Why Use Spiritual Disciplines In Therapy?
JESUS & THERAPY: FRIENDS OR ENEMIES?
My good friend Zach has a sweatshirt that reads “Jesus and Therapy.” I need one. But more often these two words are seen as unrelated or altogether conflicting. I regularly hear this from colleagues, professionals, and my clients: “Why would I open the Bible in counseling?” or “What does God have to do with my therapy?”
A more fundamental question might be, “What does God have to do with mental health?”
THE CATEGORIES WE SHARE
The words “Mental Health” come from the field of psychology, of research regarding human behavior & struggle, and the many ideas/practices within. I am a part of this field as a licensed counselor and therapist.
Counseling & psychology seek to help people back to health or wholeness, utilizing huge categories of…
*who we are (identity)*,
*what is wrong or out of place within us (abnormality)*,
*what healing might look like (health)*,
& processes for *how to change.*
Do these sound familiar?
These are the very categories God speaks to in the Scriptures; the very ones we are discussing on any given Sunday morning in church. Moreover, God is also seeking our wholeness & health.
MENTAL HEALTH IS GOD’S DEPARTMENT
God is in the business of making us whole,
of putting us back together,
of showing us our broken parts & offering his love,
of revealing our true identity,
of giving us safe belonging to others,
of offering freedom from shame.
In short, to seek after God is to seek after one’s wholeness, which includes our mental health. Mental Health is God’s department.
This is the invitation from Jesus in Matthew 11:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened [or depressed or anxious or addicted], and I will give you rest. Take my yoke [way or lifestyle] upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy. And my burden is light.”
This invitation isn’t new. It’s written across the pages of the Bible. God offers healing. He is after our transformation. He intends to grow the qualities of love, joy, and peace in our lives. And he claims that he is the source of healing & rest.
TO BE WHOLE IS TO BE LIKE JESUS
What does wholeness look like? What does it look like to live a life of peace (instead of anxiety), love (instead of pride or anger), and joy (instead of despair or futility)?
It looks like Jesus. He the image of true wholeness. He displays the qualities we wish were true of our lives.
How can I be whole?
What we are really asking is: “How can I be like Jesus?”
And the gateway to getting there is the spiritual disciplines.
THE GOAL OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
What are the Spiritual Disciplines?
These are resources or practices that are not from us.
They are from God, given by him,
and demonstrated by Jesus,
to produce the three traits of love, joy and peace in your life,
and make us more like Him.
These include reading the Scriptures, prayer/meditation, solitude, sabbath/rest, service (and others)—the very things Jesus did.
Everywhere Jesus went, he offered a simple invitation: “Follow me.”
Or, “Come be my disciple…” which means *apprentice.*
Dallas Willard says,
“We become like Jesus by one route—by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself.”
―The Spirit of the Disciplines
JESUS & THERAPY GO TOGETHER
I believe in good therapy. I’m so thankful for the research and therapies emerging which are bringing about healing to complex problems. We practice these at New Ground.
But as we heal from trauma, depression, anxiety, addiction, & physical complexities, the invitation from Jesus is on our minds. It’s deeper than just relief from symptoms. It promises to change who we are, deeply, to look like Jesus— to deeply embody love, joy, and peace. To know God deeply and love Him more.
So “Jesus & Therapy” must go together.
Prayer and breathing must go together.
Scripture and medication must go together.
Worship and counseling must go together.