• Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Signed Books
  • Speaking
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • What People Are Saying
  • Is this for me?
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content

Chris Morris Christian Mental Health

Redefine Normal // Rediscover Hope

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Signed Books
  • Speaking
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • What People Are Saying
  • Is this for me?
  • Contact
  • Search
Chris Morris Christian Mental Health: Rediscovering Normal

Chris Morris | Christian Mental Health

I spend my time writing about how to balance faith and mental illness. I have both mental illnesses and chronic illnesses, but I’m learning to thrive anyway. I guess that’s why Redefining Normal is part of the code here, because it’s been part of my journey.
My BooksLearn more
Mental Health and the Bible: Who was Depressed in the Bible? A book by Chris Morris

Stories of Mental Illness in the Bible

Mental Health and the Bible

Did you know that many major characters in the Bible had depression and other mental health problems?

Many people think that mature Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health issues, but a closer look at what the Bible has to say in its stories gives us a different picture entirely. What does the Bible say about depression, anxiety, and having a real bad moment? The pages of Scripture are littered with examples and advice for Christians struggling with mental illness today. Stories of people like Moses, David and (yes) even Jesus teach us how we can live with and understand depression, anxiety, and every mental illness.

Get this free ebook when you subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Get inspiration directly in your email in-box to encourage you to keep fighting and never give up.

Redefine Normal

Rediscover Hope

Welcome to my Christian mental health website. This is a safe place for followers of Jesus dealing with depression, anxiety, and every mental illness under the sun. If you’ve asked yourself, “if I’m a Christian, why am I depressed?“ or, “where is God when my life is falling apart?“, or “How do I overcome depression biblically“, you’re in the right place. Everything here is written as Christian help for those in the mental illness community as we redefine normal and rediscover hope together. Let’s talk about these two things for just a moment. What does it mean to redefine normal? It means that nobody but you gets to tell you what’s normal and what’s abnormal. You are the arbiter of your own life, and you get to decide that.

For you, maybe a normal day is not getting out of bed until noon because of chronic pain, and having to carefully calculate where you spend your limited energy. If so, I honor your normal here. How about rediscovering hope? So many of us struggle to fell there’s any objective reason for hope in our lives, because, to be honest, our lives stink a lot of the time. It’s full of difficulty and complexity, hard conversations and unmet expectations. But we can find the keys to having hope despite all these setbacks. I spend a lot of time talking the nuts and bolts of hope from a biblical perspective, so it’s more tangible, meaningful, and applicable to real life.

Chris’ Latest Posts

Christian mental health resources for those learning to live with mental illness

jack lucas smith zxq0dvmryio unsplash

17 Psalms for Depression: The Complete Guide

If you’re like a lot of people, you might feel like the Bible doesn’t have much to say about depression. Well, if that’s you, I’ve got great news for you. Because the Bible is composed of the stories and lives and experiences of real people who actually lived, these very…

17 Psalms for Depression: The Complete GuideRead More

We’ve All Got Issues—Practical Ways to Address Mental Illness Struggles in the Church

I have the privilege of sharing my site again with a good friend. Meet Janeen Ippolito: Janeen Ippolito is an award-winning author of bestselling fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She’s also a mental health/chronic illness survivor and a veteran of Christian ministry who believes in church environments that uplift and grow…

We’ve All Got Issues—Practical Ways to Address Mental Illness Struggles in the ChurchRead More

Until Then (A Guest Post)

I have the honor of sharing my page today with Jessica Seale. Here’s a little bit about Jessica: Jessica Seale is a writer and online mentor from Southern Middle TN. She writes novels, scripts, and essays, mostly on the topics of mental health. She is graduating with her MFA in…

Until Then (A Guest Post)Read More

Does Mental Illness Ruin God’s Plans for My Life? (Psalm 139 and Mental Health)

Mental Health Musings on Psalm 139 God made us for a purpose, to accomplish tasks laid out before us. But doesn’t having a mental illness, like depression, schizophrenia, or PTSD, to name a couple, completely throw off God’s plan for our lives? The answer is simple and biblical. No, not…

Does Mental Illness Ruin God’s Plans for My Life? (Psalm 139 and Mental Health)Read More

Not Disqualified but Called

STORIES OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE BIBLE The Bible has a lot to say about depression and mental illness. Elijah seemed to battle symptoms of bipolar disorder. King Saul was apparently struggling with major depressive disorder. Nebuchadnezzar glorified God as the giver of all good things after what looked like…

Not Disqualified but CalledRead More

God’s Voice Vs. Other Voices

I’m super excited to share my website with Katie Dale today. Here’s her bio, so you can get to know her a little: Hey there! I’m Katie Dale, familiar with the storms of mental illness, and I blog about my faith and how it has informed my brain-based disorder at KatieRDale.com.…

