A Biblical Way to Handle Stress - Part 2?
by David G Jones
A Biblical Way to Handle Stress - Part 2
This is not a transcript of our audio message, simply my notes
that I used to preach the message. Hope you find them useful. All
our bible readings are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
Our mental attitude is critical to the way we handle stress.
This is what I want to focus on today ….
We are going to look at five key mental attitudes that will
enable us to better cope with these demands…in no
particular order.
1. Focus on today
2. Work as unto the LORD
3. Fill your mind with Gods Word
4. Determine to walk in love and forgiveness
5. Make ‘fun’ a part of your life
Now I could preach a sermon on each of these for the next five
weeks. There is so much in each key. I don’t want to do
that – so we will look at each key briefly.
[1] Focus on today
Read Matt 6:34
Interesting passage here. The challenge is to focus on today
– and Jesus gives a reason why…
“…Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof”
One of the things I believe is being said here – today
has enough pressure to cope with – without adding to
yourself the burden of tomorrow.
Many people seem to fall into two camps.
There are those who do nothing but think about yesterday. They
do that thinking about how great things were years ago –
perhaps how happy they think they were. Or their thinking is
dominated by regrets of the past. Either way the challenge of God
is to focus on today. Today is where its at
Read 2 Cor 10:5
We can tell our minds what to do !
Some people spend their days either dreaming about the future
and what they will and will not do – or they spend their
time worrying about the future.
Read Matt 6:27 – worry gets us no where.
Just to close on this. As well as focusing on today we have
this challenge to put Gods kingdom first.
Read Matt 6:33
[2] Work as unto the LORD
Usually those things that we love to do are not burdensome to
us. I don’t think that anyone would describe as stressful
the demand of spending a week sat by a swimming pool in the
sunshine reading a book !.
The way we view these demands is critical to how we cope with
the demands. If we see them as constraints on our time, if we
resent the demand – it will create more stress for us than
simply enjoying what we are doing.
One area that people get well wound up is in their job –
maybe you hate your job. Maybe you are a round peg in a square
hole.
If that is true, seek God and see if he wants you to move on
and look for a change.
If not, if you feel God has asked you to stay put, then
remember you are working for him.
Read Eph 6:5-8
We need to have this mental attitude in all that we do. As we
realise we work for God, as we allow that idea to take root in us
our attitude to our job will change – and we will find we
can cope with the demands of the job without it breaking us.
[3] Fill your mind with Gods Word
The world says empty your mind to relax. That gives satan an
opportunity to fill it !
The bible says fill your mind.
For example Ps 1:1-3. Meditate is not the eastern religion
practice of thinking of clouds or whatever. Meditate means to
murmur or mutter. You are thinking about it. Its filling your
thoughts.
Now look at the promises associated with doing this.
Prosper means To make progress, to succeed. So – we
don’t have to worry about the future. We don’t have
allow the stress of worry into our lives – because Gods
promise is – do this and this will happen !
[4] Determine to walk in love
I talked a lot about this recently – so if you missed
the messages I suggest you get the tape and hear the messages on
offence. Esp. the Second one where I talk at length about he
importance of forgiveness and the effects of unforgiveness on our
lives.
Love is very powerful – John spoke of perfect love
casting out fear.
Read 1 John 4:18
So if we struggle with fear in our lives, it can sometimes be
because of unforgiveness towards some individual or group of
people. As we determine to walk in love and forgiveness towards
others it gives us a confidence before God.
As I say – get the tape !
[5] Have some fun in your life
Some of us christians really need to take a hold of this. Some
might even say our faces look like we have been sucking lemons.
We need to see the importance of humour and fun in our well
being.
Read Prov 17:22
In fact modern medicine is only just discovering this key
fact.
Read article about Dr Lee Berk [http://www.llu.edu/news/today/feb99/sm.htm]
There is a strong association in the OT between a merry heart
and drink. See
Ruth 3:7 You could think Boaz was “drunk”, but the
Hebrew is clear. It simply means he had been feasting – so
plainly having fun. It implies to me a lightness – there is
enjoyment going on here.
Some christians seem to feel that having fun is sinful –
well plainly that depends on what you are doing, but we can have
fun without sinning !
We need this to be a part of our life.
Do I mean telling in-appropriate
jokes – No
Do I mean making fun of people less fortunate than ourselves
– No
Do I mean enjoying our selves and not feeling guilty –
Yes
Do I mean finding things funny in everyday life – Yes
Do I mean laughing at ourselves some times –
Yes
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