This week I want to share with you some great thoughts about reducing stress & focusing your life by Rick Warren. Each day I'll be posting some great advice that I believe will be very helpful to you this fall. I know that you'll be encouraged & I pray that you'll be able to take some of these thoughts to help simplify & de-stress your life. Enjoy the thought below from His message entitled, "A STRATEGY FOR REDUCING STRESS."
Philippians 4:6-8, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. ...Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
I. STEP ONE: WORRY ABOUT NOTHING
V. 6: "Do not be anxious about anything." "Do not fret of have any anxiety." (Amplified) "Be careful for nothing" (KJV)
Worry is a kill joy and source of stress. We tend to expect the worst in life. Smithsonian magazine calls this the Age of Anxiety. There are macro worries that every body on the planet worries about. Thee are micro worries that are personal, that you have everyday. Worry is assuming responsibility that God never intended for me to have. It's playing God, trying to control the uncontrollable. Dr. Walter Cavert has done studies on your worries. He has discovered that:
40% of our worries never happen
30% of our worries concern the past
12% of our worries are needless worries about your health
10% of our worries are insignificant or petty concerns
8% of our worries are really legitimate concerns
Worry is worthless. It cannot change the past or control the future. It only messes you up right now. It is an incredable waste of energy. It is stewing without doing. It is a waste of creativity. When we worry about things, they get bigger and bigger. We are very creative about worry. The Bible says, "Do not worry about anything." Probably this is the hardest command to obey. Some people are born worriers; they have the ability to find a problem in every solution. They look at the negative, the bad. Worry is not natural, Jesus said, in Matthew 6:6. It is something you learn; you have to practice to get good at it. If it is learned it can also be unlearned. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own."
Insight: In order to relieve stress live one day at a time.
Philippians 4:6-8, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. ...Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
I. STEP ONE: WORRY ABOUT NOTHING
V. 6: "Do not be anxious about anything." "Do not fret of have any anxiety." (Amplified) "Be careful for nothing" (KJV)
Worry is a kill joy and source of stress. We tend to expect the worst in life. Smithsonian magazine calls this the Age of Anxiety. There are macro worries that every body on the planet worries about. Thee are micro worries that are personal, that you have everyday. Worry is assuming responsibility that God never intended for me to have. It's playing God, trying to control the uncontrollable. Dr. Walter Cavert has done studies on your worries. He has discovered that:
40% of our worries never happen
30% of our worries concern the past
12% of our worries are needless worries about your health
10% of our worries are insignificant or petty concerns
8% of our worries are really legitimate concerns
Worry is worthless. It cannot change the past or control the future. It only messes you up right now. It is an incredable waste of energy. It is stewing without doing. It is a waste of creativity. When we worry about things, they get bigger and bigger. We are very creative about worry. The Bible says, "Do not worry about anything." Probably this is the hardest command to obey. Some people are born worriers; they have the ability to find a problem in every solution. They look at the negative, the bad. Worry is not natural, Jesus said, in Matthew 6:6. It is something you learn; you have to practice to get good at it. If it is learned it can also be unlearned. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own."
Insight: In order to relieve stress live one day at a time.