Overcoming Mental Health Challenges with Faith and Community

This episode addresses mental health struggles, especially among first responders and ministry leaders, emphasizing the importance of faith, community, and seeking help. Pastors Gary and Daniel share personal experiences and biblical insights to encourage vulnerability and reliance on God's strength.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Welcome to God Stories, the broadcast ministry of Ingater National Relief. Where our mission is to share the love of Christ with others around the world. We disciple and raise up leaders to preach the gospel to unreached people groups, minister to the inner city and poverty-stricken areas in the US and abroad. Provide support to local police and relief organizations in response to natural disasters. We work to train up chaplains in the police and civilian industry. And we assist churches in training transformation and disaster response. We hope you're blessed by what you hear in this next half hour or so about what God is doing through this ministry. Well, hello, welcome to another edition of God Stories, Daniel and with Pastor Gary. This time he's back in the States. Last week he was over at um Nepal with Rajiv and the crew. And uh now he's in Colorado. I'm actually at the anchored offices here in a um, I almost said the Lisa, but Liguna Nigel. They're right next to each other, same thing. But uh South Orange County, in case you guys don't know what those two cities are. So you want to say general abroad. But uh no, but thank you guys so much for joining in. And uh by the way, how are you, Pastor Gary? Hello, you still gently?

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Uh yeah. So I've been up since 2 30 this morning, but I'm doing okay. God's giving me strength. I wish I wish you could see out behind me because uh out the window behind me is Pike's Peak, and it's covered with snow right now because it snowed here on Wednesday. So it's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

Oh, it snowed. And now it's out there as now it's hot. Yep. Yeah. And because of that, your hair just got grayer. So uh, but we'll get to another uh subject at another time, and uh so no, but and also it will never be a subject at any time. Oh, we'll figure it out, yeah. And so and I mean I have I still have uh videos of our bloopers, you know, when someone called in the middle of our podcast, and then I kept recording because I'm like, this is priceless. So yeah, oh man. Um yeah, but um no, thank you guys for joining. Um so as um as we're recording and as this airs, uh, it'll be the month of May. Um May 9th is when this is being released. And uh um if got if you guys didn't know, the month of May uh is considered National Mental Health Awareness Month. And so um it's one of those things that the church in general has not tackled uh much, uh, in my opinion, but I think it's important too because uh if you are out there that are watching right now or struggling with some type of mental health, or regardless of its depression or whatever it is, Lord, um, just want to remind you guys, you are not alone. The Lord is there, all you gotta do is turn to him, and the Lord always always has people assigned to help you, what he calls his guardian angels. Um just want to let you guys know um if you're ever feeling lonely right now and you just don't know what to do, you've ever feeling like your life is uh drained and just whatever it is, and you just need someone to talk to and you have nobody right there, the Lord is there, but also pick up that phone 1-800-273-8255. Again, 800-273-8255 or speed dial 988. Just want to remind you guys that your life matters and you do have a purpose here on this earth. And so I just want to talk about that too, because um those of you that follow um our ministry here, um, you know, of course, Pastor Gary, who deals with um with a lot of chaplains and uh with a law of law enforcement, first responders, and um, and people don't realize too, maybe they do, but maybe not to an extent about how much it takes a toll mentally when serving in the police force or in the fire. And uh, even Pastor Gary has uh experienced some uh quite a bit of that even during his career in law enforcement. And uh actually, Gary, why don't you you know before we get into you know what the Lord has put right here in front of me, why don't you just share about you know your experiences? Um I think it's important that people understand, like, hey, you know what? Whether you're in ministry or wherever it is, like we're all human.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