God’s Voice Vs. Other VoicesRead More

Depression is NOT Disappointment | How to Help Someone Process Disappointment

Leslie was trying to make it work with her husband. They had been struggling for years. Counseling didn’t seem to help, because neither of them was really willing to change the things that needed to change for their marriage to be better. They had talked with their pastor, but none…

Depression is NOT Disappointment | How to Help Someone Process DisappointmentRead More

Depression is NOT Grief | How to Help Someone Grieve

One of my best friends Alfred called me and told me the terrible news. His dad has suddenly passed from a brain aneurysm. Alfred didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to respond, this wasn’t supposed to happen like this. His dad was mostly healthy, and this was…

Depression is NOT Grief | How to Help Someone GrieveRead More

Depression is Not Anger | How To Respond to a Suicidal Friend

Suzanne just thought it would work out differently. She applied for that job, knowing she was more than qualified for it. She rocked the interview and even got immediate feedback from her interviewer telling her to expect a phone call with a job offer in a couple of days. When…

Depression is Not Anger | How To Respond to a Suicidal FriendRead More

Is Depression a Sin? (3 Examples of Depression in the Bible)

Christians and Depression Too often, those in the Church are quick to call depression and other mental illnesses a sin, calling the sick to repent and return to God. It breaks my heart to see this response because there is no other type of illness where this would be acceptable.…

Is Depression a Sin? (3 Examples of Depression in the Bible)Read More

Interview on This Undivided Life Podcast

I had the privilege of being interviewed by my friend Troy McLaughlin on his podcast This Undivided Life. We talked about everything from my favorite meal ever to where God is in the midst of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you’ve ever wanted to hear more of my story, this…

Interview on This Undivided Life PodcastRead More

Is There a Difference Between Worry and Anxiety?

IS ANXIETY A SIN? Ask your average Christian if anxiety is a sin, and they can quote you a number of verses that point to an obvious yes. For the sake of brevity, let’s just focus on the words of Jesus in LUKE 12:25-26 – “Can all your worries add…

Is There a Difference Between Worry and Anxiety?Read More

See All

Is This For Me?

Found out more about this site and see if it’s a good space for you to hang out.
Learn more

Life with Psychogenic Seizures

Psychogenic seizures is one of my primary diagnosis, and it impacts me every single day. Learn how here.
Learn more

Two Things I Learned About the Church in the Psych Ward

I have spend time in a psych ward twice in my life. I learned a lot about myself and the church both times.
Learn more

What People Are Saying

Whispers in the Pews “Compassion is the antidote to stigma, and it only begins when we hear the stories of real men and women who suffer from mental illness. Chris Morris is doing the church a tremendous service with this book. It should be required reading for anyone who considers… Read more “David Edward Cummings”

David Edward Cummings
PhD, Professor of Microbiology, Point Loma Nazarene University, Host of the SoulCare Podcast, Elder at Pathways Community Church, Santee, CA
http://davidedwardcummings.com/

Whispers in the Pews “Chris Morris has compiled honest and raw stories that give sight into the heart of many Christians who have battled, or are battling, mental illness. Whispers in the Pews brings to light that mental health matters and how it hasn’t always mattered in the Christian community,… Read more “Shawn Elizabeth George”

Shawn Elizabeth George
Inspirational Author, Writer, and Speaker
https://www.shawnelizabethgeorge.com/
Mary Demuth

Whispers in the Pews “I cannot imagine Jesus scolding someone with a mental illness, telling them to just get over it, try harder, memorize more verses. No, He would listen. He would love. He would be filled with compassion. And even He was deemed mentally ill in his time, his… Read more “Mary DeMuth”

Mary DeMuth
https://www.marydemuth.com/
Marty Kaiser

Perfectly Abnormal “I highly recommend this book to any person or family trying to deal with a chronic illness. In its pages you will find practical help to move forward, and hope to experience a life worth living. Over the past few years I have witnessed the pain and sorrow… Read more “Marty Kaiser”

Marty Kaiser
http://revealvineyard.com
Mary Demuth

Perfectly Abnormal “Perfectly Abnormal is one of those books that should be required reading for churches longing to provide a welcoming environment for all their members. And it should be required reading for any human who wants to love, empathize, and walk in the shoes of another. I so appreciated… Read more “Mary DeMuth (Perfectly Abnormal)”

Mary DeMuth
http://marydemuth.com
Rett Syndrome

Whispers in the Pews “I am ridiculously excited for the stories in this book to be shared. There is an incredible need to discuss the reality of mental illness and how the church can improve how it addresses… Read more “Colleen English”

Colleen English
President & Founder of Rettland Foundation
http://rettland.org/
Jeff Goines

Whispers in the Pews “Finally, someone is speaking out on a deep and important issue that simply does not get talked about enough in our faith communities. Thank you, Chris, for your honesty and bravery. May these words move us all to deeper and more compassionate… Read more “Jeff Goins”

Jeff Goins
Bestselling author of The Art of Work
https://goinswriter.com/

Follow Chris’ Instagram

chrismorriswrites

Mental health author & advocate for the church. If you want to learn more about mental health in the Bible, check out my free book in my links!

