Tag Archives: Acceptance
The Mentally Ill Christian
It’s hard to have mental illness, but it’s even harder for a Christian.
Most days, it feels like you’re drowning. Drowning in isolation, fears, and worries that shoot at you like a barrage of stray bullets.
If only it would stop. If only there was peace.
Photo by Davide Pietralunga on Unsplash
Unfortunately, most don’t understand what it’s like, not even the Church. Where acceptance, understanding, and tolerance should exist, but doesn’t.
They treat you like they are flicking a piece of lint off of their lapel. There’s no understanding, support and even compassion for those suffering and their families. They’re only willing to offer you cheap platitudes as a way to assuage their conscience.
Many sufferers are forced into silence due to the stigma, lack of acceptance and intolerance.
The pain of being misunderstood and rejected gets tucked away like tidy towels in a linen closet.
But, nothing can erase the guilt and shame of a broken brain.
Christian’s suffering from mental illness have mastered the art of pretending. They’ve had to become world class actors to survive because most people–inside and out of the Church–simply can’t handle the truth.
What is the solution? Optimally, it would be for Churches to get on board and educate the congregation on mental illness to eradicate the stigma.
The more education and awareness, the less stigma will exist in and outside the Church.
People shouldn’t have to feel alone, misunderstood, isolated, rejected and marginalized in the Church. The Church should be a place of refuge and a catalyst for change to bring hope and healing for families.
Posted in anxiety, bi-polar, blogging, christianity, disability, faith, OCD, PTSD
Also tagged Anxiety, Awareness, Christianity, Christians, Church, mental health, Mental Illness, stigma, Tolerance
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Just Be Yourself
We are admonished and encouraged to be ourselves. Yet, a strange thing happens when we get involved in relationships.
Courtesy of Creative Commons
What was considered attractive, becomes unattractive. Where there were once praises, there are expletives. Those things which were adored, now are despised.
Why is that?
Suddenly, you are no longer able to be yourself, because being “yourself” is unacceptable.
You sit back and try to analyze where things went wrong and how you got to this point? Why you feel less than adequate? Where you don’t quite measure up.
Believe me, I know exactly where you are at and how you feel. You are not alone.
I’m here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you. You are fine just the way you are. Despite what anyone else around you says or thinks.
Think about it a minute…, what gives anyone the right to judge, criticize or put you down?
No one has the right to be allowed to make you feel like you are not good enough or don’t measure up. Who are they?
You shouldn’t have to feel stigmatized for being who you are, and who God created you to be.
You shouldn’t have to feel “less than” or “inadequate” based on someone else’s opinion of you.
No one reserves the right to put you down or make you feel like there is something wrong with you.
This is something I have been battling for years. I have been subjected to people wanting to change me.
I implore you to live your life. If someone doesn’t accept who you are, don’t deal with them. Life is too short to be wasting your precious time and energy trying to please others by becoming someone you are not.
God made you the way you are for a reason and if someone doesn’t resonate with who you are, you don’t need to be around them.
Just be yourself.
Is this something you struggle with? What are the ways in which you deal with it?
Posted in blogging, writing
Also tagged Be Yourself, Confidence, Courage, Originality, Strength, Uniqueness
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Even If It Means Walking Alone…
Who doesn’t like being liked and accepted? We all do. We innately want to be appreciated, accepted and liked by others. Whether it’s our family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances. There is this inner need to be liked.
But, there comes a time when we have to risk not being liked for the sake of integrity. What is the point of living a life void of truth? Truth matters in relationships.
Courtesy of Creative Commons
I’ve always been a seeker of truth. I do not like to live in lies, deception or falsehood. I like real. I like honest. I like truth. Yes, even if it cuts. I rather the truth than a lie.
It’s easy to go through life in a cocoon. It’s safer. You don’t make waves, you don’t offend, you just get along and live stress free.
However, as believers in Christ, we need to live in truth, because the truth is what sets us free. (John 8:32)
Too many of us are living in a bubble and trying to escape reality. But, running and escaping isn’t going to get us anywhere and will only prolong the inevitable.
We say we are followers of Christ, but what does that mean?
I’ve learned it means different things to different people. We’d rather make a god of our own understanding rather than follow the God of the Bible.
I guess it all comes down to choices. Just like choosing to tell the truth at the risk of not being liked. When Jesus spoke truth in love, it wasn’t a positive or popular message for people to digest.
The same holds true today. People are still rejecting His message.
We want to chew on the good parts, and spit out the rest. We want to say we are about love and community, but that’s the furthest from reality. Our actions give us away.
Our actions demonstrate that we want an easy God, a god of convenience. We only want to be told nice things and to be liked. We don’t want to live in truth, we don’t want the hard things, even if it’s necessary or right.
Well, this weekend I was faced with a choice. Either to keep silent or speak up. I chose to speak up and risked being liked for the sake of what is true.
Was it easy? No, it was not.
But, I’d rather risk, keep my integrity and walk in truth than be liked or accepted by others.
Even if it means walking alone…
What about you? Have you told the truth even when it was hard and at the cost of being rejected?
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