So no, and I I I think this is so important to talk about. Jesus talked about the Bible talked about it. You know, Paul in 2 Corinthians 1 talked about a time when he despaired unto death in his own mind. And then in Matthew 11, 28, Jesus tells us, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm gentle and lowly in heart, and I will give you rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And and that word labor in verse 28 really literally means to be burdened or loaded down. And you know, as as I have walked through this life and um experienced some of the things I experienced as a police officer, as a uh as a pastor doing relief work in in Rwanda, and just a lot of death and despair and destruction, it takes a toll. And I'll I'll tell you for myself, uh back uh in 1980, I went through a time of severe depression. And you know, I was I was having all of these medical um symptoms like like hives and heart palpitations, and and and the doctor was testing me for all kinds of stuff. And finally he comes to me and he said, You know, we've tested you for everything, and there's nothing wrong. And he said, uh physically, he said, but you are stressed. And so I said, No, you don't understand, I don't get stressed. And he said, No, you don't understand, you are stressed, and I'm ordering you to to take a month off from work, I'm relieving you of duty, and to you know, to me as a police officer, that was the ultimate in in uh in a sense of failure and weakness, and and I just I I I felt that despair unto death. And you know, and I just crashed and and it got so bad that that Carol went to my lieutenant and she said, I think you need to take Gary's guns away because I've never seen him this down and this depressed. And I couldn't get I couldn't even get out of bed. And then um, you know, what turned me around was one one night I I I just Carol said, You just gotta come to church and you know, and let the Lord minister to you. And so I said, Okay. So I didn't want to go, but I went. And I talked to to one um pastor who was, you know, I was one of the elders in the church. I mean, I was a church leader, I was a police officer, you know, I was supposed to have it all together, and I didn't. And so, you know, i I just felt like, man, I I don't measure up to anything here. And I'm not a good police officer, I'm not a good dad, I'm not a not even a good Christian. And so I was talking to one of the the leaders and he kind of passed me on the back and he said, you know, life is tough, and you just gotta you just gotta keep going. And I'm like, Oh man, I I was turning around, I was getting ready to walk out because I I I was like, well, if that's the way it is, then I don't have what it takes. And I wasn't gonna take my own life, but I'll tell you, I did wish that God would take my life. And so, you know, then I ran into another pastor on the way out, and I was talking to him, and he said, you know, sounds like you're going through a lot of what what Paul went through in in 2 Corinthians 1, and when he said he was despairing unto death in his own mind, and and uh it's like a light went on. And I I I went home, I opened up, I read 2 Corinthians 1, you know, and saw that God is a God of all comfort. Then I went back and I was reading 1 Kings 19 where where you know um Elijah asked God to take his life. He said he was no better than his forefathers. I saw that David, you know, covered his bed in tears, that that Jeremiah cursed the day that he was born. And and I came to realize something. And I came to realize that God knows our frame, he knows our weaknesses, and he knows we're weak. And it's not that we have to be strong, it's not our faith, our great faith. I mean, it's not our great faith in God that matters, it's our faith and a great God. And because Jesus said all we need is a faith, is the faith of a mustard seed. And that is, and I know we're gonna talk about this, that's reaching out, calling out, calling out to God, and it's just saying, Lord help me, like like Peter when he was walking on the waters and started to sink, and he saw, you know, the waves and the storm and everything else, and that's what happens to us. We we get caught up in the storms, we're starting to sink, and we got to do what Peter did, and we gotta call out to the Lord. And and then just reach out to people that that uh that can help us, um, that will be there to counsel us. I know you have have your own input there too, right, Daniel?

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Yeah, I mean, uh, because I think to where I began to feel comfortable about sharing um some of my mental struggles, um, was reading a book from Louis Giglio where he actually uh expressed as a pastor that he would have some sometimes these thoughts. And I think to where you know, based on my observation and my time in ministry, he's not the only one. And I think he's one of the few that would probably, you know, be courageous to admit it. Because I think to where, of course, as ministers, as pastors, you know, of course we have to be above reproach, but at the same time, there's whenever we feel vulnerable, you know, to be vulnerable and not have to be acting so tough. And that's the thing where because people don't realize that pastors, ministers, leaders, they're human, we're all flawed people. And yes, we we have to equip ourselves and arm ourselves with the word of God, the sword of the spirit, and and and there's all these qualifications, you know, that Paul lists, you know, as far as like being a pastor, being a leader, and all that. But knowing that, that because it's transparency is the number one key when it comes to our lives, especially um, because why hide from it? You know, the Lord knows about it, so why hide about it? Why hide from it? Because if you don't acknowledge it, because I think to where humans and even myself, we're sometimes afraid to speak up because we don't want people to think differently of us, and we're afraid that, oh, we're crazy and this and that. That literally people who think they're they're crazy are crazy. So I mean, so yeah, so I mean, hey, we cancel it out. You know, I think it's kind of like what Tony Clark has said. Okay, hey, oh, you offended? Okay, well, I'm offended because you're offended. So now we're both offended, so now what? But but in all seriousness, um, it's important to be transparent, you know, because I think of what David in Psalm 42, you know, he didn't hide his emotions from God, he brought it to him. Why are you he said in Psalm 42, why are you cast down my soul and why are you disquieted within me? And he wrote, he was very honest about it. And even like in those psalms that he's written, he wasn't in a palace, he wasn't in a great situation himself. He was literally in a dungeon, in a cave where he wrote this. And even like if you go to Paul's writings, too, he wrote from prison. He didn't write a lot of these people that you know the Lord used were that when they were at the time when they were writing, they weren't writing from a great situation or a blessed situation. They're in a persecuted situation, or they were in a distressed situation.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

