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"Take from our lives the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of
thy peace."
Although the stress factors in the world are
rising at an alarming rate, God can teach us to
walk in His peace. There is a way to handle
stress God's way. Jesus always walked in peace.
He was gentle, submissive and a humble servant.
We can learn the same. It may be challenging to
learn to walk in God's peace, but this is the
testimony that will speak to the world loudly.
This may sound simplistic but it takes a lifetime
to learn. Pray that God helps you to apply
this to your life.
"Jesus was subjected to all kinds
of stress and strain, yet He never showed the
slightest sign of abnormal mental tension."
How to Handle Stress
"Peace,
I leave with you; My (own) peace I now give
and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives
do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be
troubled; neither let them be afraid. (Stop
allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed;
and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and
intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)"
(John 14:27, Amplified).
- Learn to submit to God - Priority
must be given to walking in the Spirit. God
wants us to walk in total submission. We can
commit ourselves to the Great Physician. He
is able to restore peace to our personality
because His will is that we walk in peace. My
personality is a challenge to a peaceful lifestyle
because I am a Type A, active individual. But
God's will is that we are restful and peaceful
regardless of our personalities or family background.
God can get to the underlying causes of tension
in our life. But we must learn to submit, be
totally honest with God, and wait upon Him.
God shows us areas of stress in our personalities
where there is conflict or rebellion. As we
yield to Him, we can find increasing rest.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God - this is your spiritual act of worship"
(Romans 12:1).
- Be aware of Satan's attacks in your life
- Know yourself and the ways the enemy attacks
your life. He will look for open doors and will
attack you in the area of strongholds and false
beliefs. Learn to resist him and stand firm
in your faith. Stay in the Word of God for this
is the way to combat his lies. Satan accuses
in order to bring us to condemnation and despair.
God convicts so that we can confess and be restored.
Satan tries to bring doubt, and he opposes any
discovery of stress in your life. Expect a battle
when you are trying to deal with the root causes
of stress.
"In order that Satan might not outwit
us. For we are not unaware of his schemes"
(II Corinthians 2:11).
- Identify sin and confess it - We have
deceitful hearts that do not easily see the
truth. We need to confess sin in our life. You
can always know the maturity level of an individual
by looking at the length of time between sinning
and confessing it as sin. Anxiety had been a
big problem in my life, and I had to realize
that it was sin because I wasn't fully trusting
God. I needed to confess it as sin.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness" (I
John 1:9).
- Realize that God only intends that you
do His will - Many of us are involved in
too many activities and think we have to be
busy all the time. We need to set appropriate
limits on our activities, and pray through what
we are doing. The greatest competitor to yieldedness
to Christ is service for Him. God wants us to
alternate between work and rest. When I was
25 years old and serving God on the mission
field, I did not understand this lesson and
finally got so exhausted that I had to rest
for three months! We must learn balance. Pacing
yourself is a key to maturity.
"…continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling, for it is God who
works in you to will and to act according
to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:12-13).
- Realize that God is sufficient - He
is sufficient for anything we face in the end
times. He is sovereign and can cope with the
hidden fears in our heart. Accept your circumstances
as being allowed by God and trust in Him. Even
if Satan brings something into your life, realize
that God has allowed it for a purpose. In 2005
I had breast cancer. God used it in my life
to bring me to a new level in my walk with Him,
and I am grateful. God has provided all that
we need to make it through victoriously.
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;
I will not be afraid" (Psalm 56:2-3).
- Take good care of your body - Eat healthy,
and get into a good vitamin supplement program.
Our environment no longer provides all that
we need in healthy food. We need to help our
bodies through the use of additional supplements.
Exercise regularly even if it seems to take
time. You will always gain in the end and you
will feel better. If you would like to know
of very good health supplements that could help
your sense of overall well-being and that can
also help to reduce stress, watch the health
video in this section.
"Dear friends, I pray that you may
enjoy good health and that all may go well
with you, even as your soul is getting along
well" (3 John 2).
God desires that we handle stress His way.
He wants us to walk in peace. Even in the midst
of hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorism, and continuous
change, we can learn to walk in peace just as
Jesus did. Facing the Cross was the most stressful
experience there ever was. Jesus has gone before
us. He knows what it is like to live in a stressful
world. He has provided all that we need.
Lord, we pray that You will teach us to submit
totally to Your will and ways in our life. Make
us aware of the ways the enemy tries to invade
our lives with stress and strongholds. Make us
aware of any sin in our life that is keeping us
from peace and a deeper relationship with You.
Help us to do Your will. Remove the activities
from our life that are unnecessary and are not
Your will for us. We confess and repent of anxiety
and fear. We choose to walk in Your perfect peace.
Help us to take care of our bodies through eating
healthy and exercising. We know that You are sufficient
in every situation, and we accept our present
circumstances joyfully. Help us to exhibit Your
fruit. You have overcome the world, and we thank
you for this. Teach us to be like you, and bring
us into Your peace. We choose to rejoice because
you have overcome the world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
"I have told you these things, so
that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence.
In the world you have tribulation and trials
and distress and frustration; but be of good
cheer (take courage; be confident, certain,
undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I
have deprived it of power to harm you and have
conquered it for you" (John 16:33, Amplified).
Health
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