We can nurture mental peace through planting biblical truth, removing harmful thoughts, and staying connected to community and grace, trusting God to bring the growth.
If there's one thing I love about Spring, it's the arrival of warmer temperatures. After what feels like a death-trap of snow, ice, and below-zero weather, May ushers in a new season. A brighter one. One full of renewal, growth, and new birth. Flowers begin to bloom, birds return to the nest, and trees grow colors of budding blooms we haven't seen in months. Few things are more beautiful than this season. And yet, mental health can still feel heavy, even in a time of light and beauty.
The Bible often discusses nature, gardening, and farming. So, I'd like to introduce gardening as a metaphor for nurturing peace through faith. Though it takes time, patience, and cultivation, we can implement three simple habits to grow peace in our lives.
1. Plant Seeds of Truth
Growing up, I saw my grandparents tend to their garden year-round. By spring and summer rolled around, they'd have thousands of flowers, trees, and crops decorating their acreage. One summer, I decided to do the same at my house. I was intentional with what I planted. I hand-picked every flower, vegetable, fruit, and tree. Each had a fresh start with extra fertilizer, minerals, nutrients, and water. But I had to remember to tend to them every single day.
In the same way, we're encouraged to replace our intrusive, anxious, and depressing thoughts with truths from Scripture. This isn't as simple as "not thinking about our bad thoughts," but rather a continual learning process to recite God's Word over the thoughts that trouble us. Christian counselors and psychologists call this reframing, and it works wonders if we're persistent and consistent!
The next time a worrisome thought pops into your mind, threatening to steal your peace, try meditating on Philippians 4:8 or Romans 12:2. Journal these affirmations on paper, and start each day with one truth. Like planting a "seed," your mind can return to this verse often, especially when you're struggling. Yes, the anxious thoughts might still be there, but Scripture has the power to overcome even the toughest weeds. And eventually, what you sow will begin to grow. It will produce a crop tenfold if you stay constant.
2. Pull the Weeds
Speaking of weeds, let me tell you an embarrassing story. The summer I decided to plant my flowers and gardens, my family and I went on vacation for two weeks. I completely forgot about both until I got back and saw the chaos. The grass was up to my shoulders, weeds entangled every flower, and my parents told me to throw in the towel. I'd had a good run and tried.
When I told my grandparents, however, they offered to help me salvage what remained. We spent a week outside, 8 hours a day, pruning, cutting, and mowing the land to get it back to normal. It took even more time, patience, and persistence, mainly because I'd forgotten to tend to it in the first place. But we made it. My garden produced a small crop of the season and eventually a more abundant one. Similarly, we must not let our anxieties and struggles run rampant.
Gardening reminds us that we need to remove what chokes growth continually. Have you ever removed all the weeds on Friday only to find them on Saturday? I know I have, and without some weed killer, it's absolutely infuriating! Jesus tells many parables that explain this same phenomenon. We must identify and remove mental habits or voices that produce anxiety or shame in our lives. Because, like weeds, if we don't, they will just continue to pop up over and over again.
Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that God is God. When we pray and tap into coping skills like breath prayers, silence challenges, or setting digital boundaries, we help eradicate the weeds that try to threaten our well-being. We do what we can, we seek the help God provides (through therapy, medication, counselors, His Word, His Community, His Church), but then we rest in His hands: "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (NIV).
3. Water with Community and Grace
Once properly planted seeds of truth and pulled out the weeds, we must remember to water with community and grace. The summer I planted my first garden and forgot to have someone care for it over vacation, I learned the importance of water. For two months, our little Ohio land received no rain. Farmers and planters were stressed to the max. Every morning and evening, I'd carry buckets of water, use an extension hose, and spray the plants down. It was exhausting. But everything, humans included, needs water to grow. Growth doesn't just happen—it needs regular nourishment.
When it comes to our headspace, true peace grows through connection and consistency. It can be fresh, life-giving water to our souls. Jesus is the wellspring of life and wants to ensure your life is well watered. Because we were never meant to do this walk of life alone. As your plants or garden need a safe space to grow and thrive, so do we. We need vulnerability in safe spaces, with friends, small groups, or mentors, to become the best versions of ourselves.
I see a counselor once a week. I see a psychiatrist once a month. And I check in with a mentor and friends/family daily. These grace-filled talks help me to celebrate small wins, check in with myself and my spirit, and know I'm not alone. Doing so waters the growth I want to cultivate, while pruning anything from me that doesn't represent Christ.
Are You Ready to Bloom?
As the trees bud and the flowers blossom this spring, think of these three practical ways to cultivate peace. They aren't simple answers, or one-and-done practices, but rather, ongoing, imperfect, and hopeful steps you can take, one at a time, when you're ready.
What's one area of your life that's ready to bloom? Take time to talk to God about it. Then, ask Him to help you plant the seeds, pull the weeds, and water the growth well. Remember, if we want fruitfulness in our lives, we must nourish what we want to grow and eliminate anything that threatens to choke it out.
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor waters is anything; only God gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor" (1 Corinthians 3:6-11, ESV).
Prayer
Dear God, mental health can be a challenging battle we fight year-round. As spring turns into summer, please help us to experience your peace. Enable us to plant seeds of truth. Replace the lies with your truth, and show us how to grow. Rip out the weeds that try to keep us from you, and replace them with your nourishing provision. We praise, thank, and trust you, Jesus. Thank you for being our eternal gardener! Amen!
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Markus Spiske
