How Being Involved in Church Can Be Good for Your Mental Health

by with No Comment BibleCultureGodLife styleMental HealthSelf CareSocial

How Being Involved in Church Can Be Good for Your Mental Health

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

 

You already have a lot to deal with. Depression and anxiety are things you struggle with every day.  You just want to live in peace.  But what if serving or being involved in your Church community is an excellent way of dealing with mental health? What if God wants to use your story to help others in the church?

 

The truth is:

 

We are living in times when one can easily attend a church service at the comfort of their home.  This is great because we can continue to feed our souls with the word of God, especially in times when we cannot go to church. But this can also lead to neglect of the most important thing, and that is gathering together as believers. (Hebrews 10:25)

 

Now, living in separation, especially for those of us that are struggling with mental health issues, can be very tempting. After all, it seems most people don’t understand us, even those in the church community.

 

But here is the thing;

 

The enemy wants us to live in isolation so that he can continue to attack our minds with negative thoughts.

 

That’s why it is essential to belong to a church community.

 

How will being involved in your church community be good for your mental help?

 

Serving others Brings Joy and Peace

One of the ways that you can worship God is through serving.  Through it, you get to express gratitude to God for taking care of you, and this brings peace and joy in your heart.

 

Not just that, but when you surround yourself with other people, you get to see life from a different perspective. You get to hear other people’s testimonies, and this will help you to keep fighting the good fight of faith. (Proverbs 27:17)

 

Improves your Self Esteem

Being involved in a church community will help you to develop your spiritual gifts, and this will improve your self-esteem.  See, most times, we end up having thoughts of how we are not good enough and how we shall never amount to anything. But serving others and being involved in a church community will help you discover, nurture, and utilize your spiritual gifts in a way that glorifies God.

 

Helps us to Shift our Focus

One of the reasons why we struggle with depression is we focus on ourselves and not God.  We spend hours and hours thinking about how we are not good enough.  Serving and belonging to a community will help us shift our focus from self to God.  We will get to see the true nature of God and his grace towards us through others. This will leave us feeling confident. Serving also acts as a good distraction from our fears and anxieties.  (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12)

 

All in all

 

God has called us to serve others, not just for their own good but also for our own.  Belonging to a community will help you learn about other people’s experiences.  You will be able to meet other people who struggle with mental health issues and learn how they deal with them.  Being around others will also help you to shift your focus from self to God.  Serving God and others will bring joy and peace in your heart.

How to Set Faith Goals

by with No Comment BibleCultureGodLife styleMental HealthSelf Care

How to Set Faith Goals

But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds, they stand.

Isaiah 32:8

Have you ever set faith goals?  Most people set goals for their careers, physical wellness, and personal growth.  Sadly very few believers set goals for their faith.

 

But here is the thing every other area in your life is linked to your spiritual life.  Your spiritual life has a major influence on your physical, mental, and emotional well being. So setting faith goals is something that every Christian should do.

 

What are Faith Goals?

Faith goals are targets or objectives believers set to help them get closer to God.  Faith or spiritual goals help us to become Christ-like. Goals give us a path or direction to follow so that we can grow spiritually.

 

Your faith goals can be something like:

 

  • Finding a Spirit-filled and word-based church.
  • Fasting one to three days per month.
  • Reading the Bible for 30minutes each day.

 

So how do you set spiritual goals? Here are ways to do that:

 

Pray

We all go through different seasons in life.  It is only God that knows what lies ahead.  So what about starting your goal setting project with prayers?  Ask God to give you direction so that you can understand what to include in your list of goals. (Psalm 37:4-5)

 

Inquiring from God will help you avoid setting vague goals. Remember to also pray over your goals after you have set them so that God can establish them.

 

Write down your Goals

It seems obvious, but most people do not write down their goals, and that is why most of them don’t achieve them. Writing down your goals will not only help you memorize what you have written down, but it will help you to keep track of them. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

 

 

 

 

Be Specific

As you write down your goals, try your level best to be specific.  It is okay to write, “I will pray every day,” but you know what is better? “I will pray for fifteen minutes every day.”

 

Being specific helps you to be more focused and motivated to achieve your goal.

