First Major Step :

1.I admit I am powerless on my own to effectively deal with mental illness and how it is having an impact on my family and me. I admit that my life has become unmanageable. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Mental illness can be a staggering thing to try to deal with. It can turn your life upside down and shake you until you think you are going to fall apart. As such, we need outside help of some sort. The first step in our journey is to admit that there is a big problem, and no amount of fear or stigma or social rejection is going to make it go away. We must swallow our pride and admit we need some very real help.

2. I believe that a power greater than mine is the only hope I have for my family or me of ever achieving an acceptable balance in life.

God is the greatest power, but there are lesser powers He employs as well. Doctors, therapists, nutritionists, families, and friends to name a few. We all need outside help, just some more than others. No person is an island, which is especially true for the mentally ill. God, and his lesser powers in some combination, are vital to our achieving the balance we are seeking. We cannot do it alone.

3. I make a conscious decision to turn my life and my family over to the care of God. I choose the Lord as my refuge, trusting Him to bring into my life any human, natural, spiritual, or medical supports I need. (Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 57:1)

Choices are found throughout the Bible. We find such statements as “choose you this day who you will serve”, or “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice ”, both of which are a choice of the will. As we choose to take refuge in God we trust in Him to provide our needs, whether that be through therapy, friends and fellowship, diet changes, exercise, vitamins and supplements, spiritual insights and encounters with biblical truth, or medicine designed to assist us in this life.

Discussion Questions:

1. Please read Matthew 11:28-30. We will discuss it at our meeting.

2. Do you agree that you need outside help in dealing with your illness?

3. What do you think it means to “take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings”? (Psalm 57:1)

4. In what ways have you seen God provide for your needs?

Prayer :

Lord, I admit that it is beyond my ability to cope with how mental illness is affecting my family and me. I am often in deep need of your touch. I am often in deep need of your command “Peace, be still!” I desire your presence, Oh Prince of Peace.

Father, I turn to you with my life; I give to you my very self. You are my refuge, and I come to you seeking peace and balance. Please bring into my life whatever I need.

Second Major Step :

4. I realize the road to balance and stability can be long and hard. It is my desire to keep faith in God and not shrink back to despair and ruin. It is my ongoing desire to call out to God with thanksgiving and prayer, believing that God is good and that He is even now working all things together for good. (Hebrews 10:35-39, I Thessalonians 5:16-18, Romans 8:28)

Prayer with thanksgiving is foundational to good spiritual and emotional health. In the midst of the darkest tunnel oftentimes the only way out is through an expression of faith in God, often enfolded in praise for God and His goodness.

5. I realize that despite how I feel on any given day, I must continue to be proactive in my pursuit of balance and mental health. I realize there will be times when God must carry me, but during the other times I affirm that it is best to keep seeking, asking and knocking until balance in life is found for either me or my family. (Matthew 7:7-11, John 16:24)

Faith is a delicate balance. We must not expect God to do everything for us, nor must we proceed as if we were in absolute charge of our own lives. On the good days we must be active about the Lord’s work, which includes a big dose of self-discovery and research. He will carry us when we are down, and will prod us on when He wants us to move into a deeper awareness of how to experience balance.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about praying to God with thanksgiving even when you don’t feel thankful?

2. What can you share about a time you feel God was carrying you?

3. In what ways have you been active in seeking balance and good mental health?

Prayer :

Lord, I agree with you that life here on earth can be very hard --- challenges, struggles, and conflicts are all to common. My heart’s desire is to walk close beside you through each and every day. I choose to draw near to you, and I know you will in turn draw near to me. You are a friend who is concerned with my troubles and needs --- thank you that I can approach you without fear.

Father, please lead me as I seek to find balance and peace. I look to you to open all the right doors. Grant me courage to go through each and every door that you open for me. Please help me to avoid any path that is not from you.

Third Major Step :

6. I will give up grumbling and instead seek to be content in whatever my circumstances, whether I am rich or poor, having all I need or suffering lack. I ask God to help me realize that I can do all He requires of me through His power and provisions that strengthen me. (Philippians 4:11-13, I Timothy 6:6-8, II Corinthians 12:9-10, I Corinthians 10:10-11)

God calls us to develop a spirit of contentment despite our circumstances. God and His provisions are all you need, and often we must learn this by getting to the place where He and what He provides are all we have. He is at work in several different areas in your life all at the same time. He is working to minister to your physical needs, but also is very concerned with your spiritual needs as well --- one of which is to learn a deep faith in a God who is there.

7. I will seek to enrich my relationships with friends and family, knowing that I have a tendency to become self-absorbed. I realize I need to do this for their good as well as mine. (Acts 20: 34-35, Philippians 2:3-11, II Corinthians 1:3-5)

Man was created for fellowship – with God and with each other. Mental illness, being the high maintenance disease it often is, tends to consume our focus and energy. We must make a conscious effort to look beyond the walls in our life to the needs of those around about us. We need to give – they need to receive from us. Together we can be a part of His working in our midst.

