'I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love...' Psalm 31:7 NLT
There's an old Chinese proverb that says, 'A diamond cannot be polished without friction, and a person can't be perfected without trials'. We all want to live stress free without having to work at it, but it can't be done. So, look at these 15 suggestions.
(1) Take time each day to pray and read God's Word; it'll transform your outlook. (2) If in real life you look like your passport photo, take a holiday; you need one! (3) What goes up must come down, so cut back on caffeine and sugar! (4) Eat right-a balanced diet isn't having a cookie in each hand! (5) Exercise three to five times a week for 30 minutes; it's nature's remedy for stress. (6) Develop better time management habits: 'use it or lose it'. (7) Make room in your life for fun and relaxation. (8) Get eight hours of sleep when possible. (9) Maintain your sense of humor: 'A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.' (Proverbs 17:22 NLT) (10) Start counting your blessings. The Psalmist said, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.' (Psalm 103:2 NKJV) (11) When you talk to yourself, say the right things. Your words affect you more than others. (12) Simplify your life by eliminating clutter. If you haven't used it for two years, you probably don't need it. (13) Develop a sense of purpose by seeking God and setting personal goals. (14) Forgive; grudges are too heavy to carry: 'If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive [you].' (Matthew 6:15 NLT) (15) Read the last chapter of the Bible-we win!
'...I have learned to be content...' Philippians 4:11 NIV
Since you can't escape change or the stress that goes with it, here are some steps you can take to help you handle it. First, choose your battles wisely. Answer these questions: do you instinctively give in to fear and oppose change, even when it might benefit you? Do you keep throwing yourself across the tracks, hoping to stop the freight train of reality? Do you think that no issue is too small to be ignored? Waging war on too many fronts always results in fatigue and defeat, so choose battles big enough to matter. Secondly, try to become more adaptable. What's your most common response to change? Dragging your feet? Assuming a 'have to' attitude? Doing only what's necessary? Once you stop caring, life loses its sparkle and ironically you become even more stressed. So learn to become resilient. Paul said, 'I have learned (it's a process that takes time!) in whatever state I am, to be content.' Thirdly, welcome new experiences. If you're moving forward in life your surroundings will be constantly changing. If they're not, you're going in circles. Clinging to the familiar just buys you comfort today at tomorrow's expense. Draw on God's grace, plunge in and seize the day! Fourthly, learn to live with uncertainty. Always struggling to 'stabilise' in a constantly changing world is like trying to push water uphill-you soon get tired and stop and it runs back down over you. Learn to live with loose ends; 'wing it' a little more, instead of struggling to make sure that life always happens on your terms.
'We get up again and keep going.' 2 Corinthians 4:9 TLB
Max Gunther quipped, 'When you're [in] a tug-of-war with a tiger, give him the rope before he gets to your arm. You can always buy a new rope!' Resistance to change just creates ulcers, sleeplessness and stress. So here are some attitudes you may need to adjust. Stop thinking like a victim, stop expecting others to rescue you, stop feeling sorry for yourself and reduce your stress levels. Get behind the wheel of your own life! You're not helpless, and the situation is not hopeless. God's Word promises you 'can do everything...with the help of Christ.' (Philippians 4:13 TLB) Then, stop deciding not to change. Instead of banging your head against the wall of reality, invest your efforts into changing what you can-such as your attitude and your approach! It takes more energy to hang on to old habits and beliefs than to embrace new ones. Stop playing the new game by the old rules. When a car that's stuck in second gear keeps trying to do 100 m/hr, guess what happens? Meltdown! If you don't want to burn out, learn to change gears. When your life's seasons, assignments or relationships change, begin to adjust. Learn to play by the new rules, otherwise you'll keep losing. Stop trying to control the uncontrollable. When the music changes, it's time to learn some new dance steps, otherwise you'll finish up sitting on the sidelines. You may not like the changes, but you can learn to flow with them. 'We are perplexed...but we don't give up and quit... We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.' (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 TLB)
'...the testing of your faith produces patience...' James 1:3 NKJV