 

Set Relevant Goals

 

The goals you set should matter to you.  They should match your gifts, talents, and passion.  For example, if you have the gift of serving, there is no need to set a goal for prophecy when that is not your gift.  Instead, set a specific goal on the number of places you are going to serve others. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

 

Set Goals outside your Comfort Zone

God loves to stretch us; that is why he never asks us to do easy things.  While your goals should not be vague, they should encourage you to step outside your comfort zone. For example, you can set a faith goal of keeping off social media three days per month so that you can spend time with God.

 

If you love social media, then you will find this to be challenging, but it will help you to work on your faith and build intimacy with God.

 

All in all

 

Setting spiritual goals will help you build intimacy with God and become Christ-like. Make sure to set goals that are specific, measurable, and relevant. Good goals are those that enable you to get out of your comfort zone.  To ensure that you achieve your goals, put them in a visible place like your phone or vision board.

Dealing with Anxiety Biblically

by with No Comment BibleCultureGodLife styleMental HealthSelf CareTherapy

Dealing with Anxiety Biblically

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

The idea that “Christians have it all together” is not accurate. Many people in the church are struggling with anxiety and depression. We have seen preachers and ministers of the gospel committing suicide because of depression in recent times. Anxiety should not be taken lightly.

The truth is:

However spiritual you are, there are things you are going to face that will weigh you down.  Loved ones will disappoint you, people in the church may hurt you. You may lose your job or business, and your loved one may pass away. None of us can run away from difficult times.

Pretending that you are okay so that you can save face will not make everything okay.  Admitting that you are anxious and finding ways of dealing with anxiety will help you avoid depression and its effects.

But how should Christians deal with anxiety?

By Praying

The first and best way to deal with your anxious thoughts is to pray.  See,  only God can give you rest.  He is the only one who knows what you need and how you can get it.  Go to him in prayer and pour out your heart to him. (1Peter 5:7)

Some people believe that we should not tell God how we feel. But when you look at some of the prayers in Psalms, you see the Psalmist pouring his heart out to God when he was depressed. Don’t act fine or hold back,  tell God exactly how you feel.  He can handle all the troubles of your heart. (Psalm 42:4)

Read the Word

It is hard to read the word when you are depressed, but it is the best thing to do because it is only in knowing what God says about your situation that you are able to become strong in faith. If you do not stand firm in the word of God, you will become a victim of Satan’s lies.  Study the Word,  meditate on it and use it to fight against the lies of the enemy. (Proverbs 12:25)

Talk to someone

At times we are too anxious that we fail to listen to the voice of God.  A spiritual friend or leader will help you deal with anxiety.  They may be the channel through which God will use to reach you and heal your soul.

Praise God

Yes,  you may look at praise as part of prayer, but most of us only tell God our problems when we pray.  Praise means focusing on God irrespective of what is happening to you. David encouraged himself in the Lord through prayer. So stop looking at your situation. Do not allow thoughts of anxiety to flood your mind.  Take them captive and choose to praise God.  Focus on how big God is and not how big the problem is. (Psalm 118: 1-18)

Though we are believers, we struggle with wrong thoughts from time to time.  Anxiety is not something that should be taken lightly. Turn to God,  praise him,  talk to a friend, and encourage yourself in the Lord through scriptures and songs. God loves you even when you are anxious, turn your cares to him, and he will help you.

Tips for Meditating on God’s Goodness

by with No Comment BibleCultureMental HealthSelf Care

Tips for Meditating on God’s Goodness

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

 

Let’s be honest:

 

We’re so forgetful about the good things God has done in our lives. Really? Yes, God always brings us out of trials, but we forget what he has done for us after a few days and start grumbling about what he hasn’t done.

 

Meditating on God’s goodness is one of the ways that will enable us to draw close to him and remember the good things he has done for us.  It will help us to know God’s ways and to see how faithful he is to us even when we are faithless, and this will build our faith.

 

But in a world that promotes negativity, it is very challenging for us to meditate on the goodness of God.  So how do we do it?

 

Here are four practical ways to meditate on God’s goodness.

 

 

Go to the word of God

The first and best way to meditate on God’s goodness is to read the word of God. The Bible is jam-packed with things he has done for us through his son Jesus and the things he did for other people who believed in him.

