3 Books I'm Reading About Mental Health

By Chuck Fenwick

The topic of mental health has become more prevalent in our culture. However, mental health is not often talked about in the church world. 

But that doesn’t mean mental health is irrelevant for Christians – honestly, it’s quite the opposite. 

Prioritizing mental health is important – so I’ve been reading a few books on this topic. And I wanted to share a few of my favorites from that list. 

Here are my top three book recommendations for improving your mental health as a Christian. 

Winning the War in Your Mind

by Craig Groeschel

Winning the War in Your Mind is an excellent intersection of how the content in the Bible intersects with the latest studies in brain science. Groeschel offers strategies on how to retrain your thought patterns to fight negative self-talk and encourages readers to stop doubting themselves.

I especially enjoyed how Groeschel discusses the power of prayer and regular gratitude practices to help impact your mental health.

I think this is a great read for anyone struggling with self-doubt and anxiety about who they are.

How God Changes Your Brain

by Andrew Newberg M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman

How God Changes Your Brain is co-authored by two neuroscience experts and discusses the positive impacts of focusing on God on your mental health. 

A big takeaway for me from this book was the impact of prayer or meditation on a person’s life. Newberg and Waldman suggest that your mental health is significantly improved by praying or meditating for only 12 minutes each day. 12 minutes of prayer every day is less than 1% of your day! 

This is a great read for anyone looking to know more about how faith and science coincide and the neuroscience benefits of focusing on God.

Resilient

by John Eldredge

Resilient examines the human soul and the emotional rollercoaster we’ve collectively experienced over the past few years. 

One topic Eldredge focuses on is the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s impacted our society as we recover together. I’ve noticed this process has affected not only my mental health but the mental health of those I regularly interact with. 

I found comfort in the words of encouragement from Eldredge about how Jesus guides us on a path to resilience despite what we have been through. 

Resilient is a good read for anyone who has felt discouraged throughout the past few years and is looking to Jesus to recover emotionally and spiritually. 

What are you reading? 

If you’ve read any books about mental health lately, text me! I’d love to discuss your current reads and add them to my list.