Originally Posted by Abishag
Removing Worry
From Our Lives ~

READ/ Philippians 4:8-9

People fret over all kinds of issues, from safety and job security to election results. For many folks--and maybe you are one--anxiety is woven so tightly into the fabric of their day that they've learned to live with it.

We treat worry like a benign emotion when in fact it can actually be harmful. Anxiety clouds our thinking, divides our focus, and robs us of concentration To complicate matters, the body can react to prolonged pressure on the psyche. Stress can manifest physically through tension headaches, elevated blood pressure, and even heart attacks.

Drifting through a mentally and physically exhausting life is not the Lord's plan for us. Our challenge is to take captive anxious thoughts (2 Cor. 10:5) and replace them with God-pleasing ones--dwelling on that which is pure, good, and right.

The best way to remove stray threads of worry is to crowd them out with something positive: weave Scripture into your mental grid instead. God has something to say about everything that concerns us. Feeling weak or under-qualified? "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). Afraid your paycheck won't cover this month's rent, clothes, and food? "Do not worry...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (Matt. 6:31-32).

EARLY LIGHT/ smile Jesus said worry adds nothing to our life (Matt. 6:27). In fact, we waste time and energy dwelling on concerns instead of affirming our trust in the Lord. We must choose to set our minds upon Him before anxiety leaves us feeling frayed.

Pastor Charles Stanley
IN TOUCH ~

Blessings, Abishag <><


Good perspective. We talked about the things we know will happen before the Second Coming and men's hearts will fail them for fear. We WILL be affected - some more than others. Being righteous does not preclude us from suffering, but when we turn to Him for support and keep things in an eternal perspective and dwell on the positive as well as on the eventual outcome we know will come to pass....it helps us to deal with the stresses. You can't live in a cloud - but you can keep your head in them a little more perhaps and still stay "grounded." : )