“When God has already defined you as His and purposed by Him, no mental illness can change that.” – Brittany Moses
By Sybil Mack
Several people experience nervousness and anxiety that overwhelms their ability to function each day. They express feelings of despair and often describe them as mood swings, uneasiness and restlessness. Some psychologists have started to refer to these feelings as naked or “raw exposed nerves’ as it usually reveals that people are truly apprehensive about the future. Mindless ramblings can lead to sleepless nights and produce unstable thoughts that could lead a person astray. How humbling it would be if instead this actually led people to seek God as He is a healer like none other. God can remove all fears and anxieties of the mind and body for He is the reason that we are able to awake each morning clothed, and in our right Mind!
Luke 8:29: “For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.”
Today we see a similar phenomenon among people whose addictions destroy them physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Like the demoniac in Luke 8:29, they live in marginal surroundings on the streets or under bridges, isolated from community. They are free from nine-to-five jobs, free from rent payments and car repairs, and free from obedience to cultural norms. But, in the ways that really count, they are the least free among us. Jesus, however, dealt with him without flinching—and provided the help he needed. Christians, strengthened by Christ, often face great danger with great courage—and often provide the help that people need.
Luke 8:35: “So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”
The expression found in Luke 8:35 refers to a man commonly called the demoniac. This demon-possessed individual lived among the tombs, wore no clothing and often broke free from chains intended to control him. After Jesus had cast the “Legion” of demons out, the people of the city were surprised to see him clothed AND in his right mind. I can see how the expression “clothed in my right mind” arose out of the telling and retelling of this story. The fact that he was clothed was evidence of the healing of his mind and, surely, we can all be thankful that, daily the Lord sustains and protects us from the madness.
Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The truth is that no one is can be in his or her right mind until they are saved and have a new mind, the mind of Christ. By accepting the will of God even as His son did will leave you fully dressed and of sound mind to be prepared for any attack of the enemy. Even though it seems as if we are living in a blockbuster movie with multiple sequels, it takes a work of God to renew our minds. Romans 12:2 speaks of the “renewing of your mind. We are no different than the demoniac of Luke 8 and we have the account of his life and conversion to teach us about the “right mind” and what the right mind will create in us.
James 1:8: “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Know your thoughts have power. Thoughts in line with the Word of God will protect your spirit, soul and body. Negative thoughts will cost you dearly in the same areas. It may not seem like it, but when it comes to the thoughts, we sometimes think we have a choice. Thoughts can come into your mind from all sides, but you can choose what will stay and what you will cast out. According to Dr. Caroline Leaf, toxic thoughts such as stress, worry, fear, anger and forgiveness actually cause damage to the brain. Chemicals are released into the brain, causing chaos and damage. Those toxic thoughts can cause a loss of sleep or of the ability to do your job right, physical illness and more. But when you guard your mind and your thoughts, and keep yourself in an attitude of faith, praise, thanksgiving and truth, you come over to healing, deliverance and victory.
The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and the power of our thoughts. When you renew your mind to the fact that your thoughts matter, you will begin to change your thinking, and shift over from fear and anger to power, love and a sound mind. Pay attention to every single thought that comes into your mind. Keep the good, and keep your mind fixed on God.
Are you “Clothed in your right Mind?”