I heard this in church the other morning and just had to share it with everyone. (It was taught by Tom Shrader at Redemption Gilbert)
Stress. Who doesn’t have it and how to survive it. Being the wife of a student, holding a full time job, plus normal housewife duties is stressful to say the least. Not to mention the added stress from my husband’s school, and health issues. Life is stressful, and in the day and age we live, there is no end to it, there is just the constant addition of stress. There is no escape, and the feelings of hopelessness and fear we feel everyday because of it is very difficult to handle. When Tom taught this it was amazing. He didn’t speak anything that I didn’t already know, just put it in a way that clicked and gave me a refreshing jolt of the bigger picture. Here goes; 5 things you can know to reduce stress.
1. God is in Control–Colossians 1:15-16–“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
Psalms 139:15–“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.”
2. God forgives sin–1 Corinthians 6:11–“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 John 1:9–“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I can have the peace of God because I am at peace with God
3. God is our only hope, life is temporary–2 Corinthians 4:16-18–“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not see are eternal.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18–“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
4. God causes all things to work together for good–Romans 8:28–“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
5. God does NOT change-James 1:17–Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
Malachi 3:6–“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
Hebrews 13:8–“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Our hope is rooted in the character of God, the sovereignty of God, the faithfulness of God and the promises of God
All of these start with God. Our life is based on the very being of God. He created it, He sustains it, He retains it; it belongs to Him. Since these things are true, then why would we try to deny God the right to be in our lives.
When we are feeling stressed, afraid, unsure, I have found great comfort in reminding myself who God is what I am here for. Ultimately I am here for God, as an ambassador of sorts to those who do not know Him. I am here to show my husband/family/friends the love of Christ. To encourage them to continue to fight the good fight and to continue the race until the end. The reward will be great, and quite frankly the reward of getting to be with God, my heavenly Father, is by far the greatest most wonderful thing I could ever imagine. God is the center of my life, and when I keep Him as the center things never look so bleak that I cannot overcome. When He slips from the center the despair and fear are insurmountable. I fall below the waves of life and am drowning. Only when I once again reach for Him am I above the waves in breathable air swimming again for God’s shore of eternity.
If you wish to listen to the entire sermon you can click here.
Little Susie Housewife 