It’s a hard reality: mental health services and community programs have been facing extensive waiting lists. The demand is simply higher than what the system can provide. A harsh reality check stated by someone in higher leadership I once worked with resonates deeply with me: “There will be people who will slip through the cracks, and it’s not because we don’t want to help them. It’s because the demand is too high for what we can provide right now.” The statement holds significant weight, especially when looking at the rising rates of suicide.

However, there is a deeper truth beneath the surface of these waiting lists. People are spiritually and mentally exhausted, burdened by the simple functions of daily life. They are desperate for rest. Unfortunately, many see suicide as the only way to find it—carrying the weight of a lie that it will provide the peace they seek.

While the system struggles with capacity, the ultimate crisis is a disconnect from the Creator. Often, the symptoms of this disconnect—an internal emptiness—is mistaken for strictly natural or mental health problems. While we do not diminish the reality of clinical illness, we must acknowledge that our greatest struggle is our separation from God. We try to mask this void with external things, but only God can fill it.

Here are three truths that you should know: 1) God is the Creator of all things—you are one of His creations and He loves you; 2) Because He loves you, He sent a Savior; and 3) That Savior is Jesus Christ!

Your life’s struggles of any kind is not a sign of failure; it’s a testament to your need of a Savior. While you wait for these systems to catch up, the invitation to rest in Christ is always available to you.

—Morgan J. Nickles