As I was on my way to the office on Friday morning, one word crossed my mind; SUICIDE.

I thought it was weird but then that thought came again and again and again.

I am usually very alert to what the Holy Spirit could be communicating to me at any particular time, so I was keen to listen to Him. Then these thoughts about encouraging somebody who was contemplating suicide started flowing through my mind. And I immediately get it. The Holy Spirit was going to be sending somebody my way and He was giving me the words to say to that particular person.

As soon as I reached the office, the text came in from a country I wouldn’t even expect. She had just been directed to a Whatsapp group by her friend where I share the Rhapsody of Realities Devotional consistently and she felt I would understand and assist her. As we began to chat, I could feel the heaviness through the chats. It was very sad, but I thank God for using me to minister to her. Breaking thought patterns acquired over a period of time might take a while, but it is a journey I am willing to take to get this 20-year-old out of this hard phase by the Word.

It has been said that a Christian admitting to having mental health issues is the highest sign of weakness. But really, is it? I actually think living under fear and putting on a façade for people is the weakness. Being bold to approach our Heavenly Father where there is true healing and transformation is a sign of courage. Courage is approaching our church leaders, Christian peers for help. It is dealing with an issue head on by the Word of God!

A portion of the people committing suicide across the world are part of congregations. Not to mention, the number of people who are stressed and depressed. And yet, we can’t talk about it. Many people feel more comfortable when we put on facade, a false portrayal of what our lives actually are. But I think Christianity has to be more than this. Life in Christ has to be above the comparison culture on social media, fakeness and false pretence of what our lives are. This is not the way to earn respect or even get love from those around you. I believe in authenticity. Authenticity is also not being sad or being ‘less than.’ It has all to do with being who you are in Christ unapologetically!

Anyway, this particular post is for that person who is feeling stuck with fear and anxiety but has the desire to get out of that phase. This is for that person who is tired of going through the same cycle over and over again. This is kind of an honest conversation I would like to have with you.

Mental Health

It is the will of God for each and every person to proper in all aspects of their lives, as they put to work, the principles in His Word, such as Meditation of Scriptures.

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually] (3 John 2 Amp)

Mental health is very important and the significance of having a healthy mind cannot be overemphasised. Mental health issues can be brought about by the loss of a loved one, failed ventures, failed friendships & relationships, betrayals in the work/business space, unmet expectations, failed dreams, low self-esteem among other things. This results to a lot of fear, anger and anxiety which with time, could lead to stress, depression, self-loathing, addictions and eventually, suicidal thoughts.

I might not know where you are at specifically but here is my advice; 

a) Find out what is the root cause of the anxiety

At one point, I remember I was having this deep anxiety, I could literally feel like I couldn’t breathe sometimes, while in the office. My heart would beat fast throughout the whole day. This would happen many times. So, one day, I am in the lift and this nurse at the office enters and I just found myself saying to her, “I can’t breathe.” She said, “what?” I was a bit in a tight dress that day and I told her, I can’t breathe, my heart is beating so fast, I’m so nervous and my hands are sweating. She advised I do a checkup immediately (there’s a hospital in the building) which I did not do. But later that week, I confided in this nurse friend of mine who we also attend the same church and she told me to try sit down and find out what the root cause was, what was the trigger. She told me, once I found out, I deal with it. And I actually did, only to realize that the fear to fail or not meet my goals by a certain time was the trigger. It is important to find out what is the issue and then find the solution.  Sometimes, one might not even know what the issue is but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will know.

b) What does God say about you in the Word, with regards to that situation?

At that point, I felt like I was living my life like I had a deadline. I had set timelines within which I needed to accomplish certain things in my life. And the delay or lack of doing it would bring the anxiety. So, it wasn’t that I didn’t like my job or my boss or anything, the root cause was fear of unmet life goals and this fear was contributing to all the negativity in my environment.

After this realization, I began to reflect on what God has said about my future in the Scriptures. First of all, I thought to myself, my path is as the ever-shining light that shines brighter and brighter till the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). I am God’s Masterpiece; my Heavenly Father created me with a purpose in my mind (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). My path was already cut out and my end is peace with prosperity (Psalm 37:37 ) Having already found out about my purpose on this earth, instead of going ahead to trail-blaze, the worry was curtailing me from walking in the paths that God prearranged for me to walk in before the beginning, living the good life.

