Winning the War in Your Mind P1
God Is Not Scared of the Dark - Mark van Pletsen
Many of us know what it is to say, “I’m okay,” while anxiety, grief, or exhaustion is telling a very different story. We can look fine on the outside while struggling deeply on the inside.
This week Mark van Pletsen kicked off our new series, Winning the War on Your Mind, with this truth:
God is not scared of the dark.
He is not intimidated by our questions, our pain, our sin, or the broken places in our lives. We do not need to clean ourselves up before coming to him.
A church without broken people is a broken church.
We are not here to pretend that everything is fine or to create a place where people feel pressured to perform. We are here because Jesus meets us in our brokenness and makes us whole.
That means becoming a church where we can:
Speak honestly about what we are facing
Bring anxiety, depression, grief, and confusion into the light
Pray for one another without judgement
Offer practical care and support
Encourage people to seek appropriate professional help
Walk with one another through the messy middle
The church is not called to entertain Christians on a Sunday. We are called to be equipped and sent as everyday missionaries—people who carry the presence and compassion of Jesus into our homes, workplaces, friendships and communities.
Move away from one-line answers to complex struggles:
“You just need to pray more”
“You must have more faith”
“You need to cast it out”
“You don’t need therapy—just Jesus”
Prayer and faith remain essential, but these responses can leave hurting people feeling ashamed and alone. They can make people believe that their struggle is proof of spiritual failure.
The way of Jesus is different. It is gentle, humble, and compassionate. Instead of rushing to explain someone’s pain, we can listen. Instead of trying to fix everything, we can say:
“We will stand with you. We will pray with you. You do not have to walk through this alone.”
Faith and professional support do not have to compete. Counselling, medical care, rest, community and prayer can all form part of the way God cares for us.
God Meets Us in the Valley
Psalm 84 speaks about the Valley of Baka—a valley of weeping. The promise is not that we will always avoid the valley, but that God will meet us as we walk through it.
Sometimes we want God to take us over the valley, around it or out of it immediately. But there are seasons when we have to keep walking, trusting that God is with us in the middle of the pain.
We may not understand everything about our circumstances, but we can continue to pray:
“Our Father in heaven, we trust you.”
God is not absent in the valley. He is present with us, giving us grace for the next step.
The Bible Gives Us Language for Pain
The Bible does not hide the struggles of God’s people:
David wrote about sleepless nights, sorrow, and wrestling with his thoughts
Job asked where hope could be found
Jeremiah expressed deep grief
Elijah reached a point of fear, exhaustion, and despair
Elijah’s story shows us something important about God’s care. After a significant spiritual victory, Elijah became afraid and wanted to die. God did not respond by condemning him or telling him to try harder.
God gave him:
Rest
Food
Water
His gentle presence
A way forward
Sometimes the next step of faith is to sleep. Sometimes we need to clear our diaries, care for our bodies, accept help, and allow God to restore us gently.
The Invitation of Jesus
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”— Matthew 11:28
The invitation is not “get yourself together and then come”. It is simply: come to me.
To the hurting: come to Jesus
To the hopeless: come to Jesus
To the exhausted: come to Jesus
To those who feel ashamed: come to Jesus
To those carrying someone else’s pain: come to Jesus
At the communion table, we remember the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. Our brokenness is not hidden from God, and it does not place us beyond his reach. Because of Jesus, we can come honestly, receive grace, and find hope.
If God is not scared of the dark, we don't need to fear entering difficult places with people.
We can become a community that:
Notices when someone is struggling
Creates space for honest conversations
Listens before offering advice
Responds with gentleness rather than judgement
Prays with people
Encourages appropriate professional support
Continues walking with people beyond the first conversation
We may not have every answer, but we can offer presence, compassion, and faithfulness.
God is not scared of the dark. He meets us there, and he teaches us to meet one another there too.
Life Group Questions
Have you ever felt pressure to say, “I’m okay,” when you were struggling? What made honesty difficult?
What unhelpful attitudes about mental health have we encountered in Christian circles? How can we respond differently?
Read Psalm 84:5–7. What does this passage teach us about walking through seasons of sorrow?
Read 1 Kings 19:1–18. What do we learn from the way God cared for Elijah?
Which biblical character’s honesty about pain gives you language for your own experience?
How can we hold prayer, community, and professional support together in a healthy way?
What could we do to make our Life Group a safer place for people to be honest?
Who might God be prompting us to notice, listen to, or encourage this week?
A Note for Leaders
If someone shares that they may harm themselves or are in immediate danger:
Take them seriously
Listen calmly
Avoid promising secrecy
Follow the church’s safeguarding and emergency procedures
Encourage appropriate qualified mental-health support
Continue offering prayer, care and community support
Comments