I Broke My Head
What would you do if you fell down and painfully realized that your finger was dislocated and pointing in the wrong direction?
Would you pray about it and claim healing? Would you tell everyone that it will get better on its own? Would you just ignore it?
Most people would do what I did when it happened to me, drive themselves to the doctor, and ask them to put it back into the joint. If you don’t know a doctor who can do it, indeed, an old sadistic high school football coach in town will be more than happy to do it. What you don’t do is pretend it didn’t happen.
Of course, we will get treatment for a dislocated finger, broken legs, ear infections, MCL tears in our knees, diabetes, cancer, and every other injury. But what do we do when the injury is in our heads?
Why do we tend to treat that injury differently?
Maybe it’s because there is still a stigma about mental illness. We don’t hesitate to go to a doctor when our colon isn’t working, but there is a degree of shame to go to a doctor when our head isn’t working. Maybe we think we will snap out of it. Or perhaps we feel we should be tough enough to go through it. Or perhaps we think more Bible reading and prayer will cure it.
If your head is broken, take it to Jesus and the doctor. Isaiah 61:1-4 is a fantastic scripture about the way Jesus personally ministers to brokenhearted people. Whether it’s in your leg or your head, take your brokenness to Jesus. And take your brokenness to a doctor, whether it’s in your leg or it’s in your head. Doctors and Jesus both want you to be well.
In 2007 I went on a three-month sabbatical. I did know how much I needed it until I was on it. I thought I was okay until I realized I wasn’t. I had been withdrawn. I was trying to avoid people. I was easily angered. I didn’t want to return phone calls. I was tired. I was worn out. The grind of ministry had gotten to me.
And I didn’t even know it.
During those months we relaxed. We visited other churches. We took in a marriage conference. We saw what was happening in other people’s ministries. We took a cruise. We visited Graceland – the home of Elvis.
And I came back better.
I came back recharged.
I came back with a better vision.
Grinding through it wasn’t going to work.
Get help if you are not in the place that you want to be.
Get the help if other people are telling you to get help.
Mental illness is a real thing. At Riverside, we are all about bringing people to Jesus and Jesus to people! He is our healer, redeemer, strengthener, and friend. We want to pray for you. If you are not comfortable asking for prayer publicly, we offer a resource on our website. In addition to praying, Riverside offers several Lifegroups . These groups are a way for you to connect with other people, share your struggles, receive encouragement and go through life together.