When Faith Doesn't Fix the Feelings

Because trusting Jesus doesn’t mean you won’t still cry in the shower sometimes.

I used to think that if I just prayed hard enough, read enough devotionals, and listened to enough worship music, I wouldn’t feel anxious anymore.  That the sadness would lift.  The pain would go away.  That the panic would stop.

Spoiler alert: I still cry in the shower, overthink text messages, and occasionally smile through the storm like a “good Christian” should.

I thought faith would make me float.  But here’s what I’ve learned: faith doesn’t erase our feelings-it walks us through them. Faith makes me keep walking—even when I’d rather burrito myself in a weighted blanket and avoid everyone (including Jesus).

Even Jesus Wept

Let’s be real—Jesus had the perfect relationship with the Father, and still...he didn’t pretend.

• He wept (John 11:35)

• He sweat blood (Luke 22:44)

• And He asked, “Can we not do this whole crucifixion thing?” (paraphrased—Luke 22:42)

And yet – He never lacked faith.

Jesus didn’t fake it for the crowd. He didn’t say, “I’m too blessed to be stressed” as he headed toward the cross. He felt deeply and expressed it honestly.

If Jesus, the Son of God, was allowed to feel sorrow, fear, and even exhaustion, why do we feel shame for ours?

Mental Health Does NOT Equal Spiritual Failure

Somewhere along the way, someone told us that if we had "real faith," we wouldn’t be anxious, depressed, exhausted, or emotionally whiplashed by life.

NEWS FLASH: That is Lies. All of it.

We’ve been conditioned (especially in the church) to believe that strong faith should produce unshakable peace. And while God’s peace is real, it doesn’t mean you’ll never be overwhelmed, overstimulated, or deeply sad again

Mental health challenges are NOT spiritual weaknesses.

They're often just a sign that you’ve been very human in a very broken world for a very long time.  They are often wounds—wounds from trauma, neurodiversity, chronic stress, chemical imbalances, or years of unmet emotional needs.

Faith doesn’t make those disappear. But it does say, “I see you. I’m with you. You’re not crazy—let’s walk through this together.”

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”— Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

He’s not waiting for you to “fix” your feelings before drawing near.

He draws near because of them.

He gets close.

Even when we’re a blubbering, emotionally overloaded mess who just ate frosting from the tub and told your houseplant about your problems.

It only takes child-like faith!

Real Talk

You can be faithful and feel fragile.

You can love Jesus and still get annoyed at Karen from small group.

You can trust God and still battle anxiety

You can walk in purpose and still have days when getting out of bed is a win

It does NOT make you a bad Christian.

It makes you human – and deeply, dearly loved.

Final Thoughts

If your faith doesn’t “fix” the feelings today, that’s okay.

Faith isn’t a magic eraser for your emotions. It’s the arms that carry you through them.

You don’t have to fake peace to be faithful.

God is present in your panic. Close in your chaos.  Steady when you are not.

So no, you’re not a bad Christian because you had a meltdown in the Target parking lot or avoided everyone’s texts for three days. You’re just a person who feels deeply—and guess what?

God built you like that. On purpose.

You need to be honest. And held. And maybe a nap.

Unfiltered.

And fully loved.