A Stress-Free Life

 

Prior to finding salvation through Jesus Christ we had little more than our own resources to rely on while facing the issues of life. We developed a routine of depending on our self, with a little help from our friends and family.

Life was hard, and every little bump in the road threw us off course, causing us to fight with all of our strength to regain our equilibrium. We stressed out under the strain and trials of daily living.

Once we came to Christ, we carried these same habits and defense mechanisms into our new Christian walk. We continue to overreact to life from our own energy and the reserve, which we build up within us.

Living life through human achievement is deadly! Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion and illness are all the result of us living life through our own efforts.

Life is always hard as long we as depend upon our own inner strength to conquer its difficulties. We want to please God with our life; but even when we feel like we are doing His will, we often fail.

We get weary when we overly schedule our time or when we take on too many projects that God does not lead us to perform. We often feel like we are separated from God and He cannot help us, because He is too far away up in Heaven.

This separation is actually caused by our independence and self-reliance. God is always in us through Christ by His Spirit; however, we do not acknowledge His existence unless we get into trouble and turn to Him.

We get the optimal results from life when we seek the Lord with our whole soul - mind, will and emotions, we acknowledge Him before we do anything, we do not depend on our human resources, and we trust Him as He directs each step of our life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Prayer:

Father God, when we are safely tucked under the shadow of Your wings, life is no longer a challenge, because it is now an adventure! Remind us that we are united with Christ in salvation and perfected by Your Spirit in sanctification. We no longer need to react to life from our lack, because You face life through us with all of Your power as the triune God.

You do not call us to live life for You, but to step aside and allow You to live life in and through us. You did not give us a faint, fearful spirit, because Your love, strength and self-discipline reside within us by Your Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7). Help us to recognize the moments of Your pure joy in our day and to focus on Your love and peace to guide us.  

Thought for the Day:

As long as we separate our life into two compartments: our humanity and His divinity within us, we are divided and weakened; once we realize that our humanity is already dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God, then we start to live only through His divinity within us. - Colossians 3:3 

God's Encouragement and Direction

Read: 1 Kings 19:5-12
“Be still, and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

God showed great understanding and mercy by sending an angel to comfort Elijah when he ran from Jezebel’s wrath. In his moment of deepest despair, Elijah found comfort in the angel’s presence and strength from the angels provision of food, which was already prepared for him to eat. This helped Elijah on his following journey of forty days through the desert to the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Elijah witnessed a great miracle by God, yet he still fell prey to feelings of depression and abandonment. He actually believed he was not able to make a difference in the lives of God’s people. God met him on this mountain, however. Not in the way that Elijah imagined, but in a still, small voice.

I sometimes feel helpless in my daily walk with the Lord. However, I need to realize that in order for Him to use me, my self-sufficiency must decrease, so that He can increase in my life. When I lay aside my busy schedule and go to the solitary place to seek Him, He always encourages me and gives me clear direction. As I sit in His presence, He robes me with His strength to carry out whatever ministry He lays before me. This is when I can shine for His glory.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live as an instrument of Your love in the world around me. Strengthen me each day to do Your will, and remind me that You use only vessels fashioned by Your hand.

Thought for the Day:

Set aside daily, quiet, undisturbed time, in which to enter into the presence of God in order to worship Him and to listen for His guidance.

Money Matters

Read: Leviticus 27:29-33

^"But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God." - Hebrews 7:6 (NLT)

Dalia's husband is an alcoholic and he lost his job. He went to several rehabs, but could not shake his addiction. Finally, he left his family and moved back up north to live with his mother. Dalia had so much dumped on her at once - a mortgage, two daughters to support, and a mountain of debt that needed paying - that she fell on her knees. Then guess what she did? She started tithing, which her husband would never allow her to do.

Within weeks, God opened a door for her to keep her home, which she thought was lost, and to pay all of her bills except for a tiny bit needed for daily living. In response to her continued prayer and trust in the Lord, God moved on her ex-husband's heart to start sending her part of his retirement fund, which he currently collected each month from his former job.

Prayer:

Lord, help us always to remember that You are faithful, especially when we live in obedience to Your Word.

Thought for the Day:

In the Lord's hands, a widow's mite goes a long way.