ANXIETY, WORRY AND STRESS - ITB 12.04

 

Chapter 12.4

Anxiety, Worry

And Stress

The Sin Question – The Dark Side – The Bright Side – Fear & Depression

Invisible chains of infirmity - Man’s wiring - Adapting - Stress Management

Stress Free Life - How to let it go – Walk in the Word – Go with God’s Flow

 

 

There are Invisible Chains of infirmity that you can’t see, but the bondage is ever present.

 

Invisible War - PMS

     Anxiety, Worry & Stress does not discriminate based on geography, race, gender or age.  It permeates your entire body like yeast in bread, it affects you Physically, Mentally and Spiritually; so you’re a MAN with a different kind of PMS.

     Wikipedia describes Stress as a Physical, Mental or Emotional strain or tension.  It can cause us to do things that we would not ordinarily do or even cause our system to shut down completely.  Stress is caused by either Processive Stressors which causes the “Fight or Flight” reaction or it is caused by a Systemic Stressor which causes automatic physiological reactions; unchecked these two Stressor can rule our lives.

     Materialism is a big troublemaker; we purchase a Corvette or a Boat which we can manage, but then we get hit with the taxes, insurance and the operational cost required to maintain this lifestyle.  This leads to living paycheck to paycheck and barely making ends meet.

     I didn’t have enough time to get it all done, I felt so tired and overwhelmed that my mind would just go blank.  I was restless, taking deep unfillable breaths and my chest tightened up; my mind was churning and my mood swings were moving from just being irritable to outright anger; I was STRESSING OUT.

     There are invisible chains of infirmity that are not physical; you can’t see them, but the bondage is ever present.  Maybe at work you really need more salary or maybe a little less workload, or you lack support and have conflicting demands.  You don’t have control of the situations and when you get home at night you just can’t “TURN IT OFF”.  This invisible infirmity can move around your body exhibiting a Pounding Heart, Shortness of Breath, Fatigue, Dizziness, Hot Flashes, Sweating, Upset Stomach, Diarrhea, Twitches and Depression, Headaches, Back and Muscle Aches, Chest Pains, Upset Stomach, Nausea, Dizziness, Sadness, Depression, Panic Disorders, Stress, Fear, Paranoia, Rage and maybe even cause you to exhibits Different Personalities.

     Maybe you need companionship or the need for more patience or you are in sorrow or sickness, you need finances, in tribulations, distressed, chastised, dishonored, the butt end of mean spirited reports, have sleeplessness and heaviness of spirit and the list just goes on and on and I’m sure that you can add some of your own to this list.

     Satan wants to persecute our very soul;[1] to crush our spirit, cause anxiety, worry, and stress to consume our lives.[2]  Stress has been labeled the SILENT ASSASSIN that can create blood clots that lead to heart disease.  

     Worry produces headaches, stomach ulcers, sleep disorders and chronic depression. When we are operating in Anxiety, Worry and Stress we are doing Satan’s work for him; he comes to kill, steal and destroy.[3]  You can never worry yourself into a longer life, but you can worry yourself into bad health & death.

     REMEMBER THIS, whether we are on the MOUNTAIN TOP or DOWN IN THE VALLEY, whether lacking in patience, or in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in violence, in wounds, in imprisonments, in labors, in sleeplessness, by dishonor, by evil report; as chastened, as sorrowful, as poor, as having nothing;[4] in all of that, we are still God’s Witness’, His Evangelist, His Ministers; His children.   HOLD THAT THOUGHT

 

Stress Results

     This Word Study is focusing on "THE RESULTS" of Anxiety, Worry and Stress, not so much on what caused it. It focuses on how to avoid it; Anxiety is a crippling disease that plunges our very thoughts into darkness.[5]

     There is a story in the Bible about a Master of the house who gave assignments to his servants… One of the servants thought that the Master was mean spirited and abusive and he was afraid of the Master… We won’t debate here whether the servant was right or wrong in his description of the Master, but we must clearly see the RESULTS and the EFFECTS of what the servant worried about and what he stressed over.[6]

     Instead of plugging into the Master’s program and trying to improve on what had been entrusted to him, the servant’s “thoughts” caused him TO HIDE what had been given to him and in the end,

NO ONE benefitted. [7]

Anxiety Worry and Stress can cause you to lose out and not be a part of what the “MASTER” is doing.

