May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is certainly an extremely important topic of conversation. I would honestly say that mental health, in my opinion, is one of the most important aspects of life there is. The lens through which you see life is processed in your mind. The daily battles we face, the way we communicate with one another, our personal outlook on the world etc. is all in our heads. Our very own physical health is affected by our mental health. Obviously, these are not minuscule areas to be taken lightly. Your mental health not only impacts your life but the lives of those around you. Mental health covers a multifaceted range. There are disorders that we, in this short time, could in no way unpack. So I just want to chat a little about emotional well-being because that affects us all. You can get many books on mental health. There are podcasts to listen to and personal counseling is available also for people who just need to talk things out. All of these are helpful but I want to see what The Maker of the mind itself has to tell us. Nobody understands mental health better than The One who created it. 

Long before an action takes place, any “needed” conversation is had or final decisions are made, there’s the processing of thoughts. The result of these thoughts dictate the outcome of any situation you find yourself in. So yes, thoughts are important. They can lead to positivity or they can produce negative results. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬) God wants us literally thinking our way into the right direction. If we dwell on the praiseworthy list above, our lives will fall in line with these attributes. If we dwell on gloom and doom, we will reap anxiety at a high level. Your emotional state will line up with what you feed it. Feast on the promises of God’s Word. He has your best interest at heart. If you’re constantly listening to the ever changing news, you can be tossed back and forth between stability and instability. One minute you’re up, the next minute you’re down. 

The Lord wants us to be stable. He wants our trust to be fixated on Him. The world’s ways and standards change every day. Jesus does not. Get your direction from Him. The Bible has this to say about people whose loyalty is divided. “Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” (‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Not just some things. Everything they do! The world’s ways and God’s ways are very different. We have to train our minds to go God’s way. This is not natural for us. Our flesh wants its own way. But this way is not beneficial to our emotional well being. Only Jesus and His Words bring the joy that our souls crave. 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬) This is exactly why we need to get our news from Him. He offers good news and hope for a desperate world. Our minds are bombarded every day with horrible images and bad news. God wants to change our way of thinking to line up with His. Then, when hard times come, we will automatically look to Him for guidance and support. “Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭112‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬) This, my friends, is going through the tough times of life with a winning attitude. 

Thoughts come and go. The impact the thoughts have depends on what you do with them. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬) Basically, if it lines up with God’s Word, we keep it. It’s profitable. If not, get rid of it. It will cause suffering if you continue to dwell on it. God set up this system to transform our way of thinking to keep us safe and rock solid stable. He did this with you in mind.

Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.