemed image (purpose and identity) holy innocence (harmony of being, belonging), affirms and advocates His love for you, and celebrates that you are His! Again, depression, anxiety, and other conditions will naturally make you question or doubt that - that’s okay. Let your doubts help you discover love - doubts are meant to help you discover deep wisdom - Jesus (Col. 2:3 …“Israel” means “to wrestle with God”).
Jesus knows your questions and doubts … He desires to show you His delight in you (see Ps. 18:19 and Psalm 149:4).
All God’s restoration is about being His delight, “You shall no longer be termed Forsaken … Desolate, by you shall be called, My Delight is in her… Isaiah 62:4). This is the Jesus IN your depression, anxiety, and diagnosis! Though your mental health challenges make our minds race in negative spirals, even disgust, God’s mind is already made up about you, and He says, “We’re good, you’re good, and I’ll always be with you … you, My Delight.”
BONUS: Your mind of Christ reframes your identity into beauty and strength to walk.
Whether it be racing and intrusive thoughts (yeah, even the strange thoughts and ideas), the negative reflection we see in the mirror, the self-condemning guilt for how we have failed, the sense of panic, dark depressive feelings, and moods — you understand — our brains filter all this through what’s called our “negative bias” (meant to protect us). But in our faith journey, it gets translated into a FALSE sin-bias default reinforcing how bad we are … fallen, broken sinners with a weak and failing faith - leaving us vulnerable to the “enemy.” Then, a sin bias reaffirms God is allowing all of it to teach us a lesson, more judging-sanctification. This only reinforces “Learned helplessness” and makes it hard to move forward in faith … and life.
But the mind of Christ changes the narrative from sinner to saint … from broken to whole … yeah, even in the middle of all the mental and emotional agony. Why? Because we are co-risen and co-awakened in Christ.
CO-RISEN AND CO-AWAKENED: If you noticed when Jesus interacted with those who were sick or who had died … notice He said, “Get up,” “Rise,” or “awaken” (see John 5:8, John 11:11, Mark 5:45). It’s in the act of rising or awakening, they saw that they were in a new state of being. From sickness to healing, from death to life. Again, Jesus is doing all the work!
This refers to fulfilling the poetic prophetic scriptures in Isaiah, where God is doing all the work to have His people, His children, arise and awaken from their slumber, stupor, or sorrow. We see this phrase throughout Isaiah, followed by a new state of restoration (see Isaiah 60).
In Christ, we are now RISEN and SEATED with Christ (Col. 3:1). We are in a new state of being and purpose (1 Cor. 5:17). AND the new state is our new creation identity … a new name! That’s what you remind yourself, not work for it - even in mental health pain.
But in our mental agony, we tend to feel and affirm ourselves as “broken in a fallen world,” … which further makes us feel forsaken and our lives in desolated ruins.
But let’s go to Isaiah 62 and see how God poetically redefines who we are:
v. 3 “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of your God” (an intimate part of His royal love, you are adorning beauty to Him).
v. 4 “You shall no longer be called Forsaken, and you shall no longer be called Desolate, but you shall be called, My Delight is in Her” (we are not labels of brokenness but of delight IN US).
Yes, this is hard sometimes to counter on dark days when we feel more broken than delighted but imagine on the dark and dreary days, Jesus is standing right next to you, proclaiming you before the whole cosmos, saying, “You are my crown, My Delight is in Him/Her … I’m with you, my love!”
That’s what I mean when Jesus is always advocating about you (and praying for you - He’s still doing all the work'; see Hebrews 7:25). He always says, "You're worth it!"
Tough questions are welcome!
So, that above is nice and encouraging, but that raises the question … “But how do I hear God’s grace, love, and even delight when I feel dread and anxiety?”
The mind of Christ is a mindset, not a feeling … and sometimes (or often) feels more like a simple and practical nudge on our humanness than the heavens opening with a booming voice full of obedient commands and big breakthrough miracles.
For example, a woman with depression shared that she felt a dark and energy-zapping cloud of dread one morning, so she retreated to bed and could barely move. However, she had this small, inspiring, and loving voice guiding her to get up and go outside for a short walk. She recognized this as the Holy Spirit prompting her because every other thought overwhelming her was dark and dreadful! She knew that going for walks always helped her relieve the depression. So, she mustered up what strength she had and went on a walk. The depression didn't completely disappear, but she experienced enough relief to carry out her day instead of returning to bed and calling in sick. Maybe that’s what simple delight can look like on those dark days.
There’s so much more to explore.
In the end, you can see that the Mind of Christ is about changing the meta-narrative about who you are and who you are with. There is nothing to muster up, just a mystery you get to live out. Check out our other articles, free resources, and more to keep learning and growing!
I’m still learning and growing in it, too!
Joe Padilla | The Grace Alliance
Learn more about these concepts in our free devotionals below.
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