The one thing we can count on in life is change. We try to resist it but it says, 'Ready or not, here I come.' In order to grow stronger through change we must give up, wise up and toughen up. First, don't be an escape artist, trying to avoid the stress that accompanies change. There is no escape; change is inevitable. Stop regarding it as an enemy and make it your friend. Only when you decide to ride the horse in the direction it's going, will you get to where you need to be. Secondly, when we're hit with sudden change, our 'fight or flight' instincts aren't very good at handling it. But there's a solution. By entrusting our lives fully into God's care and asking for His wisdom, '...God's kindness...is trying to lead...to Him and change...' (Romans 2:4 ) God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. Finally, someone quipped, 'If it wasn't for stress, I'd have no energy at all.' Stop and take inventory. Are you making it harder on yourself than it needs to be? Are you speaking faith or fear? Are you convincing yourself you can't handle the changes? Are you ready to give up without even trying, or trusting God? If you're struggling to make sense of the situation you're in, read these words: '...when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it...for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything...' (James 1:3-4 NLT)
'Joseph...saw that they were sad.' Genesis 40:6 NKJV
Sometimes you can tell by the look on someone's face what they are going through. 'Joseph...looked at them, and saw that they were sad.' Even though he himself was unjustly imprisoned, he found fulfillment in helping two other prisoners. Would it have been easier just to focus on his own problems? Yes, but it's self-defeating. Henry Drummond wrote, 'As you look back on your life, the moments that stand out are always the ones when you did things for others.' Joseph realized he wasn't the only one hurting, so he did what Jesus always did-treated those around him with compassion. How about you? Do you take time to try to understand what people are going through? Are you self-absorbed, or concerned about others who are hurting, especially when you've nothing to gain by it? Encouragement is like a shot of adrenaline: it can lift a person and put them back on their feet again. Writer Ren Bazin says, 'A remedy for the evils of our time...is the gift of yourself to those who've fallen so low that even hope fails them.' Will those you give to, always give back? No, but God will. When the royal butler was released from prison he forgot the promise he made to speak to Pharaoh on Joseph's behalf. But God didn't forget! Joseph's best days were ahead. Think of his rise in Egypt, his service to a nation, his impact as a leader, and the joy of reconciling with his family. He underlines it: '...God turned into good what [others] meant for evil...' (Genesis 50:20 TLB) So, start 'seeing' the needs of those around you.
'...A man must be content to receive the gift...given him from Heaven...' John 3:27 AMP
We love to quote the promise, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' (Philippians 4:13 NKJV) But that promise doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, or what somebody else does. No, Paul is saying you can do anything God calls you to do, for with each of His assignments comes His assistance. This verse actually teaches you to stay within the boundaries of what God's called you to do, and not try to undertake things that are not part of His will for you. That's not negativism, it's wisdom. God wants you looking to Him for your answers, not others. That doesn't mean you can't learn from others, it just means the plan that will lead you to success must come from God. What is God's will for your life? Find it, do it, otherwise you'll live in frustration, competing and comparing yourself with others. John the Baptist said, 'A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from Heaven.' Read the previous verses and you'll discover that some of John's disciples were getting upset because Jesus was baptizing too, and the crowds were leaving John and flocking to Him. If John hadn't been secure in his God-given identity and calling, he might have become fearful and jealous. But he displayed a different attitude-one you need to take to heart. He said about himself, 'A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from Heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from Heaven...]' (John 3:27-29 AMP) And the same goes for you!
'...He will work for you today...' Exodus 14:13 AMP
If you're battling fear today, listen to these words from the God who loves you, protects you and promises to be with you. When there seems to be no way out, He says, 'Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the [deliverance] of the Lord which He will work for you today.' Notice the words, 'He will work for you today'. Start looking for evidence of His hand at work in your situation; that's how your faith grows. When the problem looks too big, He says, 'Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.' (Deuteronomy 31:6 AMP) Stop and remind yourself whose company you're in. The One 'Who goes with you' has never lost a battle, and He will win this one. When you feel like you can't cope any more, He says, '...do not look around you...and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties...' (Isaiah 41:10 AMP) Notice the words 'harden you to difficulties'. God usually doesn't lift us out of the problem, He takes us through it and toughens us up. When you lose your peace of mind, He says, 'Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance...continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace...which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds...' (Philippians 4:6-7 AMP) Don't listen to the voice of fear. God is with you today!
