I have long lived by the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” And it is oftentimes the very first thing that I try to gently share to others when they disclose that they too struggle with a mental illness of any kind. With having battled to not only maintain living with but to overcome the stigmas surrounding being bipolar, learning to live with having suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, severe insecurities from a lifetime of abuse from multiple people, like yo, I was your poster child for the hot mess express.
But when I discovered the secret that keeping my mind busy equated to my being able to control my mental state a lot easier, hence the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground” took root in my life and I’ve lived by it since. Only now in the last several years I’ve integrated my faith into my mental health plight, and I’ve been able to see a momentous change in the direction in which my mental health journey is taking.
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42.11
Full disclosure here, I believe in complete transparency in my own life and struggles simply for the sake of hoping that my story may touch the life of another and help them. I have always felt that my story was not my own and I have always been compelled to share my story as it was an “open book” for that very reason alone.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1.3-4
How beautiful is the thought that our God comforts us, guides us through our trials, shows us love and compassion in our own troubles so that we can go forth and help another who may be going through the same thing? And yet, if we go through our lives hiding the things that the world tells us we should be ashamed of, or the things that are taboo and frowned upon if they are openly talked about, how are we supposed to comfort others by letting them know that they are not alone in whatever struggles they are going through?
I have long believed that God calls us to be open about our own struggles and what we have overcome, or even what we still struggle with, in hopes that we can reach those that may feel that they have to go through those hard things alone. Or maybe they have been taught that they’re wrong for feeling as they do, or they have been surrounded by not so supportive people that have led them to believe things that aren’t necessarily true about what it is they are going through. Our testimonies are exactly what will save others and oftentimes show them alternative ways for them to save themselves.
God will place people within our lives at the right time to show us what it is we need to see, every time. Just as He will also deliver unto you the messages that you need to hear when it is you need to hear them the most. Unfortunately, the problem is that many aren’t ready to receive those blessings from Him just yet and may even take offense to truths waved under your nose in the beginning. It’s ok, because He will keep placing those messages and those people within your path until you’re ready to receive what it is He needs you to know.
“ …for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”2 Timothy 1.7 ESV
So, we keep our minds busy to keep the depression and anxiety at bay. Awesome, right? Well, yeah but at some point we have to learn better coping skills for ourselves. For me once I began to fully integrate my walk with Jesus into my mental health routine, I was able to start allowing more “idle” moments in my days. Focusing on scripture that reassure me that He has my back (Psalm 34.17, Isaiah 41.10, Jeremiah 29.11, John 14.27, 1 Peter 5.7, Joshua 1.9, Philippians 4.6,13 just to name a few) and knowing that it is in those quiet times that I find Him, allow me to willingly seek them out. I find my strength in Him, and it is that strength that allows me the freedom to live as I do.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73.26
And for me, the last thing that was vital in making strides on my mental health journey was realizing that sometimes the people that we have in our lives are direct contributors of our depression and anxiety. When you have mental illness, it is 100% your responsibility to be selective on who you allow within your circle. Each person is going to influence you, so choose wisely! If you suffer from depression, seek out those that will help you rewire yourself to look for the good in life. If you deal with anxiety, seek out those that give off the calm that you need and those that have overcome anxiety themselves!
We cannot continue to choose to remain stuck in the same mindsets and situations in which we have been and then wonder why we aren’t getting any better. I personally took over 2 years and secluded myself from just about everyone. And I had done this in 2016 for 2 years, too! Both times I utilized that time to heal and to draw closer to God and to strengthen my relationship with Him. I focused on myself, my children and Him. And I’m telling you I wouldn’t change a minute of it because sometimes we have to step away to find ourselves. To find the quiet spot away from all of the noise of today…
But then when He says it’s time, we step back into the world, into reality and well, that’s when I pray we can all find one another to help each other through. I often wonder how much of the hurts and the pains we go through in life could have been foregone if we all just would have listened to the Words said within the Bible to begin with.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6.2
We were never meant to walk through life alone, nor was it intended for us to carry our burdens on our own. But life and society have us so programmed that we are to stay so focused on ourselves that we somehow forget that we ARE our brother’s keeper in the sense that to love one another is to desire to lift each other in every sense that there is. Life is hard enough as is, we shouldn’t complicate it further through hardened hearts and selfishness.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10.23-25 ESV
Billie is a 40-something stay-at-home momma of five beautiful children and Grammy to three grandchildren. When not wrangling the littles, she babysits for her two adult children. You will find her gardening, canning, baking, and making the most delicious meals for her family. Billie is a multitasker juggling a team of miniature tyrants, a cat, a snake, two dogs, two rats, and nine chickens. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and studying her bible. Her passion is sharing the gospel through her writing! So, whether she’s feeding your body with delicious meals or feeding your soul through her writing, join Billie as she takes you on a journey providing you with “Food for Thought.”
by leaps and bounds 
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