7 biggest mistakes Christians make that is destroying their mental & spiritual health.
7 biggest mistakes Christians make that is destroying their mental & spiritual health.
1. They do not invite God into the process
2. They do not pay attention to what they eat (body is a temple, it affects your mind, how you think)
3. They do not fast and pray
4. They do not study and meditate on the Word of God
5. They are against deliverance ministries therefore will not seek it.
6. They try to manifest their will instead of God’s will
7. They do not know how to look at the bigger picture and stop worrying about the small stuff (eternity mindset)
1. They do not invite God into the process
We make a mistake as believers thinking our mental and spiritual health do not affect one another. They are interwoven. They have some differences but not that many. The bible has many scriptures about the mind. One example is Romans 12:2 that reads “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. And Ephesians 6: 17 tells us “Take the helmet of salvation”. The armor for our head is the helmet of salvation. This is what protects our mind. The word Salvation means to be saved. Jesus is the one that came and saved us.
Depressed and anxious people will always have a mindset or some beliefs that need to be changed. A belief that is feeding their anxiety and depression. This is why transformation of the mind is needed. We all have negative unhelpful ways of thinking that is harming us and needs to be changed.
You are living the life that your beliefs support – Myron Golden
Once your beliefs change, your mind changes. When your mind becomes aligned with Jesus Christ, you can be healed. Spiritually and mentally as well.
Rebuttal: I am a believer and pray all the time. I still struggle. Are you saying I do not have enough faith. No that is not what I am saying. Maybe
But you may be praying amiss aka wrongly or inappropriately. And yes, there is a wrong way to pray.
You may not be addressing the right problem in your prayers. This is where therapy can be helpful. It will provide you with a safe space to discuss and reflect, to discover what needs to be processed and prayed about. If the devil is attacking your mind there is no amount of breathing exercise that will work. Too many believers settle for only human intervention, rather than the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
2. They do not pay attention to what they eat (Body is a temple 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it affects your mind, how you think)
Too many believers do not practice enough self-discipline when it comes to how they eat. The bible provides guidance on how to eat and be discipline about healthy eating. Which most people downplay. The bible also says our body is a temple in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Being gluttonous affects us spiritually, physically and mentally. There are many foods that have been linked to mental illnesses. Being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can also lead to issues with mental health.
Merriam dictionary defines gluttonous behaviors as one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety. We may think if we do not do what we see people do in mukbang, then we are okay. However, we fall into this more than we probably realize. People over eat all the time but think It is okay. Also, ask yourself, do you get offended at the thought of giving up certain foods? Even if it is for only a few weeks or even days. Do you feel you cannot live without it or control yourself when you see it. If so, you are probably more of a slave to food than you think.
1 Corinthians 6: 12 says “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything”. Here Paul was speaking to the church of Corinth about sexual sin, but this can apply to many things. Food rules us to the point that even if we know it is causing harm to our bodies and our minds, we will still indulge. Which brings me to point #3
3. They do not fast and pray
It is difficult to fast if giving up food for a short period of time makes you angry or panic. Fasting is not an option for believers, but we act like it is. Correction you do have free will and the option. But when the enemy continues to torment your mind, maybe then, you will use all the resources the bible provides to help yourself. Fasting is one of them.
Matthew 17:21 KJV reminds us that there are certain problems you are dealing with where fasting is needed to get it done. This is for my believers who really want to level up and not be baby Christians anymore. Believers who are tired of the enemy attacking and oppressing their minds and life. This is for those who are ready to stop only being on the defense and learn how to also be on the offense. To be more aggressive with their faith and break free from the enemy.
When we fast, we die to the flesh and allow our spirit to take over. This will connect you more with the Holy Spirit who will guide and counsel you. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to succeed in this faith and life. This is why when Jesus ascended back to heaven, he told the disciplines when he leaves the Father will send the Holy Spirit to help us. When we fast, we open ourselves up more to the power of the Holy Spirit because we are denying our flesh and its desires.
4. They do not study and meditate on the Word of God
Speaking of being on the Offense. Ephesians chapter 6: 17 continues and says… “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. The Word of God is our weapon. We need to know the word to fight. Going to spiritual war without knowing your bible, is like a lawyer going into the court room knowing nothing about the law. You will be ill equipped, unprepared, and you will lose. The word of God is what we fight with. The word of God is Jesus Christ. The word of God is alive and active.
