Compassionate Love: Displaying compassion for those who struggle with mental illness         Nancy Virden (c)2013

In our beginning, God created you and me. We were void of understanding, and many of us missed that the Spirit of God was hovering over us, excited to unfold the dreams of his newest love. 

God set in motion the tedious process of teaching us to exchange our will for his.  As beloved yet often foolish children, he separated for us right from wrong and good from evil through laws,  His Word, and significant people whose job it is to guide us in truth.

God’s Example: He draws boundaries for us to see

For some, good deeds are a driving force. Self-sacrifice is our identity. It is how we fit in the world. The Heavenly Father seems pleased by our service.

People appreciate it too.  Approval feels like love, so trading our wills for those of people around us, we rationalize it is all for God.

However, personal pain intensifies. Existing only for other people destroys us from the inside out.

STOP!  God is not a doormat and neither are his children. He does not change at our demands. His sacrifices are pure love. Human approval does not shape his boundaries. 

By following his example, we become who he created us to be.  In the moment we give up trying to earn God’s favor and everyone else’s, his extravagant love embraces our weary souls. Grace begins to make sense. 

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Other posts in this series: Friendship (1) ; Values and Family (3) ; Self-Care (4) ;  How to Say No (5) ; Motives Beware! (6) ;  Refuse Blame (7) ; Refer to Experts (8)  ; How to Say Yes (9)

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***** COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOME

NOTE:  I am not a doctor or mental health professional. I speak only from personal experiences with and observations of mental and behavioral health challenges.  In no way is this website intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.

If you are struggling emotionally today or feeling suicidal, or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or for a list of international suicide hotlines, go here. 

If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S.  (for international emergency numbers, go here ), or go to your nearest emergency room. Do not be alone. Hope and help are yours.

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