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We should never allow the stresses of life to make us change our outlook
on life. We should have the same peaceful demeanor whether we are
traveling on the calmest of waters or going through a thunderous storm.
What is going on all around us should not have an effect on the calmness
that is within our heart. We must remember what the Bible declares in
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” When we keep our eyes focused on the
Lord then nothing will be able to make us worry, question or doubt God's
perfect plan for our life. We may go through setbacks, we may fall short
at one time or another and we may falter and fail, but that doesn't mean
that our story is finished yet. A new beginning is always possible no
matter what has happened in the past. We simply must have an unmovable
and unshakable spirit within us and know that no weapon that is formed
against us will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:11) (Romans 8:28) (Isaiah 54:17)
We should never go through life thinking that we are able to handle all of
life's challenges on our own. By our own strength we can accomplish
nothing. If we depend only on our own will, we will be quickly
disappointed. The Lord is the One who strengthens our spirit, who
encourages our hearts and who gives us a backbone of steel knowing that
nothing is impossible with and through Him. When the Lord is the
centerpiece of our life, then we will have good success no matter the
obstacles in our path. When we recognize that He is our burden bearer,
our Shield of Faith and our Sword of the Spirit, then we will be confident
in our ability to overcome every obstacle and be triumphant in our every
endeavor. The Lord deserves the credit for every challenge that we
overcome and the quicker that we recognize His provision and sustenance,
the greater our blessings will become.
(Philippians 4:13) (Luke 1:37) (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Be encouraged and have confidence that with God by your side nothing shall
be impossible unto you. Don't hold on to the hurts of the past, don't
allow that burden to bring you down and most importantly don't allow your
past failures to make you question the future ahead of you. Give every
hurt, every failure and every burden to the Lord and allow His peace that
surpasses all understanding to fill your heart and mind. The Lord is able
to do great things with us and through us, but we must first give Him all
of the pieces of our life and allow Him to do it.
(Philippians 4:6-7) (Isaiah 64:8) (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)
I hope this message encourages and challenges you to take every necessary
step to be at peace in your life. You will find life much more pleasurable
when you are at peace in it.
COPING WITH STRESS
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers
called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on
how long you try to hold it.”
“If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an
hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll
have to call an ambulance.”
“In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier
it becomes.”
He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.”
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest
before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”
“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't
carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're
carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.”
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
Accept that some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Always read stuff that'll make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably
worth it.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to
one person.
We could learn a lot from crayons...Some are sharp, some are pretty and
some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but
they all have to live in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Author Unknown
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Hebrews 12:2-3 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the throne of God. For
consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,
lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Psalm 25:1-5 “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust
in Thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea,
let none that wait on Thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress
without cause. Shew me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in
Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do
I wait all the day.”
Isaiah 45:2-3 “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight:
I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of
iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of
secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by
thy name, am the God of Israel.”
2 Timothy 1:7-9 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of
the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: STRENGTH FOR THE DAY
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem167.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: FROM DRUGS TO JESUS
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony122.htm
In Christ's Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God's Work Ministry |
