It is about 9 p.m. and I am still in the office. I feel so exhausted partially because I had not gone for my annual leave and only a few months were remaining (I will never do that again). I have also been feeling a bit overwhelmed and this deep anxiety for a while now. I like having full information about something and making my decisions based on knowledge.

So, I go online and search about mental health. As I browse through articles and videos done by Christians, all I saw was; go to therapy, not all answers are in the Word of God, learn to manage the anxiety etc. But I didn’t want to manage it, I wanted to end that phase. Many times, I had resisted the urge to go do a heart test because my heart was continually racing, like literally all the 15 hours I was awake out of the 24 hours

At the time, I was doing stuff that I was passionate about, getting recognition for my work,😅🙈 running 3 major projects at work, performing excellently in ministry but the anxiety I was feeling was numbing. So, I decided to pick up the phone and call bae. We had never talked about this before so I wasn’t sure on how to start the conversation but I began, “ Bae, you know how you feel continually exhausted and sometimes so nervous that you can’t breathe and then your heart starts to race and your hands are shaking and you just can’t perform any duties assigned to you for a while. Like the other day, I had to sit down, it was like a panic attack.” Then he said, “Obviously, that cannot be you coz that sounds medical.” That response almost caused me to draw back and agree I can’t have that……..but then I went on to explain how I was feeling and at some point, he says, “I think I also have those moments where I feel like my dreams are far-fetched and all but I refuse to fear and soldier on. That encouraged me to open up even more and by the time we were done, I was inspired to get wisdom concerning this issue from the Holy Spirit Himself.

In my quest to understand & get out of this difficult phase, I came across some sober advice from Addison Bevere, the son of John and Lisa Bevere of Messenger International. He pointed me to the Word of God, specifically Romans 12:2 in their Messenger Podcast.

In this second part of this topic, I would like to share with you how I experienced freedom and started to achieve effectiveness in everything I do. These principles work; try them out. 

1. Understand your purpose on this earth with clarity

This truth cannot be over emphasized. When you don’t know why you’re here on this earth or when there is no clarity of your purpose, you’ll try to be anything and anyone hence unrealistic expectations from yourself & other people and eventually, disappointments which gradually lead to anxiety, fear, stress and depression.

Beloved, to meaningfully develop yourself, you need to understand your purpose on this earth.  And where else can you get this clarity, other than from the one who created you? Being your creator, He perfectly knows and understands your purpose in this world. So instead of going everywhere else to try find out why you were born, why don’t you go to Him through the Word?? Ask Him, “God, why am I here? Why on earth did you create me? What is my purpose?”

See, you’re God’s Masterpiece. You are His Finished Product so He perfectly knows and understands your uniqueness and purpose. He’ll not only show you, ‘the what’ but also ‘the how’- how to achieve that purpose.

Those finances that are keeping you up all night, is what you’re doing in line with why God put you on this earth? Because if it is, God is able to give you an idea that will generate income, enough for that project and even many more projects. Trust him and engage Him. He has your best interests at heart. Give the Word time. The Word works and if you will stick to it, you will surely come back with a testimony!!

I know sometimes we get tired of listening to the same things over and over again but one thing is for sure, there is a reason as to why you’re in this world. There’s a purpose as to why you were born in Kenya at a time like now. And you have a voice. Don’t be bluffed into silence. Once during a communion service, Pastor Chris Sir told the congregation, “You’re quotable.” Then he said, “Go and be the best. Don’t entertain mediocrity and mundanity. In the same way that evil prevails when good people do nothing, mediocrity prevails when excellent people do nothing.” Decide that this year, you’ll deliberately get to the Word of God and intensively ransack those verses in a quest to understand who you are and your purpose in this world. After that, go and be the most excellent in whatever you do. Refuse any negative thoughts and only accept the God kind of thoughts into your heart.

2. Renew your mind through constant & continual meditation of the Word

Identity crisis creates insecurities, uncertainties and fear. Not knowing who you are is so dangerous because then, you will settle for anything; you’ll become anything, entertain anything because you don’t know your worth.

Everything has to be connected to its source. Your source is God, i.e., His Word. This is the way to live a healthy spiritual and mental life. Renew your mind. Align and pattern your thoughts with the thoughts of God through meditation of God’s Word. With the Word, you will know and understand who you are. That you’re God’s own special purchased possession. You were bought with a price. Can you imagine that? The price was God’s only Son. If Jesus gave Himself for you then it means He was convinced that His value was your value (1 Cor 6:20, 1 John 3:1, 1 Peter 2:9) When you understand this, some of the things in your life will be shed off.

See, when you get born again, you become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). But it is your spirit that becomes a new creation, not your mind, therefore you have to constantly and continually RENEW your mind. You have to replace your thoughts with the thoughts of God by what we call meditation of the Word of God. Meditation is only useful if it is well directed. You cannot meditate on nothing. Find a quiet place and study God’s Word. Think deeply on it by God’s Spirit and say it out aloud until it becomes your dominant thought.

Anytime, that thought that is inconsistent with God’s Word comes to your mind, proclaim the Word of God instead. For example, if I feel like I am constantly failing (even if it is evident to the physical eyes,) I ought to counter that thought with, Philippians 4:13 (AMP) which says, I can do all things (that God has called me to do) through Him who strengthens and empowers me to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.I know I can do all things (amplified). With time, you’ll even stop saying, ‘Philippians says’ because through meditation, you will become one with that Word.