8. I will seek to become free from bitterness and unrighteous anger over injustices done against me, which is also for my good as well as for the good of others. My intent is to walk humbly with God, enjoying His favor and blessing. (Micah 6:8, James 1:19-21, Hebrews 12:14-15, Ephesians 4:26-32)

Bitterness and anger can engulf like a raging fire. The more you stir the coals in your mind the more fuel and oxygen it will consume. Freedom is found through forgiveness. Only the water of God’s grace, liberally applied upon the flames, can quench the inferno and bring you peace. God wants to bless you --- please don’t stand in His way.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think grumbling and complaining is a very serious problem?

2. How do you go about developing a spirit of contentment?

3. How can enriching healthy relationships benefit your mental health?

4. What do you think of the saying “the smallest package in the world is a person all wrapped up with themselves”?

5. Do you think there is emotional harm in nursing a grudge?

6. How do you let go of bitterness and anger when you have been very badly hurt?

Prayer :

Lord, please help me in my relationships with others. I tend to be selfish naturally, but this high-maintenance illness makes things twice as bad. Those around me need things only I can give --- like my time, affection, and love. Please help me to focus more beyond my own world and onto the needs of others. They need my love --- and I need to give it.

Where I have been wronged, Lord, please help me to forgive. Open my eyes to the great need we all have for your love, patience, and grace. As I have received your forgiveness help me to forgive others. As you have been patient with me, I want to be patient with others. As you have been gentle well beyond what I ever deserve, I want to become just like you in my dealings with others.

Father, I lay down my demands and desires for revenge and instead choose to walk closely with the Crucified One. As I give my anger to you, I ask you to drain away the poison of bitterness from my soul. In humility I seek your favor and blessing as my highest desire.

Fourth Major Step :

9. I affirm that the value I place upon myself rests upon the high value my Creator has of me. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to free me from eternal death and darkness through His death in my stead on the cross of Calvary. Because of Jesus I am now accepted, secure, and significant. (John 3:14-17, Colossians 1:13-14, Neil Anderson’s list of Scriptures)

Man’s reflection of your worth is all to often badly distorted. Often worth is attached to ability, looks, performance, or some other man-made scale. God’s reflection of your worth is seen at the Cross of Calvary. He loves you despite of, not because of. God Himself initiated the rescue operation for you soul, and continues to offer you acceptance, security, and significance in His eyes.

10. I affirm that in Christ I am totally acceptable to God, and as such do not need to fear his wrath against my sin. Every bit of His wrath against my sin was taken care of when Jesus was nailed to the Cross. As such, it is my intention to accept this truth and live free from any fear of retaliation from God. I am totally free to serve God out of love, and not a driving sense of obligation. (II Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:1,8-10, I John 4:18, Galatians 5:1,13)

With God, the believer is not on probation. God does not have a cosmic scale He weighs your good deeds against your bad ones. He loves you, despite of yourself. The believer has total peace with God --- and as we walk with God every day we can come to realize His great love for each and every one of us. Whom God sets free, they will be free indeed!

What the Christian has in Christ:

I am accepted: I am God’s child; I am Christ’s friend; I have been justified; I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit; I have been bough with a price – I belong to God; I am a member of Christ’s body; I am a saint; I have been adopted as God’s child; I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit; I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins; I am complete in Christ.

I am secure: I am free from condemnation; I am assured that all things work together for good; I am free from any condemning charges against me; I cannot be separated from the love of God; I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God; I am hidden with Christ in God; I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected; I am a citizen of heaven; I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind; I can find grace and mercy in time of need; I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant: I am the salt and light of the earth; I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life; I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit; I am a personal witness of Christ’s; I am God’s temple; I am a minister of reconciliation; I am God’s coworker; I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm; I am God’s workmanship; I may approach God with freedom and confidence; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Each statement is supported by at least one verse from the New Testament.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of Neil Anderson’s list of Scriptures? What are some of your favorite statements from his list?

2. How does God loving you despite your faults make you feel? Does it affect your choices and actions?

3. Do you ever feel unacceptable to God? Do you think that feelings always reflect the truth?

4. Do you find much joy in your walk with God? Why do you think that is?

Prayer :

Lord, your acceptance of me in Christ is where I want my view of myself to reside. I desire to see myself as you see me – totally accepted in Christ, completely secure in your love, and highly significant as one of your children.

You, Father, sent Jesus Christ to give me a life free from domination by darkness and despair. Your son’s death freed me from the tyranny of evil, bringing me into your kingdom through the forgiveness of my sins. Thank you, Lord, that I can now walk with you in the light from your Word as a chosen member of your family.

As one of your children I need not fear your wrath. Every ounce of your anger against my sin was spent on the brutal death of your dear son, Jesus. As such I not only bow in humble gratitude, but also rise up with head held high as a free child of yours – free from crippling fear, free from driving obligation, free from alienation and rejection. I am now free to experience your love, Lord, in the deepest and most meaningful ways. Thank you.

The Journey continues ..... please click on the following link to travel with me further.