To follow Jesus, we must think differently.

Since June I have been part of a support group for people living with depression or bipolar disorder that meets at our church roughly every other week. Meeting with this group has been helpful to me. I have learned much.

One of the things I’ve learned is that the brain and the mind are not necessarily the same thing. Mental illness is a malfunctioning of the brain. This is often caused by a chemical imbalance.
Your thoughts and feelings are greatly affected. But this doesn’t mean you’ve lost your mind. In fact, it seems that holding onto your mind, taking charge of your thoughts, using your ability to think proactively even when it takes great effort, is key—along with medication and therapy—to being able to keep the debilitating effects of the illness at bay.

One of the symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder is negative thinking. These illnesses often make it difficult for folks to see things in a positive or realistic way. They cause cognitive disorder, which means that what you think may only partially be true or may not be true at all. But the thoughts are there. They come automatically. And they lead to feelings of sadness and hopelessness even before you are aware of what’s happening. Once it starts, it’s a downward spiral of despair.

What can be done about negative thinking? You can’t just “think positive” and overcome your mood disorder. But if this is happening to you, you may learn to spot negative thoughts, see them for what they are and confront them with more realistic ideas. You may think yourself out of the spiral and onto more level emotional ground. And this new way of thinking can change your life.

In Romans Paul calls the believers in the fledgling church in Rome to a new way of thinking. “Do not be conformed to this world,” he writes “but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (12:2). That sounds like advice on negative thinking: “Don’t let the chemical imbalance of your brain dictate how you feel and act. Instead think new thoughts so that you can act in good and healthy ways and you can remember that you are good and acceptable, even if not perfect.”

This helps me understand what Paul is getting at. Like a chemical imbalance in the brain, the value system of the world in which we live sends us powerful signals. These signals come fast and hard and have an immediate effect: You are what you own. You need more. Happiness can be purchased. Thrills are what you’re after. People are not to be trusted. Life is dangerous. Violence is necessary. And on and on. One message after another, endlessly, racing, loud and bright, sweeping us into a downward spiral of self-centeredness, loneliness, greed and despair, from which we cannot escape.

It takes a concerted effort to counteract these messages from our culture. It takes effort to break into and change this pattern before it shapes who we are. It takes an effort much like the effort that folks living with depression or bipolar disorder have to make each day to keep themselves on an even keel. If we truly want to follow Jesus, we must consciously choose to think differently. We must focus on Christ and practice thinking differently until this new Christ-centered thinking becomes who we are.

Paul gives us practical examples of what it means to think in a new and alternative way. “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good” (12:9). “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another” (12:12-16).

These are practical actions, yes, but they are also countercultural. They go against the societal grain. If they are to become part of who we are and what we do they will require some intentional thought, some disciplined Christ-centered thinking. According to Paul, this is at the core of basic Christian living.

People who live with depression or bipolar disorder are well aware of how much effort and commitment it takes to keep themselves from being pulled into the damaging downward spiral of negative thinking. They’ve learned it takes practice. And that they cannot expect too much too soon. It helps to have realistic goals. We who want to think new, Christ-centered thoughts in the midst of the pull of the world’s value system can benefit from taking this approach as well. We, too, can set goals to help us transform our minds.

Keep it simple. What is it we want to do? We want to follow Jesus Christ.

Break it into small steps. Love genuinely. Honor others. Use your gifts for the good of the community. Enter into the joys and concerns of others. Be patient when things are difficult. Pray. Give generously of time and money. Welcome strangers. Don’t curse your enemies; bless them instead. Rejoice and be glad.

Choose a starting point. Where in your life do you feel a disconnect between what you profess to believe and what you do? Are you impatient with your co-workers? Do you find yourself avoiding people who are in difficulty or need support? Do you feel frustrated by demands on your time or your money? Are you afraid you’ll not have enough? Do you harbor hatred against someone who has slighted you? Do you not care about those who are hurting? Are you unable to pray? Choose one area. Start there.

Act on your plan. Take time to focus on Jesus. Look at the situation before you with the eyes of faith. What is it I am being pulled toward? Is it where I want to go? What if I did things differently? Can I do things differently? Yes, I can make a choice. In this situation I can choose to give instead of hoard. I can choose to listen instead of ignore. I can choose to let go of my anger. I can choose to trust. I can do this one thing at this time because I know this is the way of Jesus, whom I follow. I can think a new thought, a Christ-centered thought, and my actions will follow.

Evaluate and make adjustments. Things do not always go as we wish. Even with the best intentions, sometimes we fail—miserably. And the only way to move forward is to wait, heal and ask for help. Sometimes it’s impossible for people who live with depression or bipolar disorder to function well. Even if the individual takes medication, goes to therapy regularly and actively works to restructure negative thought patterns, a crisis will happen. At that time the person may be actively psychotic or even suicidal and pretty much unable to do basic things. Support and understanding from those around the individual are essential to help bring things back to a more stable place.

This is also true of our walk with God. There are times when everything falls apart. We lose our focus. We are unable to cope. And the only thing we can do, as we look up from the bottom of the pit, is cry out to God. In our helplessness we throw ourselves on the mercy of the One who loves us more than we can imagine or understand. And we wait, heal and start over again.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” When you read these words, remember the brave folks among us who live with depression and bipolar disorder. Remember as they do that the messages you see and hear are not always what is real or what should be. Learn to stop and think. Use your mind as well as your heart. Look to Jesus for guidance. Don’t be afraid to think new, Christ-centered thoughts. Let your mind be transformed and your actions will follow.

Betsy Headrick McCrae is pastor of Glennon Heights Mennonite Church in Lakewood, Colo. This article is adapted from a sermon she preached there on Aug. 24.