Encouraging Truths For Christians With Mental Illness
Even as we struggle, we must remember some important facts. One, we are not alone. The truth of the Gospel is that we are deeply loved. We were loved by God as evidenced in creation and we remain loved by God as He demonstrated in sending His Son to die for us while we were sinners . God loves us and sent His Son to die for us and provided His Spirit to reside in us, speaking on our behalf .
Two, the presence of sickness, struggle, and suffering does not negate Gods presence and love for us. Romans 8 provides a critical chorus for us as we reside in the already, but not yet. We live in the Saturday of passion week grateful and redeemed through the death of Christ on the cross on Friday and awaiting our own resurrection and glorification on Sunday. Christ has gone ahead as the first fruits of the resurrection , the forerunner of our faith , and we wait in expectant hope and promise. While we may suffer and struggle now, it is nothing compared to the glory to come . Our current suffering is designed to ignite the flame of our hope for Him, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God and His strength is made perfect in weakness .
Having Our Mind Set On God Can Affect Our Health
Having our mind and heart set on Christ and obeying Him can result in an increase to our years of life, peace, health to our body and nourishment to our bones . The Lord numbers our days and just because we follow Jesus does not mean that we will live to a grand old age. However, when we look to the Lord and live for Him, our mind is on the right thing. We are to take every thought captive to obey Jesus , to set our minds on the things above and not the things of this world and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds .
God also created us and knit us together in the womb . He knows our physical needs, our emotional struggles, our mental state and our deep need for Him. It is no surprise to God when we experience loneliness, despair, anger and depression. Many well-known individuals in the Bible experienced this including Elijah, Jonah, David and Job. Yet, the Lord worked in each and every situation for His glory and He will do that in our lives too.
What The Bible Says About Diet
Apr 19, 2007 With so much emphasis on proper eating and physical exercise here in America, it has caused many to examine their lifestyles. A lot of people
May 14, 2020 Food contradictions. They are everywhere. What is right to eat changes faster than the trend from boot cut to mom jeans. The diet industry has
Also Check: Where Does The Bible Talk About Spiritual Gifts
Did The Bible Foretell Pandemics
The Bible does not foretell specific pandemics or diseases, such as COVID-19, AIDS, or the Spanish flu. But it does foretell pestilences and deadly plague. These events are part of the sign of the last days, also referred to as the conclusion of the system of things.2 Timothy 3:1 Matthew 24:3.
Encouraging Bible Verses For Mental Illness
God can use a persons mental illness for His glory. The Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon struggled with depression. However, he was mightily used by God and he is considered one of the greatest preachers of all-time. The wars that we face today should drive us to Christ in reliance upon His grace.
When we allow our battles to drive us to Christ we begin to encounter and experience Him in a way that weve never done before. The immeasurable irrevocable love of God becomes an even greater reality. Jesus cares about all aspects of our heath whether physical, spiritual, or mental. Not only did Christ heal broken bodies, but He also healed minds. We tend to forget this. Mental health is important to God and the church should grow in compassion, understanding, education, and support of this issue. Healing comes in various forms, but usually happens over time.
However, for those struggling with this I encourage you to persevere. I encourage you to be vulnerable before the Lord daily because He is near. I encourage you to get plugged into a strong community of believers and get trusted Christian accountability partners. Lastly, continue to look to the splendor of Christ and remember this. In this world we live in imperfect bodies. However, we are reminded in Romans 8:23 to joyfully wait for the day when Christ will return and we will receive our new, redeemed, resurrection bodies.
23. Psalm 118:5 In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
Read Also: What Does The Bible Say About The Last Days Kjv
Are Todays Pandemics Punishment From God
No. Some people claim that God is using pandemics and other sicknesses to punish people today. However, the Bible does not support that claim. Why not?