Chris Morris
We can develop messianic friendships with those in We can develop messianic friendships with those in mental illness communities. Fundamentally, this means that we view people as people rather than “mentally ill people.” Like Jesus, we can learn to view people through the lens of grace and recognize they are made redemptively in the wonderful image of our God. This means they are worthy of dignity, deeply creative, full of life and emotion, and—bottom line—worth our time. 

To learn more about messianic friendships, listen to the latest episode of Resilience & Other Things wherever you find your podcasts. 

#authorsofinstagram #podcastersofinstagram #churchandmentalhealth #mentalhealthinthechurch #mentalhealthawareness #keeptalkingmh
If you’ve ever wished the Bible talked about men If you’ve ever wished the Bible talked about mental illness, this is the perfect book for you. While specific diagnoses like major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder don’t show up, the characters in the Bible show all the telltale signs of mental health disorders. This FREE book highlights how some of the biggest heroes of the Christian faith like Paul, Moses, Elijah, and even Jesus had mental health moments. Click through to the links in my bio to pick up your copy!

#freebie #freebook #freebooks #authorsofinstagram #mentalhealthawareness #churchandmentalhealth #mentalhealthinthechurch #depressionhelp #anxietyrelief
Hospitality is a word that has been weakened in to Hospitality is a word that has been weakened in todays world. We think it’s as simple as being kind and opening our house to our friends, but it’s actually so much more. Hebrews has said that we might entertain angels unaware through our kindness. This obviously means extending kindness to more than our besties. Radical hospitality expands the “open door” to all the world, indiscriminate of whether they “deserve it” or not. 

This is particularly true within communities that have been historically excluded, like the mental illness communities. Extending a hand of kindness to someone who is struggling can bring change beyond what we might imagine. 

#authorsofinstagram #hospitality #biblicalhospitality  #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #keeptalkingmh #mentalhealthandthechurch
Radical hospitality is a part of the history of Ch Radical hospitality is a part of the history of Christianity. It has particular application in the context of mental health. Too often, we think of hospitality as opening your house up to friends for game night, but it’s actually so much more. Biblically speaking, radical hospitality does include welcome, but it also includes  compassion, incorporation, and patience. Taken together, these form a practical foundation to invite mental illness communities into engagement with and involvement with communities of God. 

If that sounds interesting to you, find out more on this week’s episode of the Resilience & Other Things podcast. Listen wherever you find your podcasts. 

#podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #resilience #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthinthechurch #mentalhealthmatters #hospitality #biblicalhospitality
Love this quote from William MacDonald. God values Love this quote from William MacDonald. God values broken people. Paul talks about how, in a reversed theology of weakness, God uses the weak to shame the strong and how God shines through broken vessels all the more clearly.
This is a bit random, but I came across this quote This is a bit random, but I came across this quote the other day and it really hit home for me. As a creative, it’s really on ME to do the work. Nobody will stop me, but also nobody will force me to do it. 

#dothework #writingcommunity #writinginspiration
The church has historically NOT been a very safe p The church has historically NOT been a very safe place for mentally ill people, but that can change. We can work together to create sacred safe spaces for those with mental illnesses to feel welcomed, loved, and strengthened in community and in Christ. 

#podcastersofinstagram #resilience #authorsofinstagram #newpodcast #sacredsafespaces #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthinthechurch #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthsupport
Instagram post 17859849974983971 Instagram post 17859849974983971
In this weeks podcast episode of “Resilience & O In this weeks podcast episode of “Resilience & Other Things,” we talk about what it means for churches to create sacred safe spaces for those battling mental illnesses. By emphasizing each word (create-sacred-safe-spaces) we arrive at a tactical concept of what it actually looks like on the ground to make room for the mentally ill in churches today. 

Listen to the podcasts at your favorite podcast locations—Apple, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or Google. 

#resilience
#sacredsafespaces
#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthinthechurch #mentalhealthmatters #mentalillness #podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram
COVER REVEAL!! I am SO excited to share the cover COVER REVEAL!!

I am SO excited to share the cover of my book that’s releasing next fall with #leafwoodpublishers. Trekking Toward Tenacity is an exploration of Psalm 139 in light of the parenting journey, with a specific focus on mental health habits that will allow your kids to have bounce-backable faith when trials come their way. Filled with practical tips and takeaways alongside theological truths, this will be a great book for you to refer to again and again. 

To be the first to know when this book is available for preorder, and to stay in the know for all my book news, sign up for my newsletter in my links. 

#authorsofinstagram #parentingtips #parenting #mentalhealth #mentalhealthandfaith #mentalhealthawareness #psalm139
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Site Footer

  • Home
  • About Chris Morris
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • What People Are Saying
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2023 · Chris Morris Writes. All Rights Reserved.
Website by Stormhill Media
Log in

Privacy Policy