SPIRITUAL SUPPORT

I’ve focused a lot on the needs of people with mental health conditions for spiritual support via Open Door groups. But today I realize that in the situation the world is experiencing today, there are far more people who could use such support. Open Door could offer opportunities for all of us—to voice our fears and anxieties and to share with others the grief so many feel at having their lives radically changed by forces beyond their control. The help of Someone much greater than us is needed—Someone from whom we can draw courage and strength for what lies ahead.

Jesus is the person I have gained courage from during difficult times. If you’re open to learning about him as a source of quieting the emotional and mental struggles you experience, I would say that such spiritual support like this would be very helpful for you.

You might not be a Christian, believing Jesus to be the Son of God. But would you be able to accept him and what he has to offer if you were to see him in the way people whose lives he touched 2000 years ago saw him when he walked the earth? At that point they did not know about the cross, or his resurrection and what it all meant.

They simply saw him as the humble but great man who showed his love to those the world had rejected. Although the world looked down on them, he valued them and gave them a sense of dignity. He gave them strength and greater confidence.

This is the Jesus who has the most important message for those who find themselves rejected by the world today. I believe that his Spirit is still with us today. His unconditional love can bring healing to those who are being rejected today.

There is one basic truth about Jesus that I want to stress and it is something that cannot be denied. I have learned from my own experience and from what I have witnessed in others, that trusting Christ and the immense love he has for us, will help bring peace and healing to our mental and emotional struggles.

If you’re thinking of forming an Open Door group like I’ve been describing, this might be a good time to start one. If you already have a group of some kind, adding a spiritual component could enrich it. All it would take would be to spend some time with one of my devotionals at your meeting. The devotionals are the key to bringing the message of Jesus to your meeting.

Devotionals for Christians can be downloaded from https://marjabergen.com/devotionals.

If you are a non-Christian group, I can send you 65 Open Door devotionals to download when requested. Contact me at marja@marjabergen.com.

Before starting, line up someone who could partner with you as a co-facilitator and find a neutral place to meet. When you have that organized, I can send you a facilitators’ manual to guide you.

Please let me know how you’re doing and email me at marja@marjabergen.com if you have questions. When we have a few trial groups successfully going, a website will follow.