 

Traveling Companions

     Worry can be spiritual conflicts, but that does not mean we are lacking in spirituality, it’s just happens to be the way we are WIRED.   Many factors play a part in shaping our Belief System.   Our BS includes the way we were raised, our Personal Experiences, Bad Choices and Subconscious Emotions.

     Worry dwells on the past and the uncertainty of things to come; it’s this LACK OF HAVING CONROL that keep us from living in the moment.  For the Believer it actually implies that we don’t trust God; when He says “Do not fear”, it is for our own wellbeing; our own protection.  While some Worry is constructive, some can be exaggerated, irrational and excessive, stealing our joy, zapping our strength, altering our perceptions of life and interfering with our decisions.

     The natural traveling companion of Worry, Anxiety and stress is FEAR which takes on many forms particularly that of fear of the FUTURE.  This is especially true when you have lost your job; this produces financial woes for the future.  Then there is heath issues and WHAT WILL HAPPEN to your family.

     When I sold Real Estate, the schools taught that the purchase of a home brought Worry, Stress and Anxiety  which was EQUAL to that of Divorce and division of the family; the FEAR of the FUTURE.

God knows our emotions and you will notice that time and time again the most frequent Bible COMMAND that we see is “DO NOT FEAR”.[8]

     Worry is a form of Fear;  Being Overlooked, Being a Failure, Not Attractive Enough, of Being Alone, of Being in Poverty,  No Justice,  No Hope.   If we worried about only the things that we have control over, we would reduce our anxiety and stress by some 90%.

     The next traveling companion is DEPRESSION. Most people who struggle with anxiety also struggle with depression.  Today we see the stress of finances, separated families, turmoil in our workplace and turmoil around the world.  Our entertainment is packed with violence, sex and sexual perversion and loaded with things of the occult; these things weigh down our spirits, a heaviness producing depression.  The more we take God’s values out of our culture, the more we become fearful, anxious, stressed out, worried and depressed.

     Did you know; The English word or term “Worry” comes from the Anglo-Saxton word that means “TO STRANGLE.”  In the Bible the word “merimnao” is interpreted to mean “to be anxious” but it is also interpreted “TO BE TORN APART.”   The very life of our emotions is being strangled and Torn in different directions;

God wants to exchange your SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS for a GARMENT OF PRAISE.[9]

 

We are all WIRED differently

     My Father built me a Lionel Train Table in our basement when I was about 8 years old.  I was so fascinated with it, that FOR YEARS while the family was upstairs I would spent most of my time in “SOLITUDE” learning to WIRE remote controls, construct and paint.  This would form the basis of me becoming a Television Engineer where once again I worked in SOLITUDE, designing, constructing, and WIRING television transmitters to be remote controlled from your car.

     I say this because today at social gatherings, with the way that I am WIRED, I find myself standing off by myself in SOLITUDE, and when I am at large social events I feel an “overwhelming” emotion to withdraw.  While I can interface easily with people, I prefer not to, unless it is in Church environment or TEACHING in a classroom.  Why do I do that? 

     My Wife gets so worked up just thinking about a getting into an “enclosed” CAT scan machine that it just drains her physically and emotionally and her WIRING brings on a panic attack with tears.  I would stand outside the door and sing along with her as she sang and prayed.  What’s up with that?

     My God fearing friend Marcus had high anxiety and feared going into the enclosed CAT scan machine, that he would have to face the wall and with his eyes closed be led backward to the table and sing songs to the Lord to just get through it.  It was not a lack of spirituality, it was just the way he was WIRED.  Why was that?

