• Home
  • Treatment Areas
    • Treatment Areas
    • OCD Resources
    • ERP for OCD Group
    • Addiction Resources
  • About
    • About
    • Hours & Rates
    • Professional Training
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Make Appointment
Justin K. Hughes, Licensed Professional Counselor: Dallas CBT and Exposure Therapy for OCD, Anxiety, Addictions & More
  • Home
  • Treatment Areas
    • Treatment Areas
    • OCD Resources
    • ERP for OCD Group
    • Addiction Resources
  • About
    • About
    • Hours & Rates
    • Professional Training
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Make Appointment

Justin's Blog

Stuff Your Pockets

11/20/2020

1 Comment

 
This post is intended for Christians looking to deepen their faith and mental health and may not apply to my entire reader base.
Picture
Photo by Henley Design Studio on Unsplash
My daughter Hattie went into hoarding mode this Halloween.  Within 5 minutes, she was in MEGA-CUMULATION mode.  Emily and I got some good parenting moments; “Hattie, you can choose 2 items from that basket.”  (We had to say that about 30 times.)  

I laugh often when she’s around food, toys, or playground equipment- like an old prospector she stakes her claim.  She is offended that others dare lay claim to something she thinks should be hers!  How dare they!

Now I’ll point the laughter at myself; I am not really that different.  I’ve just become more savvy at being socially adept at my control attempts.

Hoarding of items to feel secure is a fairly natural response of our human nature, ranging in extremes.  A scarcity mindset, i.e., “feast or famine” or to obsessively “protect what’s mine,” though, is selfish and self-focused.  It does not “love your neighbor as yourself.”  I recommend for myself today- and for you- to look in the mirror every once in a while and ask this tough question:


What drives you?  Fear-based scarcity?  GOD- as your provider?  Something else?



A story may help illuminate the question.  The Hebrew, ‘man hu’ means “It is manna,” and in English, “What is it?”  This manna was an incredible food God provided refugee Israelites fleeing from a brutal autocracy that had enslaved them.  It's all part of the incredible history of the Jewish people.  God accomplished this over many years and utilized several key players, the most famous being Moses.  In delivering Israel from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, God led them out through the leadership of a very imperfect man who likely had Social Anxiety Disorder, fulfilling incredible promises, miracles, and almost unbelievable wonders. It's one of the best deliverance stories, maybe in the history of history. If you haven't read it, please do so in the Book of Exodus.

So imagine being born into slavery, and you gain total freedom from an overbearing despot. But in order to get away, you must go through the desert. I feel tired and thirsty already.

In their refugee state, God promised the Jewish people refuge. But it wasn’t a magical transportation to heaven.  Just days after they were freed, they felt the heat of the desert.  They had to walk miles and miles.  They complained. Only one of the seemingly unbelievable ways God provided for them was through fast, convenient, and sustaining food. It was manna (Exodus 16), which was given in the morning and quail at night. They were already complaing so much they said they wanted to go back to slavery because they had it better in Egypt (*face palm*).  In addition to complaining, there was hoarding (Numbers 11) in desperation, lacking reliance on God.  I can only guess fear would have been involved. 

These details, with thousands of years of perspective can make it seem ridiculous to some when we read on paper or pixels.  Why wouldn’t you just trust God when he frees you from slavery and performs many miracles before your eyes?  I’m afraid my heart isn’t different.  I am the same when I lack trust in God by faith.

  • Do I believe God is my provider?
  • Do I trust I can take a day off work and I will be taken care of?
  • Am I generous with others because God is generous with me?
  • Do I love my neighbor as myself?
  • Am I patient with others and put others ahead of myself?
  • Do I know sacrifice and share in the sufferings of Christ?

What if you have an Anxiety or other Disorder that gives you an extra kick in the teeth?  Something that makes these things extra difficult?  First of all, God is patient (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Peter 3:9).  Secondly, God asks us to seek Him by faith in all things, just like everyone else (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Timothy 2:4). 

I have an anxiety disorder myself.  And God has been incredibly faithful and gentle with me, while also lovingly disciplining me (see Hebrews 12), so that I keep seeking him.  If you fall into a scarcity mindset [check out my post “Developing A Growth Mindset”], welcome to the club of being human, but if you also have a disorder that makes it even more difficult to walk by faith over fear, welcome to another club that is very large, indeed; close to half of all people qualify for one mental disorder at some point in their lives.  Remember, God is patient.  God also still asks us to seek Him by faith, just like everyone else. Sometimes walking by faith means praying, sometimes resting, sometimes therapy, sometimes talking, sometimes serving...you get the gist. 

