Loved When I’m Losing My Mind
“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.” (Daniel 4:34 NIV)
He had anything and everything his heart could ever want. His needs were met. His desires were fulfilled. He conquered the entire world. The story of Nebuchadnezzar is one where humanity sees the height of success is not enough. It was at that exact moment where Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind.
Have you ever been there? On the edge. One small movement or a gentle breeze would be enough to push you over the edge. Those are the moments when we realize mental stability is a real blessing. For many individuals, it is not a given. In this text, we see King Nebuchadnezzar literally lose it. He wandered around like an animal for seven years.
I want to posit that even in those moments, it doesn't mean that God stopped loving him. We clearly see that God is credited with restoring the king’s mind.
You may have been close to suicide. A knock on the door, a phone call away from ending your life. God kept you. And that was what we celebrate in this blog. The ability to know that God restored (or is restoring) you. You may be saying, “I am still trying to figure out what God is doing, and I still struggle with the ability to be sane on a regular basis. How does this blog help me? What do I do if I still struggle with being my best self mentally?” Continue to struggle. The fact that you are fighting says you are a warrior. Don’t give up. Don’t allow a down day to become a down year. Take time to utilize counselors, medical professionals to aid in the recovery of your healing.
This may not make sense, but for the one person, that struggles with mental health, we want to acknowledge that it is real. You are not dumb or crazy. You are not evil or wrong. There are steps one can be taken to promote hope and healing. The first step is what you are doing now, seeking biblical counsel. The next phase is connecting with an individual or a support group that will walk you through this phase of the journey. Finally, you have to believe that this is going to be a day to day process. Your goal is to survive to the next day. Push to the point where you can have a string of days that you simply made it to the end of the day. That’s progress. Small wins. Moments where you can say, I’m still here.
For the king, it was seven years of insanity. Because you are reading this, you may not be that far off where you are grazing with the livestock, but know God can restore. He can still work miracles. He loves you even in the midst of your doubt, and He put this lesson here so that you will know that He sees you, and He loves you. He knows your pain. He is with you through your struggles, and one day soon, He is going to heal you.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34: 17-19 NIV)
Thought Questions:
- What steps can you take to help yourself or someone you know that deals with mental health challenges?
- Describe how it feels, knowing that God still loves you despite those challenges?
