Before I begin, I would like to sincerely thank the brethren of JCOC, not just for the opportunity to be featured in this outreach bulletin, but also the numerous people who have prayed for me during this tough time. As some of you may know, I have been diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder that has caused hallucinations and severe mood swings that have crippled my daily activity. Although I am slightly more stable, the symptoms persist, and as such, I have only been able to attend church remotely.
With this in mind, I thought to discuss a topic that would help me, and hopefully many other brethren who might be suffering in silence: grounding ourselves in God. As a part of my therapy, I have been taught a lot of secular grounding methods like breathing or meditating, but such earthly methods can only bring us so far. Ultimately, it is the grounding of the soul that can bring us peace.
To better connect to God when I have trouble distinguishing falsehood from reality, I remember these three things: 1. Who I am, 2. Whose I am, and 3. What my purpose on earth is.
So who are we? We are Christians. This can end up being quite an abstract term that we throw around, but we forget the true significance of it. We are the sanctified children of God with a marvelous birthright to look forward to (Romans 8:29), if only we remain faithful. We are people set aside from the world (1 Corinthians 6:11), and we should be behaving as such. When we’re in the throes of increasing distress, it’s easy to forget this blessed identity that we have. As 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. God’s word and His being is not one that is unstable and ever-changing as our moods are: He is our rock and our strength that we can rely on. One way I remind myself of this is to study God’s word and focus on His personality and how He loves us, such that I remember I am not a mere human burdened with disabilities, but his blessed child, that I am loved and taken care of.
Secondly, I like to remember whose I am, or who I belong to. When we take on the individualistic perspective of the world, we are deluded into thinking that we belong to ourselves, and that we are the ones in control of our lives. A friend of mine who fell away once said: “My body is a temple, and I am the god to which it is devoted.” That might be a tempting state of mind to be in, because intrinsically, all of us desire a sense of control. However, in trying times, it is this very mindset that can bring us destruction (James 1:6). As fallible humans (Mark 7:21), when we rely on ourselves, it is inevitable that we will be led astray by numerous temptations. This means that, when we suffer, we will be easily lost in our pain as Satan wants us to be, and forget that we belong to Christ. In times like these when I forget (as we all do), I turn to God in fervent prayer to guide me, so that I remember that He is my keeper, and with His direction, I will not be lost.
Finally, we need to remember what our purpose on earth is. Contrary to what Satan would want us to believe in times of troubles, we are not put here just to “suffer and die”, we are put here to bring the word of God to the rest of the world. When we are in a state of distress, it can be challenging to evangelize the traditional way, but we can still exemplify our identity as Christians through our actions: the way we cope with adversity. When the secular world knows we are struggling, all eyes are on us. We can react as the world does, to mope and lament our hopelessness, or, as Christians, we can exemplify the long-term, unconditional peace that God brings to our lives (Isaiah 26:3). This peace may not make sense to the world; after all, it “surpasses all understanding”, even to me sometimes! But we need to have faith that if we practice what we preach, even if we have no idea how to cope (2 Chronicles 20:12), God always finds a way, as long as we exemplify His love to society around us.
It’s important to note that these methods of grounding do not come naturally: it is a skill that must be honed, for us to be able to go against our human nature into the “new man” that God expects us to embody. It’s also worth remembering that getting in touch with our spiritual side isn’t what other denominations preach (eg: “Jesus spoke to me in a dream”), but it is a deliberate effort we put in to reconnect to Christ. My hope for the church is that, ultimately, we find peace and stability in God even if things seem hopeless and confusing, and that we support each other! The church is God’s holy institution that’s built for us as social creatures, so let’s make the most of it while we are on this earth, praying for one another and edifying one another in times of weakness. Once more, thank you to all the brethren, and may God bless and uphold you at all times.
Questions:
What does it mean to be a “Christian”?
What has God put us on this earth to do? How do we know that this is our purpose?
How do we support brethren in their times of need?
Model Answers:
To be a Christian is to be God’s child, sanctified and set aside from the world for His purpose. It is also a promise that we live our lives according to His commands, as we have decided upon baptism.
God has put us on this earth to preach the word to the world, according to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). This includes regular evangelism (eg: Preaching, Bible study, tracting), as well as exemplifying His love as good examples for others to witness and follow.
Find verses that talk about prayer and what Jesus did for those in need during His ministry.