 

Find verses that focus on the goodness of God, read them and then spend some time reflecting on what you have read until they become alive in you. (1 Kings 8:66)

 

Look for the good stuff even in adverse situations

There are so many challenges we face in this world, especially as Christians that it is easy to forget about the great things God has done. We need to be intentional about meditating God’s goodness even in bad times.  Make it a practice to look for the goodness of God even in the most challenging situations.

 

Although David went through hard times, he meditated on the good things God had done, and this practice made him strong in the middle of trials.

 

Think about the things God has done in your life

The Bible is full of so many great things that God has done.  From the creation story to Revelation, we find so many things that reveal the goodness of God.  There are also so many good things God has done in your life. Now while some of them seem small and simple, they’re worth meditating on because they will help faith to rise on the inside, especially when you’re going through hard times.

Spend time in silence and remember all the times’ God came through for you.  The good things he did for you and your family when all hope was lost.  Remember that time he came through for your friends or for people in your church.

 

If you have any testimonies written down, start meditating on them.  Remember how all hope was lost, but in the end, God came through for you. (1 Chronicles 16:12)

 

In conclusion:

 

If you strayed from the things of God because of the challenges, go back and start meditating on the goodness of God.  Doing so will help you to go back to the heart of worship because God’s goodness will help you to become strong in faith.

How to Get Out of Spiritual Funk

by with No Comment BibleGodLife styleMental HealthSelf Care

How to Get Out of Spiritual Funk

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43:5 (NIV)

Ever find yourself struggling to believe the word of God, discouraged or not wanting to do anything with the things of God?

 

Well, you are not alone.

 

Every child of God goes through seasons in life where they want nothing to do with their walk with the Lord.

 

But here is the thing we cannot allow this spiritual funk to continue in our lives for long because if we do so, then we will end up opening up doors for the enemy in our lives. Like David, we need to bless the Lord and worship him even when we do not feel like it.

 

Spiritual funk is an inroad for the enemy to kill our faith and steal our blessings. We need to be on the lookout so that we do not stray from the things of God.

 

But how does one get out of Spiritual funk?

 

Find out the Root Cause

Most of us struggle with spiritual funk because our focus is on the wrong things. When all you do is focus on the challenges you are facing, then you will start to experience spiritual funk.

 

Our focus should always be on Jesus.

 

Today,  choose to find out what is causing you to be in this state so that you can stop focusing on it and start focusing on God. (Colossians 3:1)

 

Admit How you feel to God

God knows you inside out, and he wants you to be completely honest with him. He loves you so much, he can handle your feelings and emotions. Instead of saying perfect prayers, surrender yourself to him by pouring out your heart to him.

 

Tell him what you are going through and how you feel about it.  If you find it hard to admit straight up how you are feeling then buy a journal and write how you feel down. God will speak to your heart as you do this and help you to get out of the funk.

 

Fast

Maybe you do not want to hear this, but fasting will help you to get out of spiritual funk. Since your focus is on every other thing but God, fasting will help you to align your mind and will with God, and this will help you to put God above everything that is happening around you.

 

There are so many different kinds of fasts, so find out what works for you and spend time doing that.

 

Focus on the Future

The truth is, even though the thing that is making you experience spiritual funk seems big right now, it is only temporary. All the things of this world will pass away, but God will always remain to be God. (Matthew 6:16-18)

 

Shift your focus from what is going on around you to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. Great things await the children of God, so focus on eternity instead of what is happening all around you.

 

All in all:

 

We all experience spiritual funk at some point, so don’t beat yourself up because you are experiencing it right now. Finding the root cause,  admitting how you feel to God,  fasting and focusing on the future are great ways for you to get out of the funk.

Bible Verses for Strength

by with No Comment BibleMental HealthSelf CareTherapy

Bible Verses for Strength

Many of us are searching for strength and some solid ground to land on. Life can be busy, stressful, and fill us with a sense of instability. There is hope in God and the strength he can offer us if we ask Him. Today, here are five verses that speak to God’s strength.

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.

Nehemiah 8:10 Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—  my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

3 De-Stressing Activities That Take Less Than 5 Minutes

by with No Comment CultureLife styleMental HealthSelf Care

3 De-Stressing Activities That Take Less Than 5 Minutes

1. Writing Things Down

A great way to handle stress is to write things down. You can take five minutes, a piece of scratch paper, and a pen to your problems. Some people will write about what is stressing them as a way to vent, and others will instead write down things they are grateful for and use it as a moment to express gratitude.

