When it comes to Mental (and) Spiritual Health, it’s ok to hit reset.
Lane Johnson could bench press 225 pounds 28 times. At 6'6" and 303 pounds, he was stronger than roughly three-quarters of offensive linemen in the NFL. He lead his team to two Super Bowls. This week, in mid-season, he excused himself from his career, citing mental health. He needed a reset.
This week French Open tennis champion Coco Gauff suffered a surprising defeat at the China Open in straight sets citing heavy fatigue saying, “I have no energy …I can't see the ball…I feel like I'm going to pass out." The weight of her fatigue was not just physical. She experienced a barrage of racist abuse in a previous match. Gauff who has openly shared her struggles with depression and mental pressure as a teen phenom, she withdrew from the upcoming the Wuhan Open. She needed a recent.
A healthy life, whether you’re a pro athlete or an entry-level accountant, is not just dependent on your physical prowess, but your mental health. May God add one more key component to that life?—spiritual. Physical, mental and spiritual—all three are complements of each other. But they don’t all receive equal attention. Spiritual health is often neglected, and sometimes totally ignored in our daily regime. That is why God in Philippians 4:8-9 offered this encouragement to His anxious Church to: …Think on these things… (4:9). Anxiety is a reality, but if you look closely and think about things differently, you will discover you have more than you think. It’s a certainty. In a word, it’s ok to hit reset.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:8-9
That is what Paul told the Philippian Church. The sure thing is this: like a bank account, we have in our spiritual account Christian virtues that have great value. Paul knew this sure thing. It’s simple and plain. Just think on the eight Christian virtues according to Philippians 4:8,9 and practice them. We will see in Paul’s “Think On These Things Plan”, first, how resetting or re-thinking on what God has given you works, and secondly, who it has worked for. They had more than they thought when they thought about what they had. You, like them, can have the confidence—a peace—to write checks on a sure and valuable account.
First, think. Calculate differently what you have in your Christian account.
Paul commanded the Philippians to think (logizomai), to “reckon, count, record, take into account” eight Christian values that they have in their Christian account. You can bank on the same in your account.
You have TRUTH in your account. Know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The truth is that what the bible say about you is for you. It says you are more than a conquer. It says God shall supply all your needs according to his riches. You have truth in your account.
You have HONORABILITY in your account, that is, you have respect. You are worthy of respect. Psalms 139 says you’re fearfully and wonderfully made. You don’t have to earn respect, you have it. Now go and live it.
You have what is RIGHT in your account. Right (dikaia) is conforming to God's standards. You just have to do the right thing like the Good Samaritan. Ask yourself you when you have a choice: What would Jesus do. Jesus wouldn’t leave a man in a ditch, bomb kids, separate families.
You have what is PURE in your account. Pure (hagna) emphasizes moral faithfulness. You have what it takes to be morally faithful to God with your body. Your body is not your own. It was purchased with a price. So, you don’t have to give away what’s not yours.
You have what is LOVELY in your account. Lovely emphasizes what is pleasing, agreeable like the LXX description of Ester. She knew what to wear when she went before the king. She didn’t come revealing everything. Just because you can wear what you want, it doesn’t mean you should.
You have what is ADMIRABLE in your account. What is well reported of you? What’s your reputation? What’s on your Face Book so that when people read it, they want to be like you. Is it being attractive like Naomi. Her daughter-in-law Ruth so admired her that Ruth said wherever Naomi goes, “I go.” Is anyone saying that of you: “Where you go, I go.”
You have what is EXCELLENT in your account. You have an uncompromised commitment to God’s highest standards like Daniel who was ten times better because he would not compromise.
8. You have what is PRAISEWORTHY in your account (epainos) like the Proverbs 31 woman who was spoken well of in public. You have what it takes to be bragged on, too.
Second, practice. Like a good tennis player or certified public accountant, practice what you preach. Apply, put into practice—write a check—on what you have. You have more than you think when you think on your sure things and put it to work.
Only a hand full of risk takers have cashed in on their sure thing when they thought on “these” Christian virtues:
David had more than he thought. He was the sling, God the rock.
The boy with the three fish and five loaves had more than he thought. He was the bread. God was the spread.
For your mental health, seek clinical help for sure. But don’t ignore the spiritual complement to the triad—physical, mental, spiritual—of the human experience. God wants a heathy Lane, Coco and you.
When you’re not feeling it, it’s OK to hit the reset button.
Give a listen A Forgiving Fire Audiobook Sample-3m-YT https://youtu.be/LUDDVfQyY-Q?si=Yd5ghNJ_7uJkyJiM
A Forgiving Fire Audiobook Available at Audible: https://a.co/d/034ESwQa
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