I would like to offer some ideas on how to cope during this uncertain time. When we can’t control our external environment, it is helpful to take control of things we can.
Rising Above
“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” ― C.S. Lewis
Mental illness or mental pain is something we all have had to deal with at some point in our lives. Maybe it’s the days that seem impossible to get out of bed or the all too common panic attack in the middle of class. Sometimes it cuts deeper than that, the loss of a friend who took their life or maybe the divorce that left you empty inside. However it disguises itself, the root of it all is still the same: fear, shame, guilt. The enemy loves to make you feel isolated and alone, that whatever you are going through no one else could possibly understand. It’s a vicious cycle in order to keep you a slave so you will never become who God has called you to be. Almost half (46.4%) of the US population will experience a mental illness during their lifetime according to USA Mental Health First Aid. Yet in a recent study 66% church goers reported that their pastors once a year, rarely, or never discussed mental health. The more we, as christians struggle to discuss and deal with mental illness, the more we fail in creating a safe and open environment for those we are shepherding. Here at Escondido Christian Church we strongly believe in the importance of community and the healing that takes place when you let others in. With our new Learning to Love Ministry launching we will be able to provide onsite counseling for ages and all circumstances. You or your family members can have access to the help you need with a community of fellow believers standing in the gap rooting for your victory.
“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and breaks through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Your Spiritual Bloodline
Blood of a champion
Only a certain kind of horse makes it to the Kentucky Derby. It’s the horses that are the fastest in the world. They’ve been carefully studied and carefully bred for generations.
Before breeding, the owners will go back 50 or 60 years and study the bloodline of a particular stallion. They’ll research his father, his grandfather and study how long their stride was, how tall their legs were, their takeoff speed, their endurance. With all this information, they’ll choose what they believe to be the perfect match.
They understand winners don’t just randomly happen. It’s in their DNA. That’s what sets these horses apart. They have generation after generation of champions on the inside.
Inside of you!
When you were born again your DNA changed. You don’t come from ordinary stock. You came from the best of the best. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, what color you are, how tall or short, how attractive or unattractive. It doesn’t matter how many weaknesses you have.
You may struggle with an addiction. You may have made some mistakes. What supersedes everything is that on the inside you have the DNA of a Champion. You come from a long list of winners.
If you look back and study your spiritual bloodline, you’ll see who you are! You’ll see your ancestor Moses parted the Red Sea—there’s great faith in your bloodline. You’ll see David, a shepherd boy, defeating a giant—there’s victory in your bloodline. You’ll see Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem when all the odds were against him—there’s increase, promotion and abundance in your bloodline. You’ll see a young lady named Esther who stepped up and saved her people from certain death—there is courage in your bloodline.
Remember, you come from a bloodline of champions. You were born to win, born to overcome, born to live in victory. It doesn’t matter what your present circumstances look like. Freedom is in your DNA. Health and wholeness is in your DNA. Restoration is in your DNA.
Lack, struggle, barely getting by, is not your destiny. Abundance, increase, opportunity, good breaks; that’s what’s in your spiritual bloodline!