And yeah, I know I was gonna tell you too, Daniel, that that one of the things for me when I was going through that time is I thought, I I maybe I'm not even a Christian. Because, you know, how could I be a Christian and have these problems? How could I struggle like this? And and it's like you said, I I I I didn't allow myself to admit that I was a human. And in one sense that was pride, but you know, the Lord in his grace and mercy let me come to that point of weakness where where I can only look up and I had to reach out to him and say, Lord, help me. I need you. And I had to admit that I can't handle life without Jesus. And and so, you know, I mean, the Lord taught me that Psalm 46.1, he's that very present help in times of trouble. And so it it we we have to be real and we have to be honest, and you know, the Bible's full. That's what I love about the Bible. It doesn't try and make them into superhuman, you know, godlike people. They're all human and they struggled and they suffered, and and you know, the and and James even said they had like passions, and and so, you know, we're all in the same boat, and and we need God and we need each other.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

And I think it was 2 Corinthians 12, 9, right? Um, when because there you go. Uh a letter from Paul to the church in Corinth. My grace is sufficient, you know, where the Lord said, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. For when I am weak, he becomes strong. And I think where the Lord is trying to teach us to say, humble yourself before him, and he's gonna be the one that lifts you up, because we can't do this out of our own efforts. When people say, try harder, try harder, try harder, like biblically speaking, that's wrong. Biblically speaking, it's like, hey, I need help. I need help, you know. Psalm 121, I will lift up my eyes to the hills from when comes my help. My help comes from who? From the Lord. And the other, the other person I thought of too when you know, when going through this and praying about, you know, talking about this was uh an Elijah in 1 Kings 18. So like, and even going to chapter 19, like he crashes emotionally. What did he do? What did Elijah do? He isolated himself, he became exhausted, and what you mentioned earlier when your law enforcement, like he asked God to let him die. Right? He felt alone and hopeless. But what did God respond with? He let him rest, fed him, spoke gently to him. And in fact, um like when Yeah, and then even at the end of the chapter in 18, right? The the drought, you know, yeah, when you go up to a when he he and Ahab were having a conversation, right? Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and drink, and Elijah went up to the town to the top of Carmel, and he bowed down to the ground, put his face in between his knees, said, Go up now and look towards the sea. And then even going into chapter 19, how he was all burnt out, but the Lord was there to minister to him because he was like, Okay, I'm done. But then the Lord said, No, you're not. And uh, and that's and that's the one thing that you know, the same reminder that the Lord told Elijah is the same reminder he's telling us if you're breathing, you're not done. You're not done. Yes, things can take a toll, but only for a time because God has great promises and has a great assignment for you. And you know, and I don't mean to get too personal about um my personal life, but um just a few weeks ago, uh Vanya and I uh Vanya broke up with me, and uh you know, I don't like revealing that a lot of my personal stuff to uh to you guys, but one of the things that the Lord has reminded, because you know, at the moment, you know, I'll I'll I'll confess, like I wanted to, you know, I wasn't suicidal, don't get me wrong, but I asked the Lord, I'm done, take me home. I don't want to go through this again. But the next morning, he reminds me in the next few days, I will never leave you or forsake you. And so many people, and even I, you know, to James Katina from the Katinas, he calls me not knowing what's going on, and and you can't orchestrate that, only the Lord can. And it's like he was my wake-up call and and said to me, Hey, you know, and and he literally woke me up the next morning, and I was and he said, Hey man, like during my time with the Lord, you know, the Lord put you in my heart, you know, put into my attention. I just want to reach out to you. Like, wow, that is like you know, that's how you know the Lord is at work. And the thing too is like, you know, hey, the American Christianity, so to speak, the theology is okay, hey, if you you know, following Jesus, everything's gonna be easy. No, it's not. Even it's gonna be hard, but without Jesus, I'll tell you what, it's gonna get harder because you don't even know who to turn to. Because you could turn to a friend, and I'm not saying friends are not valuable, but they can only give so much that only the Lord can give even more. And so that's where that's why we turn to the Lord, right? Psalm 121, my help comes from the Lord, I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help. Because my help comes from the Lord, and that's where the Lord teaches us, hey, I'm right here. I'm right here. And even I I was reminded of this one song from way back by a guy named Lanny Wolf, where he says, for whatever it takes to draw close draw to help me draw closer to you, that's what I'll be willing to do. And even the verse that he wrote, I was like, oh wow, these are like the uh it was so conflicting after hearing it. I've heard it so many times as a kid, but then when just reading or just listening to it, take the dearest things to me if that's how it must be to draw me closer to you. Let my disappointments come, lonely days without the sun. If that more become like you, then I become. And I'll take and and I was and I forgot the other word, but I tell you what, those are words are hard to say, but you know what? The Lord will never leave you or forsake you. That's a great reminder, that's a great promise. And even too, Jesus cares about the broken heart and right. You you mentioned earlier uh at the start of the episode uh of our of our episode in Matthew 11 28, come to me, all who are all you who are labor are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And even later in the chapter uh in the book, uh my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death. That is so important because deep emotional anguish is not foreign to the Son of God, he understands suffering. And so if you and just a recouragement to any one of you, brothers and sisters, if you want to know, if there's someone that knows about suffering or just about anything you've gone through, turn to turn to the Lord. The Lord is the one that knows everything, and I'll tell you what, he wants to be nothing but your friend. He wants to be your Lord and Savior, he also wants to be your friend.