     In my high school years, while in downtown Atlanta in the 50’s with no cell phones, I had stayed late for a Junior Achievement Meeting and the buses had stopped running.  Strangely, I found myself alone and on foot, observing people standing in the darkness of doorways smoking.  I became terrified as I hastily walked for over five miles to get home. Although I have never been attacked, beaten up or robbed, sixty years later, my WIRING still causes me to avoid going out at night.  What’s up with that? 

     Sometimes the mind will JUST NOT RELEASE folks from their fears.  Our bodies are WIRED with “Fight or Flight” responses which is sometimes wrongly diagnosed as a medical or a MENTAL condition, and yes, there can be medical conditions that causes these emotions such as hormone imbalances, blood sugar issues, and thyroid and heart conditions and there are also genetic conditions that run in the family that will strike without warning.   But why is this? [10]

 

The SIN Question

     The question must be asked; is Anxiety, Worry or Stress considered SIN?  Is it a mental illness or a weakness to be delivered from?  Are we operating in SIN when we worry?  YES and NO; it was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve made a decision to rely on their own understanding instead of the Word of God and thus brought forth the sinful nature that makes us prone to worry and to stress out over things.

     NO, it’s not a Sin: a burst of anxiety is GOOD and can be very beneficial in order to respond effectively to a situation. Anxiety is an EMOTIONAL response of the mind that creates a PHYSICAL response in the body.  There is nothing wrong with realistically acknowledging the problems in your life; to ignore them would be dangerous and foolish.  Some forms of Anxiety are not sin because of their nature. 

     The NATURE of anxiety in obtaining stuff is different from the anxiety of striving to advance the Gospel of Christ.[11]  Jesus charged the Disciples to not be anxious about how long they will live or what they will eat or wear or what would happen in the days ahead.  In effect He is saying in general to NOT worry about Basic & Elemental things; to worry about NOTHING.  He said that Worry will not add even an hour to the length of your life,[12] in fact it can shorten it.

     Jesus used the word slave as a Metaphor; paraphrased He said, you will either be a slave to things of God or a slave to worrying about STUFF;[13] you can’t serve two masters.  The root cause of worry is the question of TRUST.  Do you trust the Master to take care of the servant or do you reject His promises and rely on your own understanding?  This is what produces Anxiety, Worry and Stress.

     YES, it is a Sin; PROLONGED anxiety, worry and stress is a SIN because God said to “STRESS NOT” and “WORRY NOT”.   When God speaks, it’s not a suggestion; it is a COMMAND and in many places of the Book, we are told to NOT be anxious about anything, and to NOT fear.  It is wrong to become immobilized with Fear, Worry and Anxiety to the point that we cannot function.  Sometimes stress comes as a result of SIN in your life and it’s the guilt in your conscious that is trying to get your attention.  THINK ABOUT THAT

     The American Heart Association says prolonged anxiety can harm your physical health.   With anxiety and stress comes high blood pressure and increased heart rate and with that comes an increase of hormone levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol.  High blood pressure is the leading cause for heart disease, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

Worry is a rocking chair that is always in motion, but goes NOWHERE.

     If Jesus had told the Disciples about High Blood Pressure they would not have understood what He was talking about, so He said it in Seventh Grade Hebrew…

Do not be anxious, worry or stress out about anything.[14]

     The only prolonged anxiety that is excusable is the activity of seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteous.  God knew we would have Anxiety and stress so He gave us the gift of the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit to comfort us; which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; [15] it’s not pick and choose; it’s all ONE FRUIT.

     The reason we become anxious is because we view our situations from our own point of view; we are relying on our own strength rather than relying on God; He says to cast our cares on Him.[16]  There is a story of a young servant that feared for his life, until his EYES WERE OPENED[17] into the spiritual realm and he saw that he was surrounded with HELP.[18]

     Worry chokes out the full potential of our Fruit;[19] the Holy Spirit provides us a way TO ENDURE the stuff that tries to worry us… Every person that has accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah has also been given the gift of THE HOLY SPIRIT to be their helper during times of stress.

