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One of the perks of being a professional Christian counselor is that I have the privilege of seeing the truth and power of God’s Word at work in hurting people as they heal and grow. And since all truth is God’s truth, reputable secular mental health research often substantiates and supports Biblical principles and underscores its importance. One good example is the power of our mind and our will to understand and manage the negative emotions that accompany the unavoidable hardships of living in a fallen world as a fallen creature. The way we choose to think about a situation can have a significant impact on our outlook and perspective as we persevere through trials and challenging situations.
We are made in the image of an emotional God, and emotions are a gift from our Creator. While positive emotions give us pleasure, negative emotions often create confusion. We don’t know what to do with them, and we try to avoid or get rid of them without getting too deep in the emotional trenches. But all emotions are valuable! They give us information that goes beyond what our five senses can provide. The challenge is to use our minds to understand and manage our emotions. And as we use our minds to apply God’s truth, we are enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to recognize that as genuinely difficult as our situation may be, no trial is beyond the Lord and His redemptive purposes.
A mental health strategy that I have found particularly helpful is the practice of asking oneself, “Is there another way to look at this?” when faced with difficulties that are generating negative emotions and mindset. This isn’t about minimizing or denying our emotions; rather it is about using our minds and allowing God’s truth to broaden our perspective.
A little while back, I was feeling overwhelmed with too many challenges in ministry and in family life. I quickly reached the point where even the smallest inconvenience provoked my grumbling, and my outlook most definitely lacked the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen that is the fruit of faith. But as I began to seek the Lord, bemoaning my lack of internal resources, He reminded me that His resources are inexhaustible. Turning my focus to the Lord’s abundance instead of remaining fixed on my own poverty helped me to see the Lord’s goodness and welcome His redeeming work in my life. And again, this wasn’t an exercise in minimizing or denying my emotions. Quite the opposite! My negative emotions sent a loud and clear message that I needed help, the Lord’s help!
Without doubt, King David made it his practice to respond to tribulation by turning his thoughts to the Lord. His words in Psalm 13 give us a good sample:
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
