Hello my beautiful, imperfectly made people! In case you were unaware, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since today is the last day of May, I thought I should discuss the topic of mental health. Mental health issues can be a very taboo subject within the Christian community but we have to realize that it is very real. It's a constant battle of believing Jesus as our Lord, savior, healer and deliverer along with being fleshly beings, living in a fallen world. So without further adieu, let's tackle some steps to conquering mental health as a Christian! 1. Speak positively about yourself
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -2 Corinthians 10:4-5
We are (we meaning myself) so quick to put ourselves down and point out our flaws. Me personally, I point out my flaws and insecurities before anyone else does in a twisted way to "build myself up" and make myself stronger so when someone else does it, it won't hurt as much. Does that make sense? We automatically jump to conclusions that people are viewing us negatively. With that mindset I look down on myself and beat myself up over my flaws. Instead let’s build ourselves up in the Lord. Let’s remind ourselves who God says we are! We are His children and are loved by Him. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. -Psalms 139:13-14. When we talk down on ourselves we are speaking about Gods creation. Is that ok? If you want others to see your worth, why continuously portray that you are not worthy but devaluing your worth through our negative self talk?
2. See a counselor!
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." -James 5:16
I feel like I've talked about this a few times in other blogs, but please go see a good counselor. Stop being afraid to open up. Far easier said than done, I know, but it is extremely critical to your healing. If you want healing or breakthrough, it is so important to tell someone. A counselor can be a non biased person who will help you sort through issues and show you areas of your life that need healing. Many causes of our mental health issues can be stemmed from situations that we have experienced that we have suppressed. In order to move forward and do better, we must see what happened to cause us to think or act a certain way. A counselor is trained to guide you through that journey to discover those root issues that gives explanation as to your current actions. Through that, you can find healing and deliverance.
*Side note: Many health insurances cover psychologist costs. Also, it may take time to find a good counselor. The first one may not be the right one for you, but don't trying to find one. Allow God to guide you to the right one for you.
3. Guard Your Heart!
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." -Proverbs 4:23
Turn off the Tv and delete the social media. We begin to get triggered when we see our life not going the way we thought it would. At times the only reason we see it not going the way we thought it would is because we see others who’s lives are going how we thought ours would be. You thought you’d be married with children by age 25, yet it happened to your sister instead. You thought you’d have your masters degree and a solid job yet, it happened to your friend instead. People on social media seemingly have active and fun social lives. I could easily say “we don’t know what they may be facing behind closed doors” to try and make you feel better about where you are in life. The reality is, some people may not have anything that they are battling right now and are doing very well. How do you deal with that?? Being content with where God has placed you. “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.” Philippians 4:11. We will all have to go through seasons of life that are difficult and we will have seasons or triumph. Do we keep our eyes on Christ in those times or do we keep our eyes on others? If you feel yourself starting to compare your life, delete the social media for a while and reconnect with God. You will feel so much better and realize how much of your life you are living to impress others. We want to see super cool and unique. As much as we say "we don't care what people think" we really do. When we don't get the gratification we were wanting but someone else receives it, it can cause self doubt and potential low self esteem. Remember, a lot of things in life are fabricated; social media, TV, movies, people's bodies. Please lean on Christ for validation.
Another thing is being careful with engaging or opening yourself up to new age or occultic practices, movies, music, etc. These practices or things have demonic spirits attached that can create depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Do your research about various things you partake in. You never know what you have attached yourself to accidentally. Yes we have Jesus but we live in a fallen world. There are many things that look healthy, innocent, or beneficial to our lives on earth. If we aren't careful, they can cause damages to our Spirit man. "Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow." -1 Peter 5:8. Ask the Father to show you areas of your life that you have accidentally connected yourself to demonic oppression. Once He shows you, pray for strength to give it up. yes we have grace but don't abuse that grace when you have knowledge that something is not of God. It can be so difficult to find out that you have been doing things that are not of God because it has become who you are. Without realizing it, our identity has been placed in this "thing" and we couldn't imagine our life without it. This is where the healing of the Lord comes into play. He will heal, restore, and make you whole in Him. Trust this process. He is going to reward you greatly for it.
4. Have Healthy Platonic Relationships
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2
Relationships are crucial and critical within the christian walk. I feel like I've stressed this is previous blogs, but having a solid group of people in your life is so important. Are those people helping you get closer to God. As someone with mental health issues, are they encouraging you to seek help? Are they enabling you? Are you allowing your friends to be honest with you? You need encouragement and positivity but you also need people to be honest with you. The decisions you're making could potentially be created more mental health issues. It's easier to see from the outside looking in. If you truly want to get better, please make sure you have a solid group of friends. Surround yourself with people who you encourage you and be honest with you, NOT enable your mental health condition. They should hopefully point you back to God’s word.
Another thing with friendships is, are they supposed to be you friend. They could be a great person and striving to live for the Lord, however, you all may not be good friends for one another. AND THAT'S OKAY! Just because you have been friends for years, doesn't mean you need to be friends now, especially within your mental health healing. I saw a quote that said (and I'm paraphrasing this), "You have to realize that you have toxic traits too. It's not always the other person." As you are healing in your mental health journey, be cognizant of your unhealthy emotions or attachments to others. Ask God to show you unhealthy traits you possess that could be negatively affecting relationships. You may need to distance yourself from that person to truly experience your healing.
5. Express Yourself and Enjoy Life!
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." -John 10:10
Make sure you have a creatively outlet to minimize those mental health issues. I could go into the scientific evidence of all of this but we know, when we do something we enjoy, we feel better. Find something healthy that can uplift your mood. This can include dancing, painting, drawing, exercise, writing, etc. At times, we adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms to suppress the pain that we have experienced. In turn this creates more mental health problems/issues. So as I said earlier, guard your heart and pray for God to give you a healthy outlet.
6. You are NOT Your Diagnosis
"...I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
When we have been given a medical diagnosis, we tend to make it apart of who we are and allow it to become our identity. Instead we need to acknowledge that it is apart of us but not who we are. It can affect our daily life and how we function, but it is NOT who we are. We are children of God. At any moment He can completely heal and deliver us from whatever our diagnosis is, or it'll be a thorn that we have that causes us to continuously seek the face of God and not lean on our own strength or understanding. If you have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, it is not the end. Many times God heals and delivers people fully of the condition. Other times, He delivers us from the strongholds we have placed ourselves in because of the condition. Don't allow a medical condition to limit your view of what God can do in your life. God can do the impossible through it. It could be through your condition that you help spread the saving and healing power of Jesus Christ and how you are able to overcome the negative aspects of the condition. "You are not defined by your diagnosis, you are defined by your Heavenly Father. Do not give up. God calls you beloved, chosen, fearfully and wonderfully made, and valuable." -Paul Daughtery
So I pray for healing and restoration. I pray for strongholds to be broken. I pray you all find peace and joy in the Lord through whatever mental health condition you may experience. I will talk to you all later!
BYYYYYEEE!!!
~Meghan A. Harper
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray for whoever is reading this blog that they are encourage to hold onto the promises you have for their life. You have the final say, not their medical records. I pray for deliverance of strongholds. I pray for purposes to be revealed so people can live out your plan for their life no matter their mental health circumstances. Give them strength Heavenly Father and I pray they continue seeking your face.
In Jesus/Yeshua's name,
AMEN!!!