Let it Go

     When we are in submission to God’s Word, we are not leaning on our own understanding, but ADAPTING our lives to His concepts where we WILL find rest.[20]  We are to extend our arms and hands, palms down and RELEASE all our cares, anxieties and worries to the Lord. LET IT GO, then turn our palms upward and receive the RE-WIRING, the restoration of our mind, body and soul, receiving His Comfort, Gentleness and Peace.[21] RECEIVE

     Life is choice driven; we can totally ignore “God’s Will” for our lives and live out a life punctuated with Anxiety, Worry and Stress[22] or we can spend the same amount of time in the Bible STUDYING and LEARNING how to ADAPT our life to Go with the Flow of God’s Word and enjoy His peace.[23]

     No Spin Zone: I must qualify this by saying that NOT everyone that reads God’s word can fully receive His benefits,[24] only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will receive the FULL blessings from God.  Believer vs; Make-Believer

 

Stress Management

     I think it is interesting that Jesus who was all man and all God, had the same feelings, emotions and temptations that any human would have.  Scripture reveals that He was in charge of ”MANAGING” a successful growing ministry that touched thousands of lives each day through His TEACHINGS and HEALINGS as well as taking on the forces of Evil DEMONS.  He not only dealt with FOOD and SHELTER for Himself, but also for the Twelve Disciples 24/7 and sometimes that extended to the need of food for the thousands that came to hear Him.

     He would get so tired, overworked, exhausted and stressed out that He would withdraw to a quiet place to talk with God about His day.[25]  So when we are stressed out, we should follow the example that Jesus set and take some time out to talk to God about what’s going on in our life.[26]  This does not mean that God doesn’t already know what’s going on in our life, it is just confirming that we want God to be a part of our decisions.

     Now get ready to GET UPSET; according to the scriptures, Jesus got STRESSED OUT.  He had the same emotions as you and me.  If you did not know that He was the Son of God you would think He was having an "Anxiety Attack" in the Garden of Gethsemane, and appears to almost "Lose It" before the arrival of the soldiers.[27]  In the end, He does not SIN and submits to the Will of God.  This extreme example is good news for all of us; we can stress out, then LET GO and LET GOD.

     Now you might not buy into all of this, but if you will just search out the scriptures for yourself, you will see how many times Jesus controlled and managed His ministry, balancing His time by telling those who He had just healed to TELL NO ONE[28] and how many times we find him withdrawing to find some rest, even on a BOAT.[29]  So we are encouraged to put ourselves in “TIME OUT” and maybe this gives us an excuse to “BUY A BOAT” and get out on the water.  

It’s in the Book

Get a Boat – That will float

     This is an excellent opportunity to do what Jesus did; go tell your wife that you THINK God wants you to BUY A BOAT with a couple of fishing poles… If you are in total overload, then get a JET SKI too.… If you have friends who are also stressed out; get a 100 foot, 5 bedroom, triple decker HOUSE BOAT with a Water slide so that everybody can commiserate. 

Think about it, God, a Boat and some Water; sure seems right to me… sort of…

Walk in the Word

     I want to give you some encouraging scriptures to ADAPT and RE-WIRE your thinking, to readjust your PMS; Physically, Mentally and Spiritually; lovingly I say this, we don’t receive what we need because we simply “Ask Wrongly”.  The reason that I have taken so much time to look up the scriptures and print them here, is because I know that most folks simply WON’T, and it is so important that we READ FOR OURSELF what God has ALREADY promised.  Take a look at the familiar 23^rd Psalm, it promises that your cup will overflow.   IT’S IN THE BOOK

 

 

THE DARK SIDE

DOWNCAST

Psalm 42:5
⁵ Why, my soul, are you DOWNCAST? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

NIV2011)

EXHAUSTED

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are HEAVY LADEN, I will give you REST.
²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find REST for your souls.
³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

(ESV)

TIRED

Isaiah 40:30-31
³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be WEARY, and young men shall fall
³¹ but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

(ESV)

BURDENED

Psalm 55:22
²² Cast your BURDEN on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

(ESV)

BROKENHEARTED

Psalm 34:17-19
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the BROKENHEARTED and saves the crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

(ESV)

CRUSHED

Proverbs 17:22
²² A joyful heart is good MEDICINE, but a CRUSHED spirit dries up the bones.

