Grace for the Broken: A Christian Perspective on Mental Health
- Angela U Burns
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
Grace is a word that we use very often. We thank God for His grace, which is commonly described as God‘s unmerited favor – blessings received that we do not deserve, but for the grace of God.
And straight away, I have to say here that some people with hard hearts need to extend more grace to their brothers and sisters. They have a hard time, forgiving or restoring. Indeed, as the Lord‘s prayer says we ask God to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass us against us. Luke 11:2–4 (KJV)
This is a clear indication that everybody makes mistakes, and everybody needs to receive grace and give grace.
So then we can accept that grace is not reserved for those who “have it all together.” It is the sacred covering for those falling apart behind closed doors — the anxious, the grieved, the exhausted.
In this world, brokenness is seen as weakness, which is why so many people literally break down behind closed doors as opposed to let’s say crying in public.
But catch this, in God’s Kingdom, brokenness becomes the beginning of healing. I like that because I am so broken in so many areas that it is comforting to know that in my brokenness, I can receive healing through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen?!
Jesus demonstrated this truth in how He responded to Peter after his public failure. Peter had walked with Christ, declared his devotion, and even promised to die with Him. But under pressure, Peter denied Jesus — not once, but three times.
Scripture says, “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord… and he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:61–62, ESV).
That moment shattered Peter. He was broken by shame and guilt.
But Jesus, after His resurrection, didn’t discard Peter. He restored him. By the sea, He asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” — not once, but three times, matching every denial with an invitation to love (John 21:15–17, AMP).
Now that was not a coincidence — that was grace.
Jesus didn’t shame Peter. He re-commissioned him. Peter went on to preach boldly, lead the early church, and write part of the New Testament — all after a complete emotional collapse. That’s what grace does for the broken: it doesn’t just forgive; it rebuilds.
Another powerful example is Naomi. After losing her husband and both sons, she returned to Bethlehem saying, “Don’t call me Naomi… Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20, NLT).
Naomi wasn’t just grieving — she was in despair. Her name meant “pleasant,” but she felt like “bitter.”
Yet God didn’t leave her in that state. He worked through Ruth’s loyalty, Boaz’s kindness, and divine providence to restore Naomi’s joy and legacy.
Ruth 4:15 says of Ruth’s son, “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.”
And if we follow the story well, we would learn that Naomi, who had called herself bitter, became the grandmother of the lineage of Christ.
These stories matter Family, because they show that God’s response to emotional devastation is grace, not rejection.
Scripture tells us plainly in Psalm 34:18, NLT, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
God doesn’t demand composure from the grieving. He draws near.
Mental health challenges—grief, anxiety, spiritual fatigue—do not mean we are less Christian. They mean we are human.
The biblical definition of grace (charis) refers to unearned favour, kindness extended from God to the undeserving. That includes moments when we can’t pray, moments when we don’t feel strong, or are overwhelmed by emotion.
Jesus invites the weary and burdened with these words in Matthew 11:28, NIV: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Rest is a mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. It’s not a vacation — it’s restoration. It’s what we receive when we stop pretending we’re okay and come honestly to God.
And 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) offers the foundation of this devotional: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
So our panic, our sadness, our numbness — all of it matters to God. He is not repelled by our mess. He’s drawn to it.
Grace doesn’t wait for our healing to begin. It begins the healing. It reminds us that even when we feel useless, God still calls us chosen. Even when we feel empty, He says we are enough. And even when we feel broken, He says we are His.
So Family, if by chance we are just barely holding it together, in terms of these stressors we’re facing negatively affecting our mental and emotional health, know this: God’s Hands are strong enough to carry us and gentle enough to restore us.
Grace is for you, grace is for me — right here, right now.
aub - 2Jul25
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