 

Either way, journaling is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, especially if one focuses on the positive.

 

2. Lighting a Candle

Our environment can be what is exacerbating or helping to ease what is going on in our minds, sometimes in ways we are not even fully aware of. Smell is a vital sense that we often don’t give much thought to.

 

If you’re feeling stressed, light a candle. Here are some popular scents:

  • Lavender
  • Rose
  • Frankincense
  • Sandalwood
  • Orange or orange blossom
  • Geranium

3. Take a Breath

Deep Breathing can help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your body’s relaxation responses. You can bring awareness to your breath and slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel more in the moment, in control, and peaceful.

One method is Diaphragmatic Breathing, also called Abdominal Breathing. It is breathing that is done by contracting the diaphragm. Air enters the lungs, the chest does not rise and the belly expands during this type of breathing. You can find a helpful beginner’s video on how to practice Diaphragmatic Breathing here.

A Burden Lifted: Bible Verses on Anxiety and Worry

by with No Comment Life styleMental HealthPeopleSelf CareTherapy

A Burden Lifted: Bible Verses on Anxiety and Worry

 

Going through a hard time? Distracted by all the pain and suffering in your life? We all do sometimes. The easy thing to do when we’re dealing with tough emotions or fatigue is to give in to anxiety and negativity. We can think of the slipperiest slope of situations and bog ourselves down even more.

However, if we are Christians, we have everlasting faith in a Savior that cares for us and will give us the strength to deal with hard times when they come out way. He wants us to look to Him in prayer when things get overwhelming.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God is right here waiting for us. If we call on Him, He will come, and He will take care of us. There is nothing to worry about when we have Him there to make sure we make it out okay in the end.

Things can weigh us down, but God is right there to take the load and carry it for us. God calls to us in Matthew 11 verses 28 through 30, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He is here for us always.

Here are some other verses on worrying:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:25-27

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  span of life?” Luke 12:25

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

3 Ways to Motivate Yourself

by with No Comment CultureLife styleMental HealthSelf Care

3 Ways to Motivate Yourself

We all have some aspiration, a dream deferred by the stress and struggle of daily life. That dream is always poking at your side, nudging you every weekend and gnawing at your chest whenever you lie awake at night.  It can be disheartening to feel like you’re procrastinating or that you’ll never start— let alone finish— that thing. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

 

You can do. 

 

You’re a doer. 

 

You just need to get started. And you can. Your first step is reading this. Read the rest, and get started.

1. Start Small

Sometimes, we’re looking at the finished project or big picture of something, and the task is so daunting that we don’t even dare to start, to try. As they say, though, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We all have to start somewhere, and getting started is the first step.

 

Look at your goal and set small steps that will help you get to it!

 

2. Just Get Started!

Listen, tomorrow never comes. If we keep pushing things off until we feel like doing it, they might never get done. Often, what we need is to just get started, and our excitement will build when we’re more immersed in the project.

 

You might find things getting easier and more fun once the work is started.

 

3. Get Rid of Daily Distractions

When you have tons of things around you, be it your phone or noise, it can be really hard to settle on something and truly give the time and dedication you need to get started and make progress on something. Turn everything you don’t need off, shut the door to your workspace, and set a timer for how long you want to work on your project.

 

Start with something short like 5 minutes to half an hour. Set a timer, and don’t go away from your project until it goes off. You can work up to more and adjust your time as you get more used to allotting a certain time every day or week to work on your project.

 

If you keep to this, it’ll practically do itself!

DE-STRESS | Week 4 | Reading – The Easiest Way to Relax Without Thinking

by with No Comment CultureLife styleMental HealthSelf Care

DE-STRESS | Week 4 | Reading – The Easiest Way to Relax Without Thinking

As well as writing, reading can also be a fantastic stress buster. Whether you love science fiction or romance, turning the pages of a good book when stressed provides us with a form of escapism.

 

Carrying a book around also helps alleviate social anxiety. It gives you something to do and become absorbed by when alone in a crowd or taking public transport. Wherever possible, though, always chose a real paperback or hardback over an e-book for the benefit of reduced screen time and eye-strain.

 

***

 

Thanks for coming each week to join us for this series. If you liked it, consider leaving a comment! And look out for the next one!