The only validation that matters is the one found in Christ. Once you know that’s your true identity – what anyone else thinks of you won’t even matter.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. My friend Susan struggles with her bipolar disorder, and although she controls it well with medication and with discipline, she worries about what people think. Susan knows all about the social stigma attached to psychiatric disorders. Often when she meets new Christians and they find out about her mental problems, she senses them pulling back. And I have seen it. But as I’ve told Susan, when you have a mental disorder, your self-image cannot be based in other people’s acceptance. Validation for anyone is only found in Christ, the one who prizes you, loves you, and has called you His co-heir, even with all your warts and mental problems. Thankfully, Susan is beginning to see her disability as a way of helping her identify with Christ, the one who really understands rejection inside and out. And that is very encouraging news for any Christian with bipolar disorder.
© Joni and Friends