Because we are beings created to derive our identity from God, the most important aspect in the practice of self-reflection is understanding our stories within the context of God’s story.
The pandemic is giving pastors, ministry leaders, and mental health professionals a crash course in how much mental health matters. Isolation and quarantine have a negative effect on people’s minds and bodies. National reports from the CDC say that demand for mental health care has tripled since March 2020. People who spend a great deal of their time caring for others are particularly vulnerable to burnout.
It’s true, I’m not deficient. There is no moral value to being bipolar. There are merely advantages and disadvantages. But the reason I have value has nothing to do with my job or productivity. It has to do with the incredible and nearly unfathomable fact that the God of this universe deeply loves and values me. Through gospel-centered and cognitive behavioral therapy, I now have a toolset to help me process and understand what I’m going through and prevent relapses.