(ESV)

TROUBLED

John 14:1
¹ Let not your hearts be TROUBLED. Believe in God; believe also in me. (ESV)

Luke 10:41-42
⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are ANXIOUS and TROUBLED about many things,
⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

(ESV)

TRIALS

James 1:2-3
² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet TRIALS of various kinds,
³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

(ESV)

SHAKEN

Psalm 16:8
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall NOT BE SHAKEN.

(ESV)

Psalm 55:22
²² Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be SHAKEN. (NIV2011)

FEARFUL

Psalm 34:4
⁴ I sought the Lord, and HE HEARD ME, and delivered me from all my FEARS.

(NKJV)

Hebrews 13:6
⁶ So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not FEAR; what can man do to me?”

(ESV)

Isaiah 41:10
¹⁰ FEAR not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(ESV)

CARES

Psalm 94:19
¹⁹ When the CARES of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

(ESV)

ANXIOUS

Philippians 4:6-7
⁶ do not be ANXIOUS about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(ESV)

Matthew 6:34
³⁴ Therefore do not be ANXIOUS about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

(ESV)

Matthew 6:25-27
²⁵ Therefore I tell you, do not be ANXIOUS about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
²⁷ And which of you by being ANXIOUS can add a single hour to his span of life?

(ESV)

Proverbs 12:25
²⁵ ANXIETY weighs down the heart, but a kind word CHEERS it up. (NIV2011)

Isaiah 35:4
⁴ Say to those who have an ANXIOUS HEART, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

(ESV)

1 Peter 5:6-7 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
⁷ casting all your ANXIETIES on him, because he cares for you.

(ESV)

 

THE BRIGHT SIDE

FRIEND

John 15:14-15
¹⁴ You are my FRIENDS if you do what I command you.
¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you FRIENDS, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (A friend in the Bible is someone you are in Covenant with)

(ESV)

UN-FORSAKEN

Hebrews 13:5
⁵ Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise FORSAKE thee.

(ASV)

NO CONDEMNATION

Romans 8:1
¹ There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(ESV)

FAMILY

Galatians 4:5
⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ADOPTION AS SONS.

(ESV)

HEIR

Galatians 3:29
²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, HEIRS according to promise.

(ESV)

Romans 8:17
¹⁷ and if children, then heirs, HEIRS OF GOD and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

(ESV)

BELONG

1 Peter 2:9
⁹  But you are a CHOSEN race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who CALLED YOU out of darkness into his marvelous light.

(ESV)

HIS WORKMANSHIP

Ephesians 2:10
¹⁰ For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.

(ASV)

ACCEPTED

Romans 15:7
⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has ACCEPTED you so that God will be given glory.

(NLT)

PRECIOUS

Isaiah 43:4
⁴ Because you are PRECIOUS in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

(ESV)

BLESSED

Ephesians 1:3
³ BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

(ESV)

Psalm 23:5
⁵ YOU PREPARE A FEAST FOR ME in the presence of my enemies. You HONOR ME by ANOINTING MY HEAD with oil. My cup overflows with BLESSINGS.

(NLT)

RIGHTEOUS

Matthew 5:6
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they shall be SATISFIED.

(ESV)

SET FREE

Romans 8:2-3
² For the law of the Spirit of life HAS SET YOU FREE in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

(ESV)

ANOINTED

1 John 2:27
²⁷ But the ANOINTING that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

(ESV)

FAVORED

Psalm 5:12
¹² For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with FAVOR as with a shield.

(ESV)

Luke 1:28
²⁸ And he came in unto her (Mary), and said, Hail, thou that art HIGHLY FAVORED, the Lord is with thee.

(ASV)

NEEDS

Philippians 4:19
¹⁹ And my God will supply every NEED of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

(ESV)

FULLNESS

Ephesians 4:13
¹³ Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the FULLNESS of Christ,

(ESV)

LIFE

Colossians 3:4
⁴ When Christ who is our LIFE appears, then you also will appear with

 Him in glory.

(NKJV)

WISDOM

James 1:5
⁵ If any of you lacks WISDOM, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

(ESV)

SOUND MIND

2 Timothy 1:7
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a SOUND MIND.

(NKJV)

1 Corinthians 2:16
¹⁶ For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the MIND of Christ.

(ESV)

STRENGTH

Philippians 4:13
¹³ I can do all things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me.

(NKJV)

REFUGE

Psalm 46:1
¹ God is our REFUGE and strength, a very present help in trouble.

(ESV)

Psalm 61:3
³ For you have been my REFUGE, a strong tower against the enemy.

(ESV)

Psalm 9:9
⁹ The LORD also will be A REFUGE for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.

(NKJV)

PEACE

Philippians 4:8-9
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.

⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of PEACE will be with you.

(ESV)

John 16:33
³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have PEACE. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)

John 14:26-27
²⁶  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
²⁷ PEACE I leave with you; my PEACE I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

(ESV)

 

TRUST

Proverbs 3:5-6
⁵ TRUST in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

GRACE

2 Corinthians 9:8
⁸ And God is able to make all GRACE abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

(NKJV)

VICTORY

1 Corinthians 15:57
⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(ASV)

 

Stress Free

     We see articles, books and products that promote a “Stress Free Life”, but that Belief System is a misguided view.  WE CANNOT LIVE A STRESS FREE LIFE.  Stress, Worry and Anxiety is just a part of our fallen human condition and God’s word tells us so.[30]  It is virtually impossible to avoid stress, we will all have stress in varying degrees; the issue before us is not the unavoidable tribulations that we encounter in life, it’s how we respond to them.[31]

     Troubles either make us stronger in faith, or angry and full of unbelief; it’s either Faith or Fear.   The Apostle Paul handpicked by Jesus Christ after His resurrection, was plagued with Anxiety, Worry and stress; why would we think that our lives would be any different.[32]  In all of Paul’s afflictions including receiving a “Thorn in the Flesh” from Satan, God provided a way of escape for him so he would be able to ENDURE it.[33]

 

The Take Away

     SOME stress, worry and anxiety is good as it helps us to face challenges, to achieve, strive and grow as a person, it does not mean that we are not trusting God or in some sort of spiritual misalignment, we are just functioning the way we are wired.  Stress seems to be intrinsically woven into the very fabric of our lives; our job is to manage the issues as they present themselves to us and to find balance, we are to play by God’s rules.[34]

     Prayer enables us to connect with God; Jehovah Jireh, our provider as our partner.  Prayer is our refuge from the storms of life.[35]  The more we meditate, the more we receive peace, comfort, advice and direction;[36] through prayer we TRADE our yoke of heavy burdens for an easy and light yoke.   

     We are to TRUST in the LORD with all our heart, and not lean on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge him and He will make our paths straight.[37]  Prayer does not have to be complicated; just be succinct, get to the point; a Canaanite Woman came to Jesus asking for help for her demonized daughter and had the shortest prayer I know of; “LORD HELP ME”[38] and she got what she came for.  A leper came to Jesus and simply said, IF YOU WANT TO, you can heal me…

Jesus responded, “I WANT TO” [39]

     There are two rules to get set free; 1) Humble yourself before God and 2) Cast your cares on Him.[40] Then speak positive things out of your mouth; Sing Songs of Praise, Quote the scriptures to yourself and to God; your positive attitude will interrupt stress & depression.[41]

Your beginning does not have to dictate your ending.   IT’S IN THE BOOK  

     We are encourage to focus on one day at a time; to be realistic, consider that some distant troubles may never happen.  Get 8 or 9 hours of sleep; sleep deprivation can increase anxiety; listen to some easy listening music or some Praise and Worship music which in itself is a spiritual weapon.  Put a little fun in your life with some recreation; take some walks; exercise, share your fears, worries and thoughts with someone; talk about it, this is a wonderful anxiety relief valve.  Take some kind of action to alleviate the issue.  If need be; see a Christian Counselor[42] and lastly there are also Anxiety Centers that can be employed as well as a myriad of self-help books and time-management workshops.

     When we let PROLONGED stress rule our life, we are moving into the area of SIN as this can take a toll on our heath as well as shorten our life.  We wind up doing the work of Satan whose work is to Kill, Steal and Destroy our life.[43]  Anxiety, Worry and Stress is a long uphill battle that will not end well.  We are commanded to NOT be Anxious for anything,[44] but in everything to be in prayer and make supplications with thanksgiving, letting our needs be made known to God.[45]

 

GET RE-WIRED, ADAPT and GO WITH THE FLOW OF GOD.[46]  

 

It’s in the Book

 

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[1] Satan seeks to persecute the soul and Crush the life

[2] 1 Peter 5:8 – Satan seeks to find someone he MIGHT trick and devour

[3] Psalm 143:3 – John 10:10 – Satan comes to kill, Steal and destroy

[4] 2 Corinthians 6:4-9 – The Invisible War comes against God’s people in stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleeplessness, dishonor, by evil report

[5] Matthew 13:22 - The CARES of the world CHOKES the word- - Proverbs 15:13 – Sorrow can break the spirit) -- Proverbs 17:22 – A broken spirit can sap the very life out of your body

[6] Luke 21:34 - Cares of this life can come upon you like a trap -- Psalm 127:2 – It is vain to eat the bread of anxious toil -- Proverbs 12:25 - Anxiety weighs a man’s heart down

[7] Matthew 25:24-25 - Effects of Worry & Fear; NO PRODUCTIVITY

[8] Genesis 50:21 - DO NOT FEAR; I will provide for you and your little ones  -- Deuteronomy 1:21 - DO NOT FEAR or be dismayed for I am with you -- Psalm 34:4 – God will FREE US from our Anxious Fears

[9] Isaiah 61:3 – God will exchange the SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS for a GARMENT OF PRAISE

[10] Romans 12:2 – You are wired up in knots and must be RE-WIRED, you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God

 

[11] 1 Corinthians 7:33 – Anxious for the Worldly trials and issues -- 2 Corinthians 11:28 – Anxious for the Church needs

[12] Luke 12:25 – Being anxious will NOT lengthen your life a single hour

[13] Matthew 6:24 – You are either a slave to STUFF or to God

[14] Matthew 6:24-33 – Don’t be anxious; GOD HAS GOT THIS  -- Matthew 6:34 – Do not be anxious about the future -- Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything -- Luke 12:22 - Do not be anxious about your life

[15] Galatians 5:22-23 – The FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

[16] 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your Anxiety, Worry and Stress on Jesus; it’s in the Book.

[17] 2 Kings 6:17 – The LORD OPENED THE EYES of the young man and he saw the spiritual realm surrounded him with HELP

[18] 2 Chronicles 32:7 - Do not be afraid or dismayed, there are more FOR us than are against us

[19] Luke 8:14 – Worry chokes out your FRUITS, your potential

[20] Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to me and I will give your REST -- Psalm 91:1 – We will find REST and dwell in the shadow of God.

[21] Philippians 4:19 – God will supply our every need from His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.--Psalm 23:1-6 – Goodness and Mercy shall follow us, WE SHALL NOT WANT, OUR CUP OVERFLOWS

[22] Psalm 91:2-11 – Thousand troubles may come, but not near you

[23] Ephesians 3:20 – He is able to do abundantly more that we think

[24] James 4:3 - You do not receive, because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. -- Proverbs 3:5-6 - Do not lean on your own understanding, but TRUST in the LORD with all your heart

[25] Luke 5:15-16 - Jesus would withdraw to desolate places and pray  -- Matthew 14:13 - Jesus withdrew to a desolate place by Himself

[26] Matthew 14:23 – Jesus often went by Himself to share His thoughts with God -- Luke 6:12 – Jesus shared His thoughts with God sometimes for hours -- Luke 22:41 – Jesus withdrew from the others to pray -- Matthew 15:21 - Jesus withdrew to a quiet place

[27] Luke 22:42 – Jesus agonizing over what was coming for Him as well as His disciples -- Luke 22:44 – Jesus is in AGONY and is Stressing Out, so He Seeks God’s Will

[28] Matthew 16:20 – Need time, Manage the situation; Tell no one -- Matthew 17:9– Tell no one, I need to manage my time  -- Luke 8:55-56 – Tell no one – Keep it quiet for right now -- Luke 9:21 – You know some things but Keep it quiet, tell no one  -- Matthew 8:4 – I’m glad I could help, BUT don’t tell anybody -- Mark 7:36–I need to manage my time so don’t tell anyone

[29] Matthew 8:24 – Jesus sought peace and sleep on a boat -- Matthew 14:13 – Jesus withdrew on a boat with just Him & God -- Mark 3:7 - Jesus withdrew to a boat to get His needed rest

[30] 2 Corinthians 1:8 – We will have troubles in this life  -- Job 30:27 - The churning inside me never stops

[31] Romans 8:28 - All things work together for GOOD for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose -- 2 Corinthians 12:10 - I am CONTENT even with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities

[32] 2 Corinthians 11:22-27 – Paul had Anxiety and Troubles; imprisonments, beaten with rods, forty lashes with the whip, countless beatings, and often near death, stoned. Shipwrecked, adrift at sea; robbers, toil and hardship, sleepless night, in hunger and thirst often without food, in cold and exposure.

[33] 2 Corinthians 12:7 – Paul received a Thorn in the flesh from Satan to HARRASS Him -- 1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a way of escape to get through whatever you are going through

[34] 1 Corinthians 2:9 – YOU CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED; no one has ever SEEN, HEARD, or even THOUGHT OF, the things that God has already prepared for those who have believed on the name of Jesus for salvation -- Isaiah 55:1-3 - Come, everyone who hungers and thirsts; buy the bread of life without money

[35] 1 Samuel 17:47 – Your Battle is the Lord’s; it’s a Done Deal -- Philippians 4:13 – We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us

[36] Psalm 34:4 – Seek the Lord and He will answer and deliver you from all your fears.  -- Matthew 6:33 – Seek God first and all your needs will come to you -- Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the LORD while He may be found,

 

 

[37] Hebrews 13:6 - The Lord is our help in a time of need; therefore do not  fear

[38] Matthew 15:25 - Simply Pray: LORD, HELP ME

[39] Luke 5:12-13 – GOD IS WILLING to help you -- Psalm 56:9 - GOD IS FOR US

[40] 1 Peter 5:6 – RULE #1 - HUMBLE YOURSELF  -- 1 Peter 5:7 – RULE #2 - CAST YOUR CARES ON HIM

[41] 1 Kings 8:56 – The Lord is Faithful, not one word has failed of all his good promises,

[42] Matthew 18:19 – When two agree, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven

[43] John 10:10 - Satan comes to steal and kill and destroy

[44] Joshua 10:24-25 – God will place our Enemies under our feet.

[45] Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything -- 1 Corinthians 7:32 - Be free from anxieties

[46] John 10:10 - RE-WIRE, ADAPT & RESTORE your PMS; Physically, Mentally and Spiritually; Go with God’s Flow