Chaplains Corner

Wisdom for Your Mental Health

Lighthouses

Situations in life can sometimes make you feel like your mind is caught out in the open ocean. Some days are peaceful, while others are chaotic. Any day could bring moments of peace, terrifying storms, or aimless drifting.

Learning how to navigate the unpredictability of life can be challenging.  How do we move forward when we don’t know if our minds will cooperate with our plans, responsibilities, and dreams?

Imagine you’re on a real ship in the middle of a storm. There is no GPS to guide you, and you don’t know if you’re about to crash into another ship or hit a big rock. Your only guide is a small point of light coming from a lighthouse on the shore. Lighthouses were used back in the day as tools that sailors used to navigate. They don’t make storms go away; they provide guidance to help sailors make healthy choices.

I’m suggesting a few lighthouses to guide in finding hope in this season. 

Lighthouse 1: Giving Yourself Grace

Your mental health is connected to many things, like your body, habits, relationships, brain chemistry, experiences, and spiritual life. Mental health challenges are complex and often out of our control.

No matter what you’re going through, God is with you. 

Today give yourself some grace. 

Lighthouse 2: Trusted Friends

Out at sea in the middle of the storm, you’re losing confidence that you’ll make it through. But then you see some light in the distance and feel a sense of hope. You know you’re not alone.

Don’t isolate yourself. We can get into all kinds of trouble when we feel like we’re alone. That trouble might look like unhealthy choices or losing hope. 

The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there’s strength in trusted friendships. While other people may not fully understand what you’re going through, they can be a valuable resource.

Here are a few good qualities to look for in a trusted friend:  

Someone who listens. 

Someone who encourages you. 

Someone who sticks with you through anything.

Lighthouse 3: Prayer

Approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NIV) When you pray have the assurance that God sees, hears and loves you. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, The Apostle Paul faced a serious obstacle. What was he facing we really don’t know. Paul simply calls it “a thorn in the flesh.” 

Paul prayed for his thorn to go away three times, but it didn’t. He might have felt sad, frustrated, or betrayed; we don’t know for sure. But we do know the Lord’s  response. “My Grace is sufficient for thee.” 

Paul didn’t give up on God or on prayer. Instead, he discovered wisdom that helped him find peace. His thorn might have been painful, but it was part of God’s plan for his life. And through his thorn, he found a deeper and more personal relationship with God.

Keep praying, even when God doesn’t answer the way you hope.

Hold on to hope even when your experiencing challenges. Life might feel chaotic, and that might make it difficult to know how to move forward. 

Silence those negative thoughts by replacing them with life-giving confidence. Start reading scriptures. Scripture grounds us in truth. Without truth to stand on, we can end up convincing ourselves that we’ll never feel healthy, or that no one will ever know our real selves. As our thoughts are swirling, sometimes we just need to hold on to something firm and true. Let’s hold on to truth and let go of lies.

Consider this one:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8 NIV

God’s love walks with us through both the healthy days and the days filled with setbacks. No matter what, He’s present, and He cares. God will help you through.

God is with us, no matter what.