When thoughts of weakness and rejection come to your mind, proclaim (speak out aloud) the Word upon your life. What does God say about you in His Word? Voice that over and over again. Renew your mind continually.

Keep renewing your mind ALWAYS. With time, anxiety and mental issues will be a thing of the past.

3. Guard your heart and thoughts

Beloved, we have to learn to guard our hearts, manage our minds and thoughts thereof.

If there is something that the Holy Spirit has repeatedly emphasized to me, it is to guard my heart. Imagine, out of your heart are the issues of life. Good News version even goes further and says that our lives are shaped by our thoughts.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 Good News Translation (GNT)

Information is very important; therefore, you have to only allow the right information into your heart. Sometimes I find that I am perfectly okay about something until somebody gives me contrary information to what God has told me. This information changes entirely how I feel about the same thing that God had given me assurance about. Therefore, instead of doing what God said, I find myself not making progress because I didn’t guard my heart. It is reaaally important to guard your heart. Did they decide to leave you? It is okay. Guard your heart. Don’t drag issues. Did God tell you to go and pursue that multimillion project? Go and do it. If one questions your current financial status, don’t slow down. I mean we serve the Creator of Heaven and earth. Do you really think he panics when He sees that account?? 🙂 If God said it, go and do it, especially if it doesn’t make sense to the people around you LOL because then it means that only God can bring it to pass. Provision has already been made. Christ in you is your advantage. Favour is causing you to be the most preferred one. Panic not. God’s got you. Allow only the right information into your heart. Guard your heart. Have what pastor Chris Sir calls a spiritual shredding machine. Any negative information cannot stay. It is shredded immediately you hear it.

Also, learn to manage our mind and thoughts thereof.

If we are going to make any consistent and lasting progress, then managing our thoughts is paramount. You cannot afford to let your thoughts wander. Any thought that is not consistent with the Word of God should never be allowed into your heart. Because if it does, no matter how much God will present ideas and opportunities before you, you’ll never see them. Why? Because out of your heart are issues of life. All you’ll see is how you’re limited and impossibilities.

As a child of God, you need to understand that there is no impossibility for you. God has said it in His Word. When He says, anything is possible for the child of God, even the impossibility is included in the ‘anything.’ It means that there is no impossibility for you. But it has to start in your mind. You have to meditate on this and see it with the eyes of the spirit.

A certain pastor once said, you cannot function effectively with an offense in your heart. You’ll stagnate until you forgive and let go. Why? Because, out of our heart are the issues of your life. Guard your heart.

Put your mind-power to work and be all God wants you to be! There are no limits to what you can achieve, and absolutely no restrictions to how high you can propel yourself, when you put your mind-power to work. In “The Power of Your Mind,” Pastor Chris Sir reveals that the mind is a spiritual entity, and its greatest potentials can only be reached through the education of the human spirit with God’s Word, which ultimately influences the mind.

Explore your imaginative capacity and utilize it in what builds you up. Don’t imagine failure, disappointment and fear. Instead, imagine the abundant life that Christ died on the cross so that you can have. This is because your imaginative capacity is your creative ability. What you imagine is what you are creating in the spiritual realm and it is coming to pass in the physical.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 KJV

4. Watch your words

The saying goes, ‘sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never harm me.’ I have never heard such an outrageous statement. Words can cause more physical pain than even sticks and stones. Therefore, it is important that you are careful on what you allow into your heart or what words you dispense to those around you.

Have you ever been in a confrontation with somebody and they said something that you remember to date? That’s how powerful words are.

See, God created the world using words. He spoke the world into existence. Powerful, right? How can we then keep joking about our lives? Making negative statements about our lives in the name of ‘I wasn’t serious.’ Beloved, how you speak concerning yourself is so important, it will determine how far you go in this life.

I know everything you see around you is the definition of hopelessness but beloved, you can’t afford to voice it out. Refuse to confess it. Words also don’t die. Remember the story of Esau and Jacob. Jacob blessed his son using words. The inheritance was passed on using words. Speak the Word of God concerning your life ALWAYS (as discussed above.)

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (Deuteronomy 30:19)

God has put before you life and death but He advices you to choose life. How do you choose life?

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21)

You choose life by speaking RIGHT, that is, what is consistent with the Word of God! It doesn’t matter what is ahead of you. It doesn’t matter what the doctors said. Hold on to the Word and speak of the divine health that is at work in your body. Speak of the prosperity. See yourself cancer free. The circumstances are subject to change beloved! Speak only God’s Word to your body, family, job, career, business, finances etc.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV)

“While we look’ in this verse in the Greek means ‘to consider’ So, we do not consider things that are seen. We do not consider the cancer, the failed projects. Paul is not saying that we didn’t see them gloraaaay! No, I saw the same thing which you saw but I didn’t consider it! I considered not the pain or the broken marriage or failed business. I only considered those things that are not seen.

WHY?

Because the things that are seen are subject to change because they are temporal. The circumstances of my life are subject to change so I look not at the things are seen but at the things that are not seen. What are those things? Get to the Word. What has God said about your business, family, health?? See these things and these things ONLY!! THEN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK RIGHT!!

Remember;

 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17 (KJV)

As you think the right thoughts, you will speak the right words concerning your life.

Oooh buoy only 4 principles? 4 more to go. I will post part 3 tomorrow, same time.

I love you and I am praying with you ALWAYS.

With love,

Nexcellent.