Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Month: June 2020

Blamed

  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12   When I most needed love, I was treated with frustration. Anger. “Why don’t you pull yourself together?” he seemed to say. Like many, he thought that illnesses of the mind could be controlled. […]

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What if Jesus didn’t forgive?

  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13   It would have been so healing if I could have been forgiven for who I am—a person with mental illness. Wouldn’t the attitude towards me have been kinder? […]

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Outcasts like me

  While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, […]

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All things new

  Behold, I am making all things new. Revelation 21:5   There are times when one needs to shift gears, when the words no longer come from God. when flowers would be safer. Sometimes we need to turn to flowers. marja    

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Think about such things

  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be […]

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Singing when you don’t feel like it

  The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell […]

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Responding to hard times

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Where can […]

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It all starts with love

  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:18-19   Developing a belief in God—in Jesus—can be difficult at first. Believing in Someone whose […]

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Losing our life for him

  Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” Luke 9:24-25   Do those words puzzle you? What on earth did Jesus […]

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…And yet, David found strength

First published in February 2017 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep….David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. …But David found strength in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:4,6 […]

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