I know what a caged bird feels,
When he beats his feathers against the bars of cages,
Because I am a prisoner of my own thoughts,
A prisoner in my mind,
And my body feels strange ,
Almost as if it is not mine,
What’s worse is these chains seem invisible,
And everyone thinks I am okay,
Little do they know that I am bleeding from within,
In every forced smile,
Is another broken piece from within
I try to break free and scream for help,
But my scream turns into a whisper,
That is slowly hushed by voices that say,
Others have it worse
You are ungrateful
You are not the first one to go through this,
Get over it,
But I only get deeper in it,
And stop whispering,
In moments when I feel overwhelmed,
On the verge of drowning,
A voice, calm and still,
“ Cast your burden unto me and I’ll give you rest”
And I hesitate because I’m chained to my burden,
My burden of thoughts is so heavy,
Battling depression, anxiety, guilt, despair, drug addiction
But my chains only tighten,
And He assures me,
“You will receive the power to break every chain’’
Can I really break free and fly freely,
But what does the Bible say about Mental Health?
….
Let us take a pause and dive into the word. Let’s take a look at Bible Characters who
suffered from depression and some level of anxiety.
1. ELIJAH – SUICIDAL Elijah was exhausted, afraid, and wanted to die after facing Jezebel’s threats. In this verse, we see God comforting Elijah with food that nourishes him and allowing him to sleep. Personally, I believe food and sleep is a form of therapy. Before you make assumptions that I am a foodie ( which I am) and that sleeping a lot means I am lazy (like my mum thinks), I will show you proof. If you are struggling with despair as you study, just eat and sleep, Oh but do not forget to pray. Before you actually pull that blanket, cause I
can see someone reading this in bed,eating and resting is not only for your body, ensure you feed your spirit with the Word of God and rest in God’s presence and let Him take care of it
like Elijah did. Elijah did his best, ate and took rest and let God do the rest.
“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” –1 Kings 19:4
“And the angel of the Lord came again… and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat,because the journey is too great for you.’” –1 Kings 19;7
2. DAVID – DEPRESSION, GUILT, LUST
David was afflicted by his enemies and endured grief. suffered guilt when he took Uriah’s wife after murdering in silence. Some of us are under the mental battles with the sins we commit in silence.David admitted to his wrongdoings and God forgave Him.
We also learn from David about the importance of journaling, praying and expressing our fears and battles to the Lord since He was the author of Psalms. Write down what you are
battling, speak to the Lord about it, pray over it, and when you overcome it, share it with others,
“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping.” –Psalm 6:6
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” –Psalm 34:18
3. NAOMI – DEPRESSION, GRIEF, HOPELESSNESS.
Naomi lost her husband and two sons, and with them, a part of her identity and hope. She faced depression and wanted to be alone.
Naomi feared her trauma might harm others. She even wanted to change her name to bitterness. One thing I’ve learned from losing a loved one is this: you never truly “get over it.”
You simply learn to live with the absence. He provided Naomi with Ruth’s loyalty and eventually restored her joy through a grandson.
It is my prayer that for anyone mourning today, may the God of all comfort draw near to you. May He give you peace that transcends human understanding.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard yourhearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV)
To all the readers out there, I do not know what invisible chains you are dealing with right now. Perhaps it is the loss of a loved one, perhaps feeling rejection from particular
opportunities that you applied for but the door was shut in your face. Or maybe you are facing some level of despair or battling the sins done in silence and darkness, masturbation,
fornication, pornography and lust perhaps as a way of coping with stress, hopelessness and depression. I want to remind you all that despite taking a 1000 steps or more in the wrong
direction away from God, you only need to take one step back to Him, because he has followed you all the way there and is waiting for you with open arms.
Dear Brothers and sisters, let us check up on each other. Let us listen to one another and not judge others but be a source of comfort. We are created differently, and we face different challenges so let us not be dismissive of what others are going through because we do not know the whole picture. Let us listen with love and not betray the ones who confide in us. Be a source of comfort, be as loyal as Ruth.
Back to the poem
He shows me the people He has walked with,
He teaches me to trust in Him,
He lifts away my burden,
He empowers me,
He gives me the strength,
And I break every chain,
The chains of depression,
The chains of anxiety,
He healed my wings,
And I fly freely.
With love,
Joyce Kadzo # Poem girl✨✨
