{"id":68,"date":"2016-10-12T06:00:33","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T06:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/?p=68"},"modified":"2016-10-12T11:02:42","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T11:02:42","slug":"5-words-you-need-to-hear-if-you-struggle-with-mental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/2016\/10\/5-words-you-need-to-hear-if-you-struggle-with-mental-illness.html","title":{"rendered":"5 Words You Need to Hear if You Struggle With Mental Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you struggle with mental illness, you are not alone. You’re not crazy. (Well, we’re all a little crazy, but you’re not ‘crazy’ crazy). Most important, there’s hope. Here are five words I want you to hear:<\/p>\n

You belong.<\/strong> Don’t ever say “I don’t fit in.” You belong. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>so in Christ we, though many, form one body,\u00a0and each member belongs to all the others.<\/em>“<\/span><\/p>\n

You’re needed.<\/strong> Don’t buy into the lie that your mental illness has rendered you useless. There are others walking through similar situations that need you to help them as you’re being helped. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,\u00a0the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>who comforts us\u00a0in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.<\/em>“<\/span><\/p>\n

You have a purpose.<\/strong> You are not an accident. Don’t ever think you don’t matter. You were created on purpose for a purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 says,\u00a0“‘<\/em><\/span>For I know the plans\u00a0I have for you,’ declares the\u00a0Lord<\/span>, ‘plans to prosper\u00a0you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’<\/em>”<\/p>\n

You are loved.<\/strong> God loves you more than you could ever possibly imagine. Don’t ever hate yourself. 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us\u00a0and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

You have a choice.<\/strong>\u00a0When it feels\u00a0like your brain is broken sometimes, when it\u00a0feels like you\u2019re under attack, when it feels like\u00a0every day can be a struggle, you have a choice. Keep fighting, and know that you don\u2019t have to fight alone. 2 Corinthians 4:8 says, “We are hard pressed on every side,\u00a0but not crushed; perplexed,\u00a0but not in despair.<\/em>“<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you struggle with mental illness, you are not alone. You’re not crazy. (Well, we’re all a little crazy, but you’re not ‘crazy’ crazy). Most important, there’s hope. Here are five words I want you to hear: You belong. Don’t ever say “I don’t fit in.” You belong. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For just as each…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":607,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[34,38],"class_list":["post-68","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-next-steps","tag-hope","tag-mental-illness"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Words You Need to Hear if You Struggle With Mental Illness - Next Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you or someone you love struggles with mental illness, don't lose hope. 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