For one thing, some of Gods worshippersboth past and presenthave been plagued with sickness. The faithful man Timothy, for example, suffered frequent cases of sickness. But the Bible does not say that this was a sign of Gods disfavor. Likewise today, some faithful servants of God become sick or contract diseases. Oftentimes, these individuals were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Moreover, the Bible teaches that Gods time to punish the wicked has not yet arrived. Rather, we are living in a day of salvationthat is, a time when God is extending a warm invitation to all humans to draw close to him and be saved. One way he extends that invitation is by means of a global preaching work with a positive messagethe good news of the Kingdom.Matthew 24:14.
Finding Fitness In The Bible
Upon a closer look, we can find fitness in many more places in the Bible. We can start in Genesis 3 when God was walking in the cool of the garden, looking for Adam and Eve, presumably to pick them up for a regular walk with Him. Fitness is always about moving with God, our creator, who designed us to be fruitful and multiply, and use our bodies to play in His good creation!
Since life was in general more physically demanding in biblical times, we can find movement all throughout the Bible: most occupations started out with agriculture and raising children, people traveled by foot, fought with their hands, and made a living with very little technology as we know it today. Jesus Himself was a carpenter and manual laborer, He and his disciples traveled and ministered on foot, and hiked mountains to pray. And we must not forget that worship itself is primarily physical:
Here are a few examples of walking, hiking, running, and dancing, although Im sure you can find plenty more now that you know what youre looking for!
Walking with God: Enoch walked with God, and he was not,for God took him. Genesis 5:24
Praise and worship: Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. Exodus 15:20
Running when excited:
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:8
Jesus:
Don’t Miss: What Does Bible Say About Cremation Vs Burial
What The Bible Says About Exercise Women Living Well
Jan 12, 2011 God hit me in the head HARD recently with the fact that food, fitness, and my body are my gods instead of Him! I dont even really know how to
This book will teach you about avoiding the food and drink temptations of the world, how to get enough exercise to be healthy and fit, and how to treat your
What Does The Bible Say About Health
January 29, 2019 by Curt Landry Ministries
Does God want you to be healthy? As we open up our Bibles and look at the Word of God through the lens of health, we observe a themethat God cares deeply about our health. In fact, he intends that we live healthily and prosper.
- You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.Deuteronomy 5:33
- Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.3 John 2
What Does the Bible Say About Physical Health?
The Bible says that we are to take care of our physical health because it prepares us to fulfill the divine purpose God predestined for us. How we care for our bodies can represent how we honor the Lord, as well as provide a way for us to tap into the strength of Christ.
- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Romans 12:1
- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Philippians 4:13
Health is something many people consider a priority, and while it should never be an idol, it is a reflection of how we think of Gods holy temple.
- Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die.Genesis 3:4
Compromised health was what the enemy used to get his foot in the door.
Recommended Reading: Do Unto To Others Bible Verse
Today Im Sharing Some Verses That I Feel Show What God Says About Self Care
I hope they help you feel less reservation about taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
And whatever you choose to do for self care, I hope that you always start and end with God in your plans, because he cares for and loves you.
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
This just reminds me to continually dwell in God, to have time with him and keep putting my confidence in him. Thats where real refreshment comes from. Thats what revitalizes us and keeps us going.
Self-care with God often draws us back to him. He is the one that brings true fulfillment and peace.
If were trying to do it without him, full satisfaction will still be out of reach. But when we do find refreshment in him, we find refreshment. We end up in an even better place to be able to give.
1 Kings 19:1-8
Its actually a lot of scripture written out, so I encourage you to go back and read it for yourself. But in a nutshell, Elijah is in a place of despair, facing depression and loneliness. I love that the angel of the Lord tells Elijah, Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you . God doesnt neglect Elijahs needs, even though he has a broader perspective of the situation.
