It's In Our Thoughts

As you can see through my previous Instagram posts, May is mental health awareness month. Some people don't believe mental illness is real. Don't be naive. Just because God can heal you of a mental disorder does not mean they do not exist. In fact, if you look in Mark 5, there is a man dealing with mental illness. 

Mark 5 New King James Version (NKJV)

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed

5 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.[a]2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him,[b] not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

From the looks of his symptoms, he appears to be schizophrenic. Before anybody says it, no I'm not being a google doctor. I actually have a degree in psychology and have worked in a mental facility. Back then, there might not have been a name for it, but that's what it was. The man was struggling with his own thoughts to the point that he could not be tamed. He was not dead but he was living among the dead, and he wanted to die. 

The interesting thing about all of this is the Bible never once says that someone did something to him. It never says that someone tried to kill him. It says that he was in the mountains and the tombs cutting himself. There's no one living in the tombs. Clearly, it is just that man and his thoughts. 

Sometimes as people we forgot just how powerful thoughts and words can be. The Bible says

Proverbs 18:21 King James Version (KJV)

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

This man was under attack by a demon named Legion. Legion, by definition, means a great multitude. In reference to ancient times, it means a 3000-6000 men in the Roman army. This man had 3000-6000 different spirits inside of him literally driving him crazy. He wanted to die because of what was going through his head. 

Our mind is very important. It houses all control. Everything that goes through the body starts in the brain first. Our thoughts also start in the brain. That's why the Bible says "as a man thinketh so is he." Everything starts in the brain. Your mind is literally a battlefield. This man was strong. He had to be if it took 3000-6000 spirits to overtake his mind. But the minute he fled to Jesus, those demons were cast out. 

Demons don't stand a chance against God. It doesn't matter if they've gotten into your mind or not. We don't live in a time where we would literally see Jesus walking down the street like a normal person. It's not like that anymore. The enemy still comes for your head though. So when the enemy tries to tell you you're nothing, you don't matter, you'll never be healed, you have to come against that with the word of God. The enemy may say you're worthless. Your response should be 

1 Corinthians 6:20 King James Version (KJV)

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.If you can't do anything but call on His name 

If you don't do anything but call on His name. Make up in your mind that you belong to him, and speak out of your mouth that you belong to Him. The enemy can't handle it. 

James 2:19 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

If you've ever listened to a motivational speaker or an entrepreneur, they'll tell you there was a day that they made up in their mind they weren't going to be where they were forever. I recently got a second job and my boss always talks about how she had to change her mindset to be an entrepreneur. The same applies here. You have to decide not to accept your current situation as being a chronic circumstance. You won't always be broke. You won't always be barely making it. You won't always feel weak-minded. You won't always be depressed. I dare you to raise your hands and declare that you are victorious.