Emotional and Mental Health-Freedom from Negative Emotions

Journaling is a lost art form and mental health tool. It takes many avenues of expression and can be a variety of sizes and styles. Whatever fits the personality and needs of the journalist.

This is a method of documenting the events in our life and dealing with pent up thoughts and emotions. When we do not express our thoughts in words to a mentor or on paper in a journal, they will erupt from our soul at inopportune times.

                             

Sit in a quiet place and journal all of your thoughts and feelings. In doing this, you are emptying yourself of yourself.

Do not talk, sing, pray, watch TV, listen to music or answer your phone...just listen to your soul - your thoughts and feelings - and wait on the Lord to come and fill you with His comforting Holy Spirit.

It may take hours...it may take days...it may take weeks or months as it took me to get to the root of the issues which plague our soul. This all depends on how much inner and outer clutter is in our life.

We cannot be discouraged if we are not successful when we start journaling. It takes time to develop a new habit. Just remember that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our life and our God is the God of second chances.

As we continue to journal each and every day, it will not take long to get to the root of the issues causing us unrest. Then we can follow the Serenity Principle and either deal with the issue(s) or place it in God's capable hands to resolve in His timing and way.

Once we finish with our journal and go about our day, we can stop what we are doing at the first sign of unrest in our soul or spirit- even if we just duck into the bathroom for a few minutes.

Taking time to pray allows God to reveal the source of these negative thoughts and emotions. Then, once God shows us the origin of our anxiety, anger or other negative emotion, we can repent or ask for God's help.

He may lead us to forgive, to change our focus about the situation or to serve the person, which is hurting us. It also helps to switch our focus to an eternal perspective and set boundaries around anything from this temporal world, which is causing us trouble.

Does our issue really matter in the overall scheme of eternity? If not, we can let it go and let God teach us to think like He does about the issue.

Prayer:

Father God, we ask You to give us Your wisdom to know what situations we can change, and which to leave in Your skillful hands. Give us the strength to deal with the issues that You reveal are our responsibility. Then help us to turn the rest over to You.

Help us to develop an attitude of acceptance about them. If we cannot change them, then we can praise You for them, in them, and through them, even for the negative things. By doing this, we end up walking in complete serenity and in the dynamic power of Your Holy Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

What is it in your life that is causing you a problem right now?  Can you do something about it? Then, do it! If not, then change your focus and give the problem to God.

Aging Gracefully

 

Getting old is difficult. Energy, bodily organ functions, and attention span all diminish; while aches and pains, pill intake and doctor bills all increase. We get discouraged, lose self-esteem and feel useless in so many areas.

Eventually, we even have to cut back on our energy outgo; limiting our activities to one major event a day. Many are required to give up the keys to the car, join a geriatrics exercise program and get more sleep with less productivity.

God knew, before the day we were born, that we would grow old (Ephesians 2:10). He has plans for us, which includes this time in our life (Jeremiah 29:11). We do not need to confine our self to the rocking chair on the front porch - although that is fun sometimes too.

We just change our focus and keep a positive attitude. We keep walking in the Spirit and continue to fulfill the will of God for each moment of our life. We exchange youthful ministries for the equally as important ministry of prayer and mentoring (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Titus 2:4).

Sitting at Jesus' feet, we worship Him by singing and praying the scripture. We lift up the needs of our fellow Saints and family members, the church's pastor and staff and the ministry leaders and volunteers, the world and its leaders, the persecuted church and the unreached people groups.

Another way to minister is by writing a blog, emailing, fellowshiping on social media and private messages and texts. This way, we can communicate and minister all over the country and the world.

God teaches us to set boundaries around our time; to take a day off; to enjoy time in nature, at the pool or walking on trails each day; to play with our pets; to write letters and books and to make cards to brighten someone's day; to bake a pie or a dozen cookies to share with the neighborhood kids after school - all in His name and all for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Prayer:

Father God, when we are drained, worn and weary from life, we are still Yours with a unique calling on our life. Remind us that until our dying breath, You call us to seek You and to walk in Your perfect plan for us by Your Spirit. We surrender all to You and worship You with all of our thoughts, words and deeds.

Remind us that the girl checking us out at the grocery, the waitress, the retail clerk, the person next to us on the bus or airplane, the librarian, etc. all need us to recognize them as a person too, and to tell them that You and we really care about them. Let Your light shine in us so brightly that everyone will see our good works and give You the glory (Matthew 5:16).

Thought for the Day:

God uses us in so many ways, regardless of our age, energy level, health issues and physical limitations, to share His wisdom, ways and wonders with those He brings into our life.

Knowing God

The key to our life in Christ is to realize that as Born Again Believers, we are one with Him. Jesus gave us the glory that God gave Him, so that we can be united with Him just as He and our Father are one. He lives in us, our Father lives in Him and we are brought into complete unity with the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit (John 17:22-23). We are one Spirit with them all (1 Corinthians 6:17).

We know God personally through prayer and Bible study and we come to know Him intimately through the experience of Him manifesting Himself in and through us. This personal relationship is what eternal life is all about (John 17:3; Mark 6:53-56). The only issue that blocks our connection with Him is sin. However, confessed and forgiven sin opens the door between us again.

God is more than our ever-present help in times of crisis (Psalm 46:1). He is our Father each moment of the day. Jesus is our Brother. He sits on His throne with our Father in Heaven; yet, lives within us at the same time. The power of Christ is evident through us to the world around us as we live in Him and He lives through us (1 John 4:9). We do not follow our own desires and will for our day, but Christ’s life flows through us (Ephesians 2:10).

He is the vine and we are His branches (John 15:5). We are hidden with Christ in God and Christ is our whole life (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4). Another analogy is that we are God’s temple and He abides in us. He creates us as vessels, to be used according to His will for our life (2 Timothy 2:20). Rather than work for God, we submit to God working through us. We are united with Him and we do what we see Him do by His Spirit (Galatians 5:6-25).

During witnessing opportunities, we open our mouth and God fills it with the right words to speak (Matthew 10:19). If we counsel or mentor or disciple someone, God gives us the words to share with this person to set him/her free to honor God with their life (Psalm 81:10). We take no credit for the results and God gets all the glory. We can do nothing from our own human effort, but God manifests Himself through us (John 15:19).

Prayer:

Father God, if we lack wisdom, we merely need to ask and You fill us generously without finding any fault in us (James 1:5). We come to know You through our salvation and then through spending each moment of our day with You. Help us not to allow the flesh, the world and the devil to distract us from walking by Your Spirit, but allow us to keep our mind on You (Isaiah 26:3). Then You will keep us in perfect peace as we go about doing Your will for our life (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit teaches us at all times what we are to say. - Luke 12:12