As with the Israelites during the Exodus, God accomplished many things over many, many years- and He still is.  The Israelites feared, complained, got overwhelmed, and tried to stuff their pockets- directly lacking faith in what God was telling them and showing them.  God was patient nonetheless, while he disciplined them.  He’s asking us to faith.  Faith that God is your provider. Not therapy. Not a nation. Not your employer. Not yourself. Not a president.  Not a parent.  Not your 401k. 

Days out from the "great candy grab of 2020," my child's brain experienced the indelible impact of poignant pleasure: she asked daily after this if she could go to neighbor’s front porches!! As I raise her I am prayerful that she will learn well to take her fears and turn to God (and to never be ashamed to get help through CBT or medications).  I pray she becomes aware of her God-given feelings and desires, and can ultimately be led back to the rock that is Christ- who is the realization of her greatest hopes and dreams.

Also, Candy is nice, too.  I’ll take both, please.  :)

Picture
Photo by Juli Kosolapova on Unsplash
1 Comment
Bryan
11/23/2020 10:12:56 am

Thank you for publishing, this was very helpful to read!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    The Jog:

    A Psychotherapists' thoughts on healthy living.  

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    December 2017
    June 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2015
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    ACT
    Addiction
    Advocacy
    Anxiety Disorders
    Assertiveness/Boundaries
    Bible / Scripture
    Busyness
    Christian
    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    Cognitive Distortions
    Cognitive Restructuring
    Communication
    Counseling
    Couples
    Emotional Health
    ERP (Exposure And Response Prevention)
    Exercise
    Exposure Therapy
    Fear
    Finances
    Food & Nutrition
    Friendship
    Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
    Gratitude
    Health
    Holidays
    Hope
    Imaginal Exposure
    Interoceptive Exposure
    Intolerance Of Uncertainty
    Intrusive Thoughts
    In Vivo Exposure
    Marriage
    Medication
    Mental Health
    Mindfulness
    Money
    Motivational Interviewing (MI)
    OCD
    Personality
    Phobias
    Psychology
    PTSD
    Reason
    Relationships
    Rest
    Social Anxiety Disorder
    Spirituality/Faith
    Stress Resilience
    Substance Abuse
    Supplements
    Support
    Technology
    The OCD Stories
    Virtual Reality Exposure

    Disclaimer:

    All Content on this Site, justinkhughes.com, was created for informational purposes only. Content is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, treatment, or diagnosis.  Always seek the advice of your own personal health provider who is qualified to treat you, along with asking them any questions you may have regarding medical or other conditions. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have viewed on justinkhughes.com. Also, due to the sensitive nature of topics and material covered through this Site, which contains very descriptive and/or advanced content, you may not want to use justinkhughes.com. The Site and its Content are provided on an "as is" basis.  Some posts are written for specific populations (OCD, Christians, Professionals)- with the intent to remain respectful to all- some content may not fit or go counter to your beliefs, perspectives, and what is explored for you in a professional counseling session with Justin K. Hughes, MA, LPC.  The posts are intended solely for the population they are written to and can be designated by their titles and tags.
    Links to external educational content are taken at your own risk. Justin K. Hughes, MA, LPC is not responsible for external content.  

    Affiliate Disclosure:

    Justin K. Hughes, MA, LPC of Dallas Counseling, PLLC participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  This means that some links on this site will produce a small commission from Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  I NEVER link products I don't use or clinically find benefit in.  Many of them have been recommended for years inside and outside therapy sessions.  You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service recommended on this site.  However, they are provided on this site only educationally and are not meant to be interpreted as treatment or therapy in any way.  I am not responsible for the quality or experience of any items purchased through affiliate links, as they are entities completely separate of myself.  

Subscribe

* indicates required
Fresh Counseling Insights

View previous campaigns.

​Justin K. Hughes, MA, LPC
Owner, Dallas Counseling, PLLC 

justin@dallascounseling.com
P: 469-490-2002

17330 Preston Road, Suite 102D
Dallas, TX 75252
 
Picture
©2019 Dallas Counseling, PLLC
View our Privacy Policy here.
  • Home
  • Treatment Areas
    • Treatment Areas
    • OCD Resources
    • ERP for OCD Group
    • Addiction Resources
  • About
    • About
    • Hours & Rates
    • Professional Training
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Make Appointment