It's not about ME

HAPPY OCTOBER!
     I'm back and excited to share with you what the Lord has been teaching me. I think one of the most difficult things to talk about sometimes is ourselves.  It's easier to discuss others and how to fix them than focus on ME.  Let me back up a little and share with you some of my story.
    It started after our fourth child was born; I began to experience some anxious thoughts and feelings followed by some very low days. I really didn't know at the time what I was dealing with, but after seeing several doctors I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.  This was a start because up until this point I was at a loss of how to handle and deal with what I was experiencing. In addition to caring for a newborn and 3 other children I was quite overwhelmed to say the least. After resisting it for some time I began to take medication, this came after realizing I couldn't just snap out of it on my own. God was doing His part but I was failing to do mine.  Mental illness is a malfunction in the brain, your brain has become deficient of certain chemicals that cause it to operate properly. Medication whether natural or man made helps to replace and aid in the healing.  Like any other illness, something in these temporary bodies of ours is under attack and needs help to heal.
     I  did get better but became very absorbed in myself and self pity. Let me just warn you...this is a very dangerous place to be. One day I just cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord along with other Godly men and women I sought for counseling helped me to take the focus off myself and begin pouring into the lives of others. Duh! this is the very reason He created us right? Well some of us are more stubborn than others! You see you can be doing a lot of things for others but for the wrong reasons. If we are not careful what we do can always come back to a 'what's in it for me' " attitude. For example: "Not one person said thank you to me"," I go and do and no one even notices what I do for them". These are just a few  of our " I" responses that can be all consuming if we are not careful. So, how do we change or what can we do to alter this mindset?
    The first thing God showed me was to start a prayer journal and begin praying for others. Focusing on the needs of others rather than ourselves starts the healing process. I also began to prayer walk and prayer drive. This is an example of praying without ceasing. Many of the people we see and pass by on a daily basis are hurting, lost and hopeless. Our prayers can alter their lives and eternity if we just slow down and take the time to pray, encourage and love them. You cannot gossip, be angry, speak unkindly, and pray for someone at the same time. Its just not possible! I challenge you to try it !
    I also realized that I  had to watch and re-evaluate how I was spending my time. I would ask myself, "Is what I'm doing helping to further the cause of Christ"? You see, God called us to be eternally minded. He wants us to have an eternal perspective in this life.  Yes, we have to eat, clean and of course work but in doing so we are to  keep that eternal mindset. Ouch! I don't know about you but that pricks my heart.  I soon realized that the more I focused on others the less time I had to focus on ME! Hence the phase, " Its not about ME ", became my motto. When we come to know Christ and accept all He has done for us, we are no longer the same,a transformation begins. We are made new, with new wants and desires and perspectives on how we live our lives on this earth.
   My prayer is that this helps each of us re-evaluate our focus and what we do with our time.
      May it be on things that are eternal not temporary.  Lord, Help us to be about your work and calling on our lives each day. Remind us that "It is not about ME" Lord, but all about YOU!
          "Seek ye first my kingdom, and all things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33
                                                            Have a blessed Wednesday, Love Stacy
Website Source for Mental Health recovery:  www.mentalhealthgracealliance.org