What Does The Bible Say About The Self
Jul 5, 2019 Exercising daily · Eating a healthy diet · Investing in a hobby · Reading a book · Prioritizing me-time
May 9, 2019 1 What Does The Bible Say about Weight Loss? and the only thing to do is get healthy with sensible diet and exercise choices. The bible
Nov 26, 2013 For centuries, Christians have followed the Bibles example by going hungry for Daniel said he and his friends would eat a diet of only
Jan 4, 2021 Does your physical health and how you take care of it matter to God? The idolatry of eatingand dieting. Your body was made intricately and
What Does The Bible Say About Exercise And Diet · What Does The Bible Say About Diets How To Eat In A Way That · Healthy Living God And Your Health What Does The
It was a place for bodily exercise and competition. Now see what Paul says to Timothy: You, as a Christian, must exercise your soul as carefully,
Bible Verses to inspire, motivate and encourage you to lose weight through a healthy lifestyle, exercise and healthy eating.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your
Jun 3, 2013 When we ingest things in excess, expose ourselves to toxins and do not exercise our machine, the body begins to function improperly.
The Bible does not speak to weight management directly. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises
Also Check: Burial Vs Cremation Bible
Has God Ever Punished People With Sickness
The Bible reports a few occasions when God used sickness to punish people. For example, he caused some individuals to have leprosy. However, these isolated incidents were not indiscriminate pandemics that spread to innocent people. Rather, such events were specific judgments on individuals who had clearly rebelled against God.
Abortion Is An Integral Part Of The Vaccine Industry
For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mothers womb. Psalm 139:13
The Bible makes clear that life begins at conception. It says that every child is a gift from God . If Jesus were here today, I am not sure if He would be carrying a sign, but we can agree He would be pro-life.
Many are surprised to find that in fact, vaccines do contain aborted fetal tissue, including lung and kidney tissue.
This is because scientists grow live vaccines in living tissue. You can find aborted fetal tissue in 23 total vaccines, including:
- MMR
Also Check: What Bible Verse Helps With Stress
Glorify God With Food
Do this by drinking water and giving thanks. Do this by giving food to the needy. Do this by inviting people over to eat. Give God all the glory.
15. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Can Christians eat pork?
Can Christians eat shrimp? Can Christians eat shellfish? We have all heard these questions and the answer is all food is permissible.
16. Romans 14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
17. 1 Corinthians 8:8 But food does not bring us near to God we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
What Does The Bible Say About Spiritual Health
Spiritual healthwhat does that look like? If we ask 50 people, we might get 50 unique answers. Here are a few ways to assess our spiritual health.
Do we allow Gods Word to correct us?
- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17
Do we have roots of bitterness and anger that fester up, creating a roadblock to blessings?
- looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiledHebrews 12:15
Do we love Gods faithful instruction?
- Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.Psalm 119:97
How we answer these could be an indication of the temperature of our spiritual health. Jesus spoke very strong words to those who were lukewarm in their faith.
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.Revelation 3:16
Lukewarm doesnt mean you must be perfect. That would nullify the work of Christ on the cross. However, it does pose a question as to where your priorities lie. The Lord says to seek His Kingdom and all else will be given to you .
You May Like: What Does God Say About Loneliness
What Does The Bible Say About Physical Health
The Lord wants us to cherish our earthly bodies.
God is more focused on our spiritual health than our physical health, but that does not mean that he wants us to be unhealthy or suffering from disease. The Bible says in 3 John 1:2, “I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. While you may be incredibly spiritually strong, you need to glorify God through your physical health as well. The Bible teaches us how we should treat our bodies in a way that God intends.
Proverbs 3:1-2, 8 says: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity…This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones”. God is able to help guide us to finding the nourishment we need to have our bodies thrive. As our Creator, He knows whats best for us: Now all has been heard here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man . When we obey His instructions and commands, we are going to be in the best health we can be.
Second Listen To The Body Youve Been Given
When you chronically overeat and use food as emotional comfort, you can alter hunger hormones that help your sense of hunger or fullness. You can also warp your natural hunger hormones by adhering to strict food rules that cause you to put all your trust in some magical, one-size-fits-all plan for eating. You may overcomplicate eating and obsess over what you are or are not having. You may often take on the last supper mentality and eat everything in sight before starting a new eating plan because you worry that you will not get to experience pleasure from your food in the future.
Instead, lets acknowledge that we have been given everything we need for a godly life . Trust Gods provision for you through the food you have available to nourish you and the many processes he has given you to listen to your bodys cues for fullness and digestion.
Read Also: What The Bible Says About Tattoos