(Nov. 8, 2019)
"Self Help"
This is going to be somewhat of a disclaimer regarding my own online creations. I feel the need to say this now, it matters.
I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus is the answer to every problem. I believe that He can heal us of anything - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I believe that we, as Christians, are no longer "our own", but bought with a price (His blood), redeemed, and sanctified. I do not belong to myself, I'm His.
I no longer follow my own desires or my own will. I follow Him and His authority in my life. He never fails me, or leads me astray.
So what does this have to do with "self help"?
On my personal journey I have experienced many, many struggles, trials, traumas, tribulations. I have known complete brokenness, including mentally. Without getting too deep, I'll just say a big part of my journey has been marked with many mental problems that I've had to overcome. Lots of these issues have found their way into my online stuff - comics, cartoons, and certain videos. If a person didn't know me, they might label my creations as "self help", because not everything I made and posted makes it clear that I'm a Christian, and not everything I made gives obvious glory to God. I myself have even deliberately placed labels and tags on some of my stuff as "self help", because that's the term we use today to cover this sort of thing.
My goal has always been, from the very beginning of my walk with Jesus, to introduce others to Him. I've been "working the door", so to speak. I've been standing in the darkness, motioning with one hand for people to come in, while holding the "door" open with the other hand. I want to tell people of Jesus and I want everyone to know of Him. But I haven't been called to speak in churchy, religious environments. Rather, I've been called to speak in dark places.
In order to do this, I have exposed myself and shared my personal struggles with everyone. I've allowed myself to be transparent. To be someone they can relate to and identify with. Not all of my posted material appears "Christian" on the surface.
If all Christians stayed behind the safety of Christian environments, only connected with other believers, how then will the lost be found? Who will reach them? How can we assume they'll eventually stumble upon some Christian ministry and be saved?
Some of us are called to work in the dark.
So, that being said, I want to make my statement here. I honestly do not believe, or recommend, "self help". I believe in "Jesus help".
I'm not into psychology or any of that, even though I myself have carried around a broken mind for so long. I know first-hand the healing power of Jesus. He puts broken things back together and makes them better than before.
He restored me.
So, if you happen to know me, and know that this is just one of my online names, and there's lots of stuff I did with the "self help" label - this is why. Just wanted to clear that up.
Galatians 1:8-9
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
I think that the whole self-help thing has grown into it's own gospel, the Gospel of Psychology and Self.
This is not to say we shouldn't help ourselves, and take no personal responsibility with our actions and choices, etc.
I just know where the real solutions and healing are found, and His Name is Jesus.
amycat1010
