Hey, friends!
We just knocked out the first third of the year — Way to go, us! —, but there are some hard things about 2025, right? Many of us are carrying heavy burdens. We’re approaching the end of the school year, the end of the fiscal year, and we’re all watching the price of groceries go up and up. As we take care of our loved ones, do our daily work, and try to keep all the plates spinning, it shouldn’t be a surprise if our mental health has taken a back seat to the demands and pressures of life.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace [emphasis mine]. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. — Matthew 11:28 MSG
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a reminder to us all to check in on our people, take care of ourselves, and ask the Lord for help with everything. He loves us and He will help! (Check out some great mental health resources below.)
One eddy I can get stuck in is that of feeling like I “don’t do enough” for Jesus. Does that ring true for you, too? I’ve been reading the book of John and what strikes me is the message that Jesus, fully God and fully man, is our Savior — the way, the truth, and the life. His sacrifice — as the perfect, sin-free atonement for our sins — completely covers the need for any other spiritual ritual, or practice, or institution, or the need to be “doing things”… for all time. He Himself is the fulfillment. Nothing else is needed but Jesus. And, that substitutionary atonement is also an expression of His immeasurable love for us. When we love God, it’s because He loved us first. He’s not just the only avenue to get to Heaven; He is love and His love is an invitation. Love is the vital sign and expression of God Himself so therefore we are invited to “abide in love” (John 15:9), to live in it, and soak it in!
That’s part of why I can’t wait to start our next Online Bible Study — John: Believe I Am — with Megan Fate Marshman starting June 2nd because we’re going to study Jesus’ “I Am” statements and it’s going to rock out loud! I hope you join us!
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” — John 8:12
Friends, I pray you rest in God’s love for you today. Take a mental health break just for a little bit, ignore the demands and stresses of the day, and connect with Him and receive from Him. He loves you!
Grace and peace,
Laurie McClure, Editor
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Mental Health Awareness Resources
Every Thought Captive by Kyle Idleman
Healing Rest by Becky Thompson
I Shouldn’t Feel This Way by Dr. Alison Cook
Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About by Ryan Casey Waller
For kids: What to Do with your Whirly Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen
