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SOUL DANCE (excerpt): Feel Like You're Losing Your Mind? Try This!
by Tonja Taylor For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. - Romans 8:6, NASB95 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. - Phil. 4:8, NASB95
Yes, we know what God says, and we know that He knows all things and only wants the best for us.
We also know that we should be doing what He says--and that can make us feel even worse, when we already feel bad, especially knowing we really believe in Christ Jesus; that He shed His blood for all our sins, and rose again. We know it was and is His Spirit helping us to believe in Him--and to desire to be free of all that is not of Him!
Here is the short list of things the LORD has shown me to do, that have helped (literally!) save my mind, heal it, and start pointing it in the right direction. God used these things to help wash the nasty stinky mud of the world from my mind, by pouring in the Living Water of His Spirit, inherent in these things:
(1) Thank the LORD that He loves you so much that you are still alive, that He saved you (as long as you have truly repented of your sins and received LORD Jesus as your Savior and LORD), and that He led you to read this right now to help you! Thank Him for every good thing in your life!
(2) Worship Him to Bible-based praise and worship music. Sing out loud. Make up your own songs to Him. He loves you and doesn't care how you sound. Sing from your heart to Him. He loves it!
(3) Read His Word. Get a Bible, and/or go online to all the free Bibles. Ask the LORD to speak to you, and He will! Ask Him to help you understand when He is speaking to you. It may take practice, but as you keep seeking Him and reading His Word, He will reveal Himself to you more and more.
(4) Pray, which simply means talk to--and listen to--the LORD. It may feel awkward at first. You don't have to get on your knees, although that is a great posture of humility. Jesus is alive! He loves you and wants to have a deep, unique relationship with you! Pray for others, yourself, your nation, and the world!
(5) Get around Bible-believing people. The best place for that is at a literal church. Online church is great, and praise the LORD for it. However, the LORD commands us to gather with other Believers (and all the more as The Day of King Jesus' return approaches). No person is perfect (except King Jesus Himself), but just like we practice anything, we get better at it, and being in the Presence of the LORD in the house of a church that truly reveres and follows the LORD and His Holy Bible changes us to be more like Christ! Hallelujah!
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJV
(6) Make changes as the LORD convicts you about it. It may be hard at first, but just like surgery to remove something that shouldn't be in your body, or like a bone that needs to be reset, it will be so worth it. Freedom is priceless, and the LORD is the Spirit of Freedom!
(7) Use your skills, talents, abilities, gifts, and knowledge to advance God's Kingdom. Ask the LORD how you can help Him get the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world, to many more people, before King Jesus returns!
All of these things will be very powerful to overcome the mess in your life, and start experiencing miracles that you long for--to help you start living the life God has always meant for you to live!
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. - John 10:10, KJV
You may have a story like mine, below. Most people do. There is some form of brokenness, bitterness, something that has tried to take them out before their time. That's the enemy's plan. But far greater is Christ Jesus the LORD for us, Hallelujah!
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. - John 8:31-32, KJV
When I was nine, I was born again at Vacation Bible School, by repenting of my sin and asking LORD Jesus to come into my heart, cleanse me, and be my LORD and Savior. So I was taken to church some, and taught some about God.
Shortly after that, my family dropped out of church. The next many years were tumultuous, to say the least. I did not go to church regularly, and fell into rebellion.
For the next few decades, I was haunted by shame, condemnation, and confusion, even while knowing God loved me. I was drawn to Bible-based teaching and preaching and worship, and the LORD started cleansing and healing me, while (as a 30-something adult) leading me to churches where the LORD was truly honored in fullness.
I also had a lot of anger and bitterness, which of course made me feel worse, because those are not the nature of God the Father, Who is Love (I John 4:8).
During most of that time, I know there were people praying for me. God is faithful forever!
For several years, I was depressed (I didn't recognize it for quite a while, and as I drew closer to the LORD, He helped me understand about it. Depression has been stated to be "anger turned inward", and I believe it!).
There was one year about 30 years ago when I was suffering a lot in a terrible marriage (born of rebellion), and I was really asking the LORD to take my life (I was too chicken to kill myself, praise the LORD!), and He used His Word of Jeremiah 29:11, on a lovely hummingbird magnet, which I bought and put on my refrigerator. He used that to give me hope, and start healing my broken heart.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. - Jeremiah 29:11, KJV
There were at least two times that I literally thought I was losing my mind--and that I would just go on to Heaven, or go to a hospital and sleep for a month or so. For those times, He instructed me to get by myself for a few hours, and take only my Bible, a pen, and notecards, so I could just open the Word and copy down His Word, then read it and meditate (think about it and/or say it over and over).
His Word has saved my mind in those most intense times, when I needed a sudden "fix", and over the years, as He's taught me His way and poured in the oil of His Spirit and fed me with the bread and living water of His Word. He's healed my broken heart and bound up my wounds. Hallelujah!
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. - Psalm 147:3, KJV
Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. - Psalm 28:6-7, KJV
The enemy, by the way, comes to wear out the saints--physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually (Daniel 7:25). He wants to destroy all people as soon as he can, but especially those who really believe in Jesus.
But the LORD is faithful! He knows us who are His. From the moment we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ, His Son, as our Savior, God becomes our Father! We are adopted into the Royal Family of God. Hallelujah!
So, just as any loving parent responds to his or her own child--loving them through the good and the bad, and the very bad--our dear Daddy God hears our cry and answers. He is so faithful!
and he said, “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. - Jonah 2:2, NASB95
So, when I cried out to Him in hurt and anger, frustration and condemnation, disappointment, confusion, and more, He has always answered.
In addition to drawing me to listen to (and sing my heart out!) true worship music (by that, I mean Bible-based)
He will always answer you, and in fact, this article is part of His answer to you.
You are not alone!
The enemy lies and tries to tell us that no one else has gone through such mess, but such mess is very common to almost every human.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. - I Cor. 10:13, KJV
It is a great comfort to me (now that I've learned it and to help myself remember and be conscious of it) to know that the LORD God of Heaven and earth, Who is also my faithful, loving Daddy God, knows every moment of my life, and sees it all at once. Thus, no matter what the enemy's plans are to destroy me, my faithful Father goes ahead of me and works all things together for my best and His glory. Hallelujah!
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. - Genesis 50:20, KJV
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28, KJV
YOU ARE VICTORIOUS IN THE LORD GOD WHO LOVES YOU!!!
Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |