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SO, YOU WANT TO LIVE A STRESS-FREE LIFE?

Hey friends, how are you today? Phew!! There’s been a lot of happenings in our world recently, haven’t there? It’s enough to grey the hairs of most sane people if we allow it.  It’s hard to look up when so many earthly mishaps vie for our attention.  It hard to remember the unfailing, unwavering, unconditional love of God when we focus on the trials in this world.  When our eyes are not fixed on the Savior, we forget this world is not our home, we’re just passing through on our way to eternity. God is still God; God is still good; God is still sovereign; God still sits on His throne.  That was the easy part, now comes the hard part: believe it! 

Is it even possible to live a life free of stress?  A life devoid of anxiousness and worry, can it be done?  Have you ever thought about a world where everyone lived a life of serenity?  I would love to be a ‘cool, calm and collected’ someone, but unfortunately, that’s not me.  Lack of control freaks me out, when surrender to our God should be my story.  

 ‘Life isn’t fair’, I tell the girls all the time. Life throws us the unexpected, sin comes at a high price. We want people to be right, to do good.  Deception, greed, and selfishness rule instead.  But then what do we expect? Have we looked in the mirror lately? It is easy to see the evil in others, usually because it exists in us! And we are the Christ-like ones! Those who don’t know the Lord do what comes naturally.  But we’ve already been warned that our flesh wars with the Spirit of God.  

What is to be gained by allowing people and circumstances to deprive us of the peace and joy, the Lord promised?

In spite the life’s disappointments, and trials, it is possible to live a life free of worry.  Perhaps not completely free, because we are prone to worry about things.  But as we draw closer to the Lord, the time spent in that worry and anxious state will start to diminish. Remember, this Christian living is intentional, keeping your eyes fixed on Lord and His precious Word is necessary for a stress-free life.  Believe it or not, worry and anxiousness is a sin.  Our Lord does not really give suggestions, nor does He negotiate.  He gives commandments.   

So, what are we to do when life throws us disappointments in people or in circumstances?

Here are 10 steps to living a stress free (not totally, because of us) life.

  1. Pray – (I Thessalonians 5:17) commit the people, the circumstances to the Lord.  Tell Him of the frustrations, perhaps the bitterness and anger associated with the stress.  Allow Him to replace these emotions with peace and joy and contentment. 
  2. Read the Bible– (Psalm 119:105) Here are a few helpful passages that help relieve my mind and settle my thoughts: Psalm 27 (my all time favorite), Psalm 1, and 121 (Benny’s favorites). 
  3. Trust the Lord throughout this disappointment- (Proverbs 3:5,6) He holds the universe together and causes all of creation to work, He is more than capable of holding and keeping the fears at bay.
  4. Be ready to forgive or perhaps ask for forgiveness- (Matthew 6:15) Asking for forgiveness is uncomfortable, but necessary in order to be at peace. Releasing someone of their offense is just as necessary.   I have found the greater the offense the harder it is to forgive, but I would advice us to remember two things; a) we need to forgive others in order to be forgiven by God and b) we’ve been commanded to forgive.  Remember we are not responsible for the other person’s actions. How they choose to respond is always up to them.  
  5. Remember whose child you are– (I Peter 2:9) We are children of the Alpha and the Omega (the Beginning and the End)
  6. Talk to a friend– (I John 1:7) A mature, godly person may not always say what we want to hear, but they will ensure that the Word of God is the final authority on any given matter.
  7. Listen to a friend–(Philippians 2:2) Because the problem has consumed our every thought, we’ve magnified it in our heads, listening to others allows us to put it in perspective.  Also helps us to remember, there are others with bigger issues.  
  8. Begin a prayer journal– It is easy to forget the faithfulness of the Lord, after a time.  Keeping a journal helps in memory retention.
  9. Be thankful– (Psalm 107:1) it is hard finding anything to be thankful for during this time, yet in order to be content and at peace, thankful we must be.
  10. Take every stray thought captive– (2 Corinthians 10:5) Remember living an stress-free life, depends on us.  Be aware of the thoughts while we live life.  When we find ourselves dwelling on the problem again, surrender it back to the Lord.  This we may have to do several times, but that’s okay.  Peace and contentment aren’t far behind.  

How are you doing? How can we as a community pray for you?

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28 responses to “SO, YOU WANT TO LIVE A STRESS-FREE LIFE?”

  1. Spot-on strategies, Brenda! I particularly appreciated this: “When we find ourselves dwelling on the problem again, surrender it back to the Lord. This we may have to do several times, but that’s okay.” I get upset with myself when I realize my mind has started to dwell on a problem. I didn’t want to go there; I know it does no good. So how did it happen?! (We know the answer to that question, don’t we!) But your statement, “We may have to do this several times, but that’s okay,” encourages me. God is pleased with effort and progress, not just perfection–even as we try to apply 2 Corinthians 10:5! Thank you, Brenda!

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  2. Brenda! 😁 I’m so blessed to see that your posts are still so full of light, love and truth. Thank you for all of the great reminders and guidance! It’s almost the weekend! Enjoy and be blessed.

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. With everything that is going on the world, I find myself saying Maranantha Lord Jesus.
    However, I am also grateful he continues to bless me with opportunities to share his love.

    By the way would walking in the snow help reduce stress? 🙂 lol

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  5. It IS tough when walking on the water not to notice the wind and the waves. Gotta keep our eyes on the One who invites us to walk out there with HIM!🤠
    ❤️&🙏, c.a.

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  6. A very good list of suggestions! I don’t really think of stress as anxiety and worry. I usually think of it more as pressure, but I have a choice of how I handle it. There will always be pressure… things that demand our attention, and it’s not always fun stuff. But we can do our work, giving attention to the important things while experiencing the Lord’s rest. It’s something He has been teaching me this year. Work from rest. I’m not an expert, but it is coming easier most days! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

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  11. Again, you have blessed me with another great post full of Godly wisdom.

    And again, you’ve reminded us that living a Christian life is intentional, and those 10 steps lead us to spiritual habits that glorify God.

    Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
    The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
    He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40

    Liked by 1 person

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