3 Questions for a Simple Summer Mental Health Check

In recent weeks we have noticed outside stressors and spiritual elements as well so I thought it would be a good time to offer a quick self-check on your state of mind. This time of year—when routines slow down, families take vacations, and there’s more space for solitude—can be a great opportunity for reflection and mid-year adjustments. Whether you’re soaking up the sun or sitting in the quiet of an unusally rainy summer so far, this is a good moment to ask: How am I really doing inside? How is my spirit?

Mental health isn’t just about anxiety or burnout—it’s about the ongoing condition of your soul, your thoughts, your relationships, and your trust in God.

Here are three honest questions that can help surface what’s going on beneath the surface:

1. Am I emotionally honest with God and at least one other person?

I live in the Psalms how David’s raw, unfiltered songs give us a model of real emotional life with God. He didn’t stuff his feelings or pretend to be okay—he brought everything to the Lord. Joy. Anger. Confusion. Gratitude. All of it.

Plus he said this:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts.”

—Psalm 139:23

When we start hiding what we feel—even from ourselves—our souls shrink. Emotional isolation leads to spiritual numbness. And often, we don’t realize how deeply we’ve withdrawn until we intentionally ask: Who truly knows me right now? Have I been honest with God? Have I shared with someone I trust?

Remember we have groups for men and women each week that can offer a safe space to do this!

2. Am I anchored in truth, or swept up in lies?

Lies sound familiar. They often wear the disguise of logic or responsibility:

• If I don’t perform, I’m not enough.

• God is disappointed in me.

• I should be further along by now.

• I have to manage everything or it will fall apart.

Jesus tells us that truth brings freedom (John 8:32), but it’s hard to recognize a lie you’ve lived with for years. One of the first signs of mental fatigue is the quiet agreement we make with lies—letting them steer our actions and shape our self-worth.

Ask: What thoughts have I let live rent-free in my mind? What narrative have I accepted as truth, even if it contradicts what God says about me?

3. Am I giving or receiving love in a life-giving rhythm?

God designed us to thrive in love—not just as a concept, but as a rhythm. We’re called to receive it, give it, dwell in it. But when we’re off balance, we tend to either isolate or overextend. We shut down emotionally or pour out love while never receiving it ourselves.

“Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself.”

—Matthew 22:37–39

Ask yourself: Am I letting God love me? Am I receiving encouragement, rest, grace—or just pushing through? Am I choosing to love someone today, not for what they give back, but because it honors God and frees me?

Want to care for your mental and spiritual health this week? Try this:

Have a caring conversation with a friend. Not surface-level, but real. Share something honest. Ask how they’re really doing.

• Serve someone who can’t pay you back. It resets your heart when you give with no expectation of return. Find someone who needs kindness and surprise them.

• Use vacation or downtime to actually refresh. Don’t just fill it with noise. Read. Rest. Pray. Let yourself be restored instead of just entertained.

God is not waiting for a more put-together version of you. He’s present right now, inviting you into truth, healing, and freedom. These three questions won’t fix everything—but they’re a sacred starting point.

For Discussion:

1. Which of these three questions hits closest to home for me right now—and what does that tell me about what I need?

2. What’s one small step I could take this week toward being more emotionally honest—with God or someone else?

3. What practical thing could I do during this season to reset my soul—especially if I’ve been feeling disconnected, hurried, or stuck?