Your negative thoughts are made up of words. Lies typically, and you need the truth of God’s word to combat them. Your negative thoughts that you ruminate on causing you to feel low or even hate yourself. Feeling dread about the past or worries about the future but the truth of God sets you free. The more you have the word of God in your mind the more it will push the lies of the enemy out. Meditating on the word of God is better than your manmade affirmations (although those can be helpful). God’s word will always be more superior.
Once again, as believers, why do we not go to the word of God to hear what God has to say about whatever we are struggling with. Let the Word of God change your mind. Me telling myself how great I am when I do not believe it will sound like a lie. But I know God is not a liar. So, if he said it, I must believe it. I train myself to take my own thoughts captive and make it obedient to Christ.
5. They are against deliverance ministries therefore will not seek it.
Many times, people do not experience complete healing because they need deliverance. Many mental illnesses, including physical ones, are rooted in the spiritual realm. We cannot cure a spiritual problem with mankind techniques, tools and knowledge. This is why I think some people can go to therapy for years and learn how to cope but they never experience true healing. I do believe you can heal from your illnesses. I am not of the belief that certain things are just incurable.
Now this does not mean that everyone will get cured. Some won’t but the possibility is still available to everyone. If there are demonic forces at hand preying on your trauma, if you have been traumatized, struggling with shame, excessive fear, depression and many other burdens, most likely you need deliverance. Therapy in and of itself is a type of deliverance however sometimes you may need something deeper, i.e. prayer. Like I stated for #1, invite God in because you cannot fight the evil spirits without Jesus. People who disregard this and think spiritual warfare is not that deep can expect to be in bondage.
Jesus saved us from sin, death and hell. He also gave us power over evil spirits. If Jesus took care of everything for us then why did he give us power over evil principalities. Because on this side of eternity we are still at war with these principles and will need to be delivered from their strongholds even after we accept Jesus into our lives. Our soul needs to be delivered. Our soul is our mind, our will and our emotions. Our mind, thoughts and beliefs will influence what we do. These evil spirits can and do often times attack our mind and can be the cause of some mental illnesses and calamity in one’s life. Yes, the Bible said we will suffer. But for Christ sake. Some are suffering because of their sins, because of the enemy and because they are out of alignment with God. It is not God’s will for you to suffer for those reasons. Speaking of God’s will
6. They try to manifest their will instead of God’s will
Another mistake we do is try to manifest our will instead of God’s will. One thing I learned as I walked through deliverance and have been educating myself on it more is how to pray better. Remember when I said we sometimes pray inappropriately. Yea one way we do that is by praying our will be done and not God’s will be done. This is why things may not go as you hope. Or you pray and pray and end up disappointed at times. Is what you are praying for, God’s will? I do believe that God's will is for our success in whatever that may be. That He wants and will work everything out for our good (Romans 8:28), even if it looks different than we expected. So why not pray like Jesus did, that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Pray for God's will and to teach you wisdom, understanding and what you need to do as well.
God’s will is laid out for us in his Word and His Word should be used when we pray so that we are aligning ourselves with the will of God in prayer and in action. We pray to enforce God’s will. Also, the Word of God is our sword. We should not only be on the defense but also the offense. If not, why does the armor come with a sword.
7. They do not know how to look at the bigger picture and stop worrying about the small stuff (eternity mindset)
Anxiety and depression keep our minds so small. If we had an eternity mindset, this could help us not sweat the small stuff. If we zoom out and see the bigger picture it can help us worry and sulk less about things that either do not matter or won't in the next couple of months or years. We have power to change but are stuck in our negative mindset and cannot see it. Often, we get too caught up in what we cannot control rather than taking control of the things we can.
Inviting the Lord to help you with your mental health is the only way to find a cure. How do I know that because that is what Jesus did for me. Psychology, therapy and medication can help. But they will not cure, and they have their limitations. When you are having trouble with your mental health why not turn to the God who created you.
Which of these areas do you struggle with? Feel free to reply and let me know what you think. If you like what you read or think this could be helpful for someone else, consider sharing. Until next time, Take care.
