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Having good mental health is an essential part of your effectiveness in life, ministry, or business. Yet is seems easier to think that your problems have more to do with your circumstances—a lack of resources, spiritual apathy in your church and community, or a personal struggle you’re facing—and less about how you think.
Remember, God is far more interested in changing your mind than your circumstances. Having God change our circumstances and take away the pain and sorrow around us are important issues. However, God wants to first deal with what’s happening in you.
Paul tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
Nothing will change in your life or ministry unless you change your thoughts.
Why is your mental health so vital?
- What controls your life is what you think about most. Every action begins with a thought. If we don’t think it, we don’t do it. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (NKJV)
Even untrue thoughts will shape your life if you don’t control them. - The battleground against sin is won in your mind. We win or lose the battle against sin, depending on our thoughts. All temptation happens in the mind. As a result, that’s where sin happens. Paul describes this battle inside our brains: “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Romans 7:22,23 (NKJV).
Your brain, which is the organ for your thinking, can be your greatest asset, and Satan wants to control it.
- The key to peace and happiness is in managing your mind. An unmanaged mind leads to anxiety, stress, and conflict. A managed mind leads to serenity, calmness, and assurance. Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (NKJV).
Apply these three habits daily to help you nurture a healthy mind:
- Feed your mind with truth.
Good nutrition is the fuel that gives us a healthy mind. Healthy calories help you grow stronger and give you more energy. Unhealthy calories harm your body.
The same is true with your thoughts. For a healthy thought life, you must feast your mind on truth, not toxic thinking or empty calories.
Jesus reminds us about healthy “mind food” when He told Satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NKJV).
Pastor, you know that the Bible is food for our souls. We don’t just study it to preach a good message on Sunday. It’s what we use to keep our minds healthy throughout the week.
Leader, the Word of God is the best spiritual food you will ever “eat” to fill and fuel your soul.
- Free your mind from destructive thoughts.
Your mind needs to be set free from wrong thinking. You are held captive by your thoughts. Through the years, you have been told all kinds of false things about yourself. As a result, you most likely believe many of them, and those thoughts control your actions.
Every day, you battle against Satan, your old nature, and the value system of this world. But the Bible tells us we don’t fight and win that battle with just any weapons.
Paul writes, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
2 Cor. 10:4-5 (NKJV).
Behind every sin is a lie we choose to believe, which can become a stronghold. But Paul tells us to be “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
You must decide now to take your thoughts captive every day. You best defeat temptations before they start.
- Focus on the right things.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (NKJV). What are the good things we should focus on?
- Think about Jesus Christ. As it has been said, You become what you think about the most. So, think about Jesus, and you’ll become more like Him. For example, when you’re ready to call it quits, think about Jesus and what the Bible says.
- Think about others. Nearly everything in the world teaches you to think about yourself and little of others. But the Bible tells us that life isn’t about us. You’ll only discover the real meaning of life when you begin to give your life away.
- Think about eternity. Life is not just about the here and now. Too often, we have short-term thinking. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (NKJV) Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. You’ve heard people speak of others that they are too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good. That’s false. It’s the heaven-minded people who have done better throughout history.
Learning to manage your mind by thinking correctly will change your life, ministry, or business. God gave you your mind, and it’s one of your greatest assets.
It’s time to go to battle for it every day.