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us Ephesians 2:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

The fact that I was still alive was evidence enough that God was not done with me and all I just needed to do was trust God and trust that He is reliable, and He is for me. God and I form the majority, this truth became so alive in me.

Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5 Amplified Bible (AMP)

The truth that I can do all things which God has called me to do through Him who strengthens and empowers me to fulfill His purpose sunk in my spirit. That 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 (Philippians 4:13). My Heavenly Father chose me and is interested in seeing my dreams/purpose fulfilled even than I am. How cool is that? That Creator of the Universe must see to it that I register success and change millions of lives, which is my purpose😊 God was going to see to it that I fulfill His purpose for me on this earth because He had already supplied me with the strength, wisdom, ability, grace, fervor and stamina to do it. His Word and the Spirit are everything. And now, I am always conscious of the fact that all things are working out for my good. There was no way I was going to underperform.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

From that day, I just made a decision to take advantage of the grace of God in my life and get things done, having in mind that God dwells in me, is with me and for me. These were not words, I hadn’t heard before. In fact, I knew them by heart but this time, they became Rhema, that specific Word from God for that particular time for me, as an individual. I decided that it was not over until I registered success. I was in charge. I had authority and power from God, so I was going to dominate my world and tame it lol no more fear or anxiety👊💪

Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on [a]serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you Luke 10:19 Amplified Bible (AMP)

If you are not familiar with what the Word of God says about anything you are facing, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, start studying the Word and meditating on it. Deliberately, begin studying the Word of God and I promise you that the Scriptures contain all the answers to the questions life has posed to you.

If you have lost a loved, find comfort and rest in the Heavenly Father. He is the only one who perfectly understands us, as individuals. Christ bore our grief at the cross, please do not let grief end your life, because you are entitled to the best life here on earth, our hope being that we will meet our loved ones in heaven, one day (Isaiah 53:4)

c) Stick to the Word of God, no matter what and you’ll surely come back with a testimony!

So, after that confidence boost, I go face life again and after a while, the doubt starts creeping in. I had just changed my career path and there was so much uncertainty. I literally had to refuse fear but the Holy Spirit reminded me that God who is Perfect Love and in Him, there is no fear (1 John 4:18).

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 New Living Translation (NLT)

When God tells you to resist the devil and he will flee from you, it is because God knows that there is a fleeing mechanism in the devil. I mean God created Lucifer, so he knows that when you resist him, something happens; he flees. Refuse to give the devil a thought. He is Mr Zero and he loves attention. Refuse to wallow in self-pity and arise! Stop talking about the situation and do something about it. And if you don’t know how not to fear, say to yourself, “I refuse to fear in Jesus name.”

A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones Proverbs 17:22 Amplified Bible (AMP)

As you resist fear, submit yourself to the Word of God. Draw your strength and joy from the Word. As you study the Word, you will learn how to maintain a perfect and joyful heart. You will know how to create your own atmosphere of miracles and success. It might take a while, but I assure you that the Word works. The Word of God is perfect, and it won’t start failing with you (Psalm 19:7-10; Psalm 12:6.)

So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Let this be your consciousness. Let this be your dominant thought, that the Word of God at work in you is bearing fruit. It is not over until you win. Beloved, don’t give up. Keep at it. As you go about your life, live like a child of the Most High. Be conscious that the Creator of Heaven and the earth is your Father. Be so confident in approaching the throne because you have the right to do so. And before you knew it, fear and anxiety will be a thing of the past.

You are gonna be okay. I know you have been fighting together to keep on. I know your heart is heavy from those nights but remember you’re a fighter and you’re stronger than you know. Hold on, you will get through this. Just take the first step by studying Scripture and fellowshipping with the Spirit. This won’t last, it is not the end. You are gonna be okay.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33 Amplified Bible (AMP)

In tomorrow’s post, I will be sharing more on how to deal with mental health issues through putting to work various principles such as speaking the right words, soul winning, prayer, purpose, keeping the right friends among other things.

I am always praying for you and with you!!

With love,

Nexcellent