Monday, March 18, 2024

A Formula for Overcoming Stress

 

By Andrea Merrell


Stress. Some call it the silent killer. It can destroy our peace, joy, health, sense of well-being—and even our life.

We all face it in one way or another. Even good things can cause it, especially when decisions have to be made and time is a factor. We can complain, medicate, or ignore the symptoms but instead of heading for burnout, The Word for You Today gives us an acronym for overcoming stress:

Seek God’s guidance

God promises to be with us—always. To give us guidance. To impart wisdom and keep us on the right path. When we seek Him first, He promises to take care of all that concerns us.

Trust what God tells you.

God is trustworthy. People will let us down but God never will. He is always working on our behalf even when we can’t see, feel, or understand it.

Remember past victories.

Sometimes we need to look back at all the times God has come through for us and praise Him in advance for seeing us through this time.

Exalt God above the problem.

We have to get our eyes off the problem and put them on the problem-solver. My pastor says, “Whatever you give your attention to, you empower. Whatever you empower, empowers you.”

Solicit the prayers and support of others.

We were not created to face this life alone. That’s why the body of Christ is so important. We should never hesitate to ask for prayer, especially when going through a rough time.

Stand on the promises of God.

God’s Word is truth, the ultimate and final authority on all matters. Find out what God says and stand on that truth.

If you’re facing a stressful situation, practice these six steps, then watch what the Lord will do in your life.


Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Loving the Unlovely

 

By Andrea Merrell


Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, 

not the worst.

Luke 6:28 MSG

 

The topic was love. The assignment for the week had been for the group to choose an “unlovely person” in their life and practice sharing God’s love with them.

The leader of the group was anxious to hear the results. “So, how did it go? Who wants to begin?”

Silence filled the room for a long moment until one girl finally spoke up. “That man I told you about, my next door neighbor. I tried. I really did. I know I’m supposed to love him, but I just don’t like him. I fact, I can’t stand him.”

Her words caused a buzz in the room and a lot of agreement from the others. Then a discussion followed about how we can love someone without liking them.

“Tell me what the Bible says about love,” the leader said.

Answers came like shotgun fire. Love one another. Love your enemies. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love is patient. Love is kind. Do everything in love. Love covers a multitude of sin. Love never fails.

Pleased with the answers, the leader said, “So, how do we obey the Word when someone is hard to love?”

After another long pause, the answers came, slowly at first. We can pray for them. We can forgive them. We can see them through God’s eyes. We can be more concerned about their soul than their behavior. We can stop being critical of them and look for the best.

The leader went on to explain that we don’t base our love on a person’s words or actions. That makes it conditional. When we learn to see others as God’s creation—those He loves and sent Jesus to die for—it changes our perspective.

The Bible tells us that when we learn to love our enemies—the unlovely—it brings out the best in us.

Are you ready to love the unlovely?


Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

Monday, March 4, 2024

A Clean Slate

 

By Andrea Merrell


If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9 NLT

 

Remember the old chalkboards we used in school many moons ago? Did you ever get stuck with the task of cleaning one? I did. It was almost impossible to get all the chalk off, so the board never looked really clean.

With the invention of the white board and dry-erase markers, the task became much easier. A few good swipes is all it takes.

With God, it’s even easier to erase mistakes. One sincere prayer of repentance, and He wipes the slate clean. “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Jeremiah 31:34 NLT).

How is that possible for God when we’re constantly bombarded with thoughts about everything we’ve done wrong? Because the Bible says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12 NLT). If that’s not enough to convince us, Micah 7:19 says, “You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (NLT).

God take forgiveness seriously—and so should we. When we mess up, He promises that if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).

God will never dredge up our sins and hold them against us, so why should we?

Do you have a clean slate? 


Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and winnond.



Monday, February 19, 2024

God is Up to Something

 

By Andrea Merrell


Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you 

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Philippians 1:6 NKJV


Crash! The sound reverberated through the house as the young mother turned to her husband. “What in the world is that child up to now?”

“Beats me,” her husband replied, “but you can be sure it’s nothing good.”

If you’re a parent, you can probably relate. We want our kids to be good. To do good. To be obedient. To follow instructions and stay out of trouble. Sadly, that learning curve is typically very long and very tedious.

But we can’t blame it all on the kids. As adults, we face the same temptations to do things that are not always so good. Maybe God shakes His head and says, “What in the world is my child up to now?”

The great news for us is that no matter what we’re “up to,” God is always up to something—something good. In the Bible study “Experiencing God,” Henry Blackaby tells us that God is always at work in, around, and through us. He never stops. Even when we can’t see the results, we can trust that He hears our prayers, sees our needs, and sets the answers in motion. At times the answer comes quickly. At other times we have to wait, but God has promised to finish the work He has already begun in us.

God is up to something good, and we should be about our Father's business. 

What are you up to?


Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Volkan Olmez.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Double Jeopardy

 

By Andrea Merrell


Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

Job 5:2 NIV


I listened to the woman’s story. Through tears, she told me about the abuse she had suffered for years. “My life is ruined,” she said. “Things could not possibly get any worse.”

But they did.

Unable—and unwilling—to forgive her abuser and give the situation to the Lord, the guilt, shame, and condemnation she carried became so heavy she felt crushed beneath the weight.

The anguish deep within soon turned to anger. She developed a victim mentality and found herself dealing with a root of bitterness that ruled her every waking thought and invaded her dreams. It colored her words and controlled her actions. It affected her relationship with others, her self-worth, and her attitude toward God. She found herself living in double jeopardy—persecuted and prosecuted twice for the same offense.

The suffering we go through in this life will eventually make us wiser and stronger if we deal with it God’s way. But allowing it to fester can eventually become worse than anything we’ve actually gone through.

The Bible says, resentment kills a fool and bitterness is like a poison. They can harm you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—even physically. No matter what you’ve gone through, don’t be foolish. Don’t allow it to ruin your life. Give it to God. Forgive and move on. That’s how you experience His peace and His unspeakable joy.

Don’t wait. Do it today.


Photo by Jurica Koletić on Unsplash