Due Diligence

More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 ceb

When we decide to work toward a goal, we spend a great deal of time preparing. We research. Find the right tools. Develop a plan that we believe will help us achieve that goal. If we consider the time we spent—from conceptualization to completion—we might be surprised to see we invested more time preparing than actually working toward the goal. That’s because when we set out to do something, we need the right resources to reach our goal.

The same applies to our goal of improving our mental health. When we start to experience depressive symptoms, it can be easy to reach for the easiest thing to provide relief. We skim the latest article addressing our issue. We try doing what we heard someone else did. But a quick fix is just that—short-term relief. Aside from emergency medicine administered by a qualified professional, a quick fix is not beneficial in the long-term.

It is important to do some work to find the most qualified professional available to us. If possible, we should try to find a professional who knows Jesus Christ and believes in his healing power. Whether we’re researching a recovery group or a professional counselor, we want to know: Are they safe? Is there grace and acceptance? Is the Bible the source of recovery or an add-on?

Trusting our mental health to the latest fad might bring quick respite, but complete restoration of body, mind, and soul needs to be in the care of trained layperson or professional. Taking the time to investigate is vital, because the long-term effects of choosing the wrong healing path can add more pain than relief.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.

Abraham Lincoln

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Benjamin Franklin

If you’re proactive, you focus on preparing. If you’re reactive, you end up focusing on repairing.

John C. Maxwell

For Further Reflection

2 Peter 1:5; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 12:27

Today’s Prayer

Father, I am to the point where I need help from others. Forgive me for the times when I took a shortcut to get to the end more quickly. Give me wisdom as I find the right help. Amen.