“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
Life can be very stressful. There are projects, deadlines, activities, and an endless list of things we must do on any given day. Stress happens to the best of us. Unfortunately, some of us are more prone to it than others. I know I am.
Recently, I woke up from a bad dream feeling stressed, yet again. In my mind were all the things I’d done wrong and all the things I needed to do. So, I cried out to God for help, Yet that anxious feeling remained as I dragged myself out of bed.
But what I love about God is how He meets us right where we are. I opened my daily devotional, and the message was about anxiety. I turned on some Christian music, opened my Bible, and heard gentle reminders of truth I already knew but was choosing to forget. So, I stopped to thank God. I asked Him to forgive me for trying to control everything in my life. But most importantly, I told Him I trusted Him.
So how do we find peace in a stressful life? Try to remember these three things when you are stressed:
- First, the only thing we can control is the present. The past can’t be changed. Looking back at mistakes only gives the enemy a foothold to lie about our worth and steal our peace. Looking ahead, thinking of all the things we should do in the future, is forgetting that God is the one who is really in control. Dwelling on these is a waste of time and energy. So now, when I wake up stressed, I try to visualize God handing me His beautifully wrapped gift of the present.
- Second, we can surround ourselves with God’s Word and truth for encouragement and hope.
- It protects our minds. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)
- It restores our souls. (Psalm 23: 3)
- It directs our steps. (Psalms 119:105, Proverbs 16:9)
- Third, we can pray. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me today, just one of your perfect gifts. Help me fix my eyes on You and Your promises about who I am and the beautiful things You have in store for my future. Your Word says if we acknowledge You in all our ways, then You will make our paths straight. (Romans 15:13) I trust you to do that today and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