SPEAKER_03 21:28

That's a great reminder.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

And then well, you know, I I think that that you know, there's two things, exhortations that I want to leave everybody with. And the first is that you know, in in Galatians six, two it says that we're to bear one another's burdens. And so um, you know, it's important to reach out to others, and sometimes it's just listening. It's not you don't you don't it's sometimes people try To help me would would give me a you know say, well, you know, God causes everything to work together for good. And I'm like, you know, if I hear that one more time, I'm gonna get sick. And it it's like, I just needed someone to listen. And and and so I want to encourage people out there that that if there's people in your life that you know are struggling, that that just go and listen. And and you know, Job's friends got in trouble when they opened their mouths, but when they were just sitting there listening, then they are actually doing the right thing. And so, you know, we need to listen. And then the other thing is for those that are struggling, it's reach out, reach out to the Lord, reach out to others for help. You know, if if it is always too soon to quit. And so if you feel like you're at the end of your rope and and you can't go on, um, reach out. And Daniel, give us that number one more time.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

1-800-273-8255, or speed down 988. Again, 800-273-8255, or you can speed down 988 if you're anywhere within the continental United States. There's a couple things I want to share before we close, and uh it will take about a couple minutes or so, but when it was just kind of reminded me of a story where you know, I would go to Skid Row uh periodically uh to the Fred Jordan mission and do some ministering out there. And I was talking with Willie Jordan about these people that are down under luck, homeless, and you could name it, you know, and they're not looking necessarily for money or food. I mean, of course, those are necess necessities, but what Willie told me all it takes is just one simple touch just like that. And they realize wow, just that one touch alone make makes a whole world to them, means a whole difference to them, difference to them because that's something that food cannot satisfy, something that money cannot satisfy, that's something like you know, and just one touch, you know, um and talking about, you know, I forgot where in scripture it talks about how Jesus moved with compassion, you know, when you touch his garment. And so just one touch just makes a whole difference. And I'm just like, wow, and and I think to where if COVID taught us something, you know, I mean, praise the Lord for Zoom, praise the Lord for FaceTime, but man, there's a whole lot of difference when you meet up in person. You could actually just touch that person or hug them or handshake them and just be like, wow, I'm right here.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

