The next ingredient to mental health: focus. Philippians 4,Verse 8: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Even in adversity, if we keep our focus on who God is as our Father and on His good gifts to us, His children, we are steady, secure, and stable. I believe Isaiah 43 pertains to us:
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
…. because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
…. because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”
It has been almost ten years now – when my first wife, Ann, left this world to enjoy, with her perfect pitch, the music of the angels. What a great time for her. What deep water, a river of difficulty, a fire of oppression for her children and me. The doctors said her death through brain aneurysm was painless for her. Not so for us.
One of the results of her death was the loneliness I experienced. That led me to an even deeper intimacy with God, because as I went through “the deep waters” He made Himself real to me in a way I had not experienced before. His presence during the night hours in that lonely Dayton, Tennessee house was palpable. He became “as a wife” to me. He then gave me a beautiful gift in Theresa, my current wife.
Focus was key. Spotlight what was lost. Live in the past. Or, as the grief process was being handled, begin to focus on how God was going to come through for me, as described in Matthew 7:11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
What is your focus?
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