Have You Lost Your Mind?

People worldwide are obsessed–and understandably so–with protecting their bodies, those of their loved ones, and those of complete strangers by social distancing, washing hands, wearing masks, and other protective measures in light of the devastating Coronavirus pandemic. But what on earth are we doing to protect our minds, and our hearts, for that matter? Sometime, in the not too distant future–very likely before COVID-19 has subsided, some will truly have lost their minds. It is coming to your neighborhood soon–not only Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but “Current” Traumatic Stress Disorder. I can feel it in the air and see it on the faces of the few strangers I encounter almost every day. Therapists and counselors will soon be in high demand, if they aren’t already. A new pandemic is right around the corner; while the majority of the masses may not lose their lives from the Coronavirus, many could lose their minds. Only time will tell the extent of the resulting devastation.

As a widow for almost 5 months now, and living a socially distanced life while my husband went through rehabilitation after his stroke last June, I am no stranger to isolation and loneliness. I’ve been living “it” for months and months and months. There are many, many people in my shoes, in one form or fashion, who have been living it much longer. Welcome to our world. The isolation and loneliness have only intensified for us as restrictions continue to be put in place to protect the public at large.

There are those who feel lonely even though they are surrounded by people on a regular basis, even now. You know who you are. The bottom line is that we all experience loneliness and isolation at some time or another, but especially now, I suspect–whether we are physically alone or not. We miss our family, friends and co-workers. We miss going to church or social events. We feel isolated and anxious from having been removed from what used to be our daily routines, our education, our careers, our financial security. Going on walks is one of the few safe activities I can do right now, but even that isn’t normal anymore. As soon as people see me coming, they move to the other side of the street–usually with someone, or several “someones”, by their side–often looking down and offering no smile. It’s quite unsettling.

Listen up, people. This battle we are facing together is not just a physical one. As horrific as the physical battle seems at the moment, the spiritual one, which involves our minds and emotions, is far more serious and insidious. Satan is out to destroy our minds through our fragile, battered, frazzled emotions. He wants us to question whether or not we truly have an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, loving God in charge of all that is going on. After all, how could a loving God allow such devastation? Doubting God is exactly the tactic Satan used to woo Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; and we know how that turned out. Satan wants God’s children to turn their backs on God. And if we do, he will continue to attempt to woo us and to dismantle us, one frayed emotion at a time. But, ultimately, he will not succeed. No one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. Not even Satan.

Satan is sneaky and crafty. He wants those who are not God’s children to think that if they pull out the stops and show unlimited kindness, charity, caring and concern for their fellow man that they will find peace and contentment in the midst of the storm from a sense of satisfaction from doing all they could to make the best of an abysmal situation. Most of us will be okay at the end of the day, right? This can’t last forever, right? But those efforts will never be enough, in and of themselves, to dispel anxiety or to find lasting, soul-satisfying purpose and significance in our lives. We imperfect humans can’t fix our broken world. Many are finding out that we are not as independent and self-sufficient a race as we originally thought. God made each of us with a God-shaped vacuum that can only be filled by Him. Our Creator made us to be completely dependent on Him and to be completely satisfied by Him.

So, in the midst of this ferocious spiritual battle, how do we protect our minds and guard our hearts? With thankful hearts, through constant communion with our heavenly Father in prayer, and through saturating our minds with God’s truths. It is difficult to be overwhelmed with anxiety when we are consistently doing these things:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:6-8

Never forget who the enemy is; do not underestimate him:

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith…”. I Peter 5:6-9

Take advantage of what God has given you to fight this spiritual battle:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

Pour out God’s love, provision and comfort on others. Be mindful of their emotional and spiritual needs, not just their physical needs. You will be blessed while you bless, less anxious as you reduce someone else’s anxiety, and you might, through God’s grace, keep someone from losing his/her mind.