And that's so important. You make sure that you're in fellowship, you know, because the last thing that you're gonna want to do is go to church, but that's where you need to be with brothers and sisters who love you.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Yeah. And and let me and and also I just want to mention one thing. There's this thing out there, as far as like in the church, where it's like there's no such thing as mental health, that if you're strong with mental health and you're not saved, that is a complete lie. Don't buy into that because all it is is it's a demonic attempt to make you feel be full of pride and to not rely on the Holy Spirit and to be confident in yourself, and thinking that okay, hey, if you're not struggling with mental ill health or anything like that, that you are less of a person and you're not filled with the Holy Spirit. No, that is not true. That is not true. Because we're not battling against flesh, we're battling against principalities and powers and spirits, and you name it. That's what we're it's a constant battle that we're fighting every day. And if you're hearing that, reject that completely in the name of Jesus and let the Lord know, hey, I need help, because that's what he wants. All he desires is a relationship with us, nothing else. That's of course he wants to bless you, but all things that he desires is a relationship. It's like with a parent, with a mother or a father, they desire a relationship with each other, and then a relationship with their child. They would they desire that relationship with their child. And so that's what the father wants to do. He's desire a relationship with you. And so all you need to do, there's nothing special that you have to do. All you gotta do is turn and ask. There's no works or special code. It's just all you gotta do is turn. That's it. That's it. The word of God is right there. And in fact, if you don't have a Bible and you want one, please reach out to us, uh message us on our Instagram or go to our website, anchor for belief.org, and just contact us there or um uh or any of our phone numbers, but um you'll see on the screen uh coming up in uh shortly. But um I also too want to you know give a little shout out to um a couple buddies of mine, Jacob and Jonah Coyne. They have a great nonprofit called Stay Here, um, which is a great um spirit-filled ministry that uh that deals with people that have mental health or struggling with suicide. Yeah, and they have this saying right now because they focus on Gen Z people that Gen Z will be suicide free. And so, and if you're looking for ways to minister to those that are struggling with mental health or suicidal, and you just don't know how to do it within the uh that's done in the name of Jesus, uh, I encourage you to follow them on Instagram, stay here org, stay here or r g and um Jacob and Jonah Coyne their two brothers. Um, I love them dearly, and uh I partnered with them the last few years, and uh a huge shout out to Pastor Jensen Franklin actually for uh uh connecting me with them and um just um because it was it was right after Jared Wilson passed away when I got serious about it and and the Lord just gave us an opportunity to minister with each other, and so I'm just so blessed by that. And um they they're such a great ministry to have if you need resources um as far as like a ways to how how to how to approach uh those that are struggling, but at the same time sharing the love of Christ, you know, out of all things. And so that's the most important thing. And please, if you need prayers, you know, our social media is there, our website is there, our phone number, our emails, you know, please reach out to us.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

Um or even uh yeah, text us at 949-3823, excuse me, nine four nine three euros nine two eight two. Nine four nine three eight four nine two eight two.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And we will we'll like to give you a Bible, we'll love to pray for you and even give you resources. And so, and it's very important too, especially, you know, those that are in the law enforcement or in first responders or firefighters, um, if you're you know, or even if you're a paramedic, um, please, like, get yourself into fellowship. It's very important, as Pastor Gary just encouraged, like, hey, it's very important to be planted in the house of the Lord, as Psalm 92 says. And and I'm telling you, because like that's a great place to be vulnerable, where the whole where you just surrender and just humble yourself, the Holy Spirit will be in the midst of it. And I promise you, I can promise you that because it's in his word. It's in his word.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Amen. Amen. And I want to echo that to all the first responders as a fellow first responder, that hey, the stuff we see out on the street, there's no way anybody can handle that. And alcohol's not the answer, drugs is not the answer, suicide is not the answer. You know, police officers have some of the highest suicide rates in the country. And and I'm telling you guys, reach out, reach out to the Lord. He will be your peace, and he will give you that rescue, that relief, that rest that that you want.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

Amen. Well, God bless you guys, and please don't hesitate to reach out to us, reach out to somebody, reach out to a friend, but most of all, reach out to the Lord, He's right there, He hears you. And so, God bless you guys. I'll be praying for you all. We love you.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Yeah, matter of fact, Daniel, take us out in prayer.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Yeah, please. I will. Lord, thank you uh for just your grace and um just reminding us how valuable our life is, and it's so it's valuable because you're the one that's created life and you're the one that gave us life. And so we just want to say thank you, Lord, um, for um for just being such a gracious and awesome God and a patient God and a forgiving God, and um and such a caring God and a heal and a God that heals, that saves, and delivers. And Lord, I just pray too that um those that are out there, and it doesn't have to be first response, but it's anyone in general that are struggling mentally, um, that are dealing with suicide or have suicidal thoughts or just want to turn to drugs or alcohol, that they turn to one source that can deliver and destroy all that, and that is your son Jesus Christ. And so I just pray um that every one of us that is listening to this, myself included, Pastor Gary included, um, that we would just be a light to those that um that need that that help. And that we would just be an instrument of your works, an instrument of the power of your Holy Spirit. So empower us, and I pray that everyone that desires that power would be filled with that power and that they would uh be great witnesses as access that that you receive the power of the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and you shall be witnesses to everywhere. And so thank you, Lord, for that power. Thank you, Lord, for that assignment. Nothing can is um valuable than being used by you. We love you, we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you guys, thank you so much. God bless you. We'll see you guys soon. We like to thank every single one of you for listening to God's stories. To connect with us, go to anchoredrelief.org and follow us on Instagram or follow us at our blog at anchorrelief.blog. You could also subscribe to our YouTube channel as well as our Apple Podcasts and Spotify. To subscribe to our text thread, text the word air AIR to the number 949-384-9282. Again, that's 949-384-9282. Or you can call us directly on our office line at area code 949-432-6777. That's 949-432-6777.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

The proceeding was a production and broadcast ministry of Anchored International Relief.