…AND OF A SOUND MIND
Should a believer neglect his/her mental health? Of course, not. Reading through the Bible, I’ve seen that it greatly advocates for mental health. However, we often do not pay attention to it.
Read on to find out what habits you’ve been ignoring today.
Don’t give in to Anxiety:
See Philippians 4:6-7 — “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (KJV). No doubt, we live in a troubled society where everywhere you turn to dampens your peace and give you something to be troubled about. However, what should distinguish a believer from an unbeliever is “your ability to give in to peace and discard worries.” John 14:27 — “27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (KJV)
Take no thoughts for tomorrow:
So many believers get worried unnecessarily about the future. They forget to live in the present, they do not live one day at a time. This shouldn’t be. Matthew 6:34 — “34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (KJV)
Forgive More:
Your mental health gets affected and your peace gets taken away when you refuse to forgive others. Ephesians 4:32 — “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (KJV)
Work on Your Anger:
Does this mean you shouldn’t get angry? Of course, you can. But it should be controlled and it must not cause you to sin as even the scripture admonishes never to let the sun go down on your wrath. Proverbs 14:17 — “17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.” (KJV), 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 — “4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” (KJV)
Be Compassionate:
Stop hiding your emotions and stop bottling up. Those built-up emotions can harm you more. So express it when you’re hurt or wronged.
Rejoice Always:
1 Thessalonians 5:16 — “16 Rejoice evermore.” (KJV). You should always find yourself rejoicing whether it is good or bad. It is a command.
Rest:
Stop burning yourself out. Know when to pause, retreat, or stop. You don’t have to keep forging on when you’re tired. Even God rested on the seventh day and the Sabbath day is to be kept holy for people to rest as well. So, please take rest when needed.
Gratitude:
Learn to say thank you to people, appreciate the little things of life that come freely, and be grateful for that which you’ve and that which you don’t.
Pray:
1 John 5:14 — “14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (KJV). Praying is a spiritual exercise, so we should engage in it daily, we must watch and pray so that we do not fall into temptation.
Guard Your Thoughts:
This involves building a healthy mindset. Remember, the scripture says that a man speaketh out of the abundance of the heart. No man becomes great with unhealthy thoughts, so have a changed mindset and stop thinking in the negative.
Practice stillness:
It can be likened to meditation and this is when you go to God, keep quiet, request nothing, let the scripture flood your heart, bask in the silence of His presence and listen to Him speak. This will groom you on how to be quiet and listen more to people, instead of trying to be heard without listening to others.
Trust God:
Proverbs 3:5-6 — “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)
Other great habits include are
- Journaling,
- Have a Great Circle you can call your Tribe.
CONCLUSION
Being a believer shouldn’t stop you from living healthily, if, for anything, it should motivate you to live more healthily. You don’t have to start looking for how to do that because the command is there as you study the scripture each day. It should even be easier for you to do, as you’ve seen a record of those who have lived healthily in the scripture.
Which of the above have you been practising and which do you need to practice more?