I am currently struggling with over sleeping, and I am continually shaming myself for not being productive enough during the day. It is causing me a lot of stress. Yesterday, I took a mental health day, and I did absolutely nothing. It was oddly peaceful, but then I woke up today in the same stressful loop. A woman in my Living Grace Group* told me that her top priority right now needs to be taking responsibility over her mental and physical health. Reading that really hit home for me. Taking responsibility for my mental and physical health needs to be my top priority right now as well.
A couple of weeks ago, my Living Grace Group* talked about the characteristics of God. Bible verses were attached to each character trait that was listed. The one that stuck with me the most is: “Jesus will always be an advocate for you, He will never forsake you… (1 John 2:1; John 6:37)” I really need to take this time of social isolation to lean into that truth. I am not my biggest advocate. My mind is not my biggest advocate. Jesus, the King overall, is my biggest advocate. I find I am happier when I lean into God and accept his sovereignty over my life. It is just hard for me to do sometimes.
Is your mental and physical health a top priority for you? Are you allowing Jesus, our God, to advocate for you during these troubling times? Are you leaning into God’s sovereignty? The control freak in me is having a really hard time with this right now. I live for control, but this pandemic has shot my control to hell. So, what’s left? When there is nothing but fear, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, what is left to help me/all of us cope?
Jesus.
Jesus, the beginning and the end (Rev 22:13). The giver of all great things (James 1:17). The peace and calm in the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus. May we all allow him to be our advocate, our safe guide through these times, as we focus on our mental and physical health. I really believe if we do this, the growth we will see in ourselves and others will be beautiful.
*Living Grace Groups are small groups designed for people living with a mental illness. Living Grace Groups were designed by the Grace Alliance. The Grace Alliance believes in a whole health approach to dealing with mental health difficulties focusing on the physical, the mind, the spiritual, and the relational. Find out more about the Living Grace Groups and the Grace Alliance here.
A list of COVID-19 Mental Health Resources can be found here.
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