How the Bible’s design for spiritual wholeness holds the key to mental health. This week we’re seeing how the Bible describes people, why the Fall creates un-health, and how God tells us to pursue a more healthy way of living.
Guard Your Heart: Broken Hearts
How the Bible’s design for spiritual wholeness holds the key to mental health.
(According to the Center for Disease Control)*
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.
Stress can cause the following:
- Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
- Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
- Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Worsening of mental health conditions
- Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances
1) Who You Are: Fallen Human, Broken Heart
Genesis 1:27 (NIV) 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 3:19 (NIV) 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Belgic Confession Article XIV We believe that God created man out of the dust of the earth, and made and formed him after His own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will agreeably to the will of God. But being in honor, he understood it not, neither knew his excellency, but wilfully subjected himself to sin and consequently to death and the curse, giving ear to the words of the devil. For the commandment of life, which he had received, he transgressed; and by sin separated himself from God, who was his true life; having corrupted his whole nature; whereby he made himself liable to corporal and spiritual death. And being thus become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways, he has lost all his excellent gifts which he had received from God, and retained only small remains thereof, which, however, are sufficient to leave man without excuse; for all the light which is in us is changed into darkness, as the Scriptures teach us, saying: The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not; where St. John calls men darkness.
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
2) Who You Belong To: A New Heart
Galatians 5:22–25 (NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
NIV |
THE MESSAGE |
Love |
Affection for others |
Joy |
Exuberance about life |
Peace |
Serenity |
Patience |
A willingness to stick with things |
Kindness |
A sense of compassion in the heart |
Goodness |
A conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people |
Faithfulness |
Involved in loyal commitments |
Gentleness |
Not needing to force our way in life |
Self-Control |
Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely |
3) How God Works: Resting Heart Rate
Mark 2:27 (NIV) 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Psalm 46:10 (NIV) 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
From the CDC: Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting from phone, tv, and computer screens for a while.
- Take care of your body.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people that you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
- Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations. While social distancing measures are in place, try connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail.*
* https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html