Take Your Medicine by Andrea Merrell

A merry heart does good, like medicine, 

but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 NKJV

Has stress taken over your life?  Does it have the upper hand, bossing you around and calling the shots? Stress is not a four-letter word, but it seems like one. It can curse your existence and wrap you in chains of anxiety, frustration, fatigue, and even fear.

Someone said to me recently, “Lighten up. Quit being so serious. Take a break and have some fun.” Good advice, but it had been so long, I wasn’t sure how to do it. Something is severely out of kilter when you don’t even remember how to have fun.

How do we get ourselves into such a state? The Bible calls it the cares of this life. Usually, when our peace and sense of well-being are stolen, it happens a little at a time. It’s a process, not an event. It can happen in such a subtle way, we don’t realize it until it’s too late. At that point, depression can be lurking around the corner, waiting to sink its ugly teeth into our soul.

What’s the answer? The Bible tells us to cast all our cares (worries, concerns, anxieties) on Him. Why? Because He’s crazy about us and knows everything we’re concerned about. He offers His peace which surpasses human understanding and comprehension, and His joy which overflows with glory and gives us strength—spirit, soul, and body.

Since worry saps our strength and steals our joy, it’s time to trade in the worry and take advice from the Great Physician. His Word tells us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. It also says a merry (cheerful, joyful, grateful) heart is like medicine—the best medicine known to man, and the best way to counteract the stress in our everyday life.

If you need a dose of medicine today, here’s your prescription:  

• Smile. 
• Laugh. 
• Think good thoughts. 
• Have a thankful heart and find pleasure in simple things.
•  Forget about yesterday and don’t fret over tomorrow.

This (today) is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!


(Photos courtesy of Monte Mendoza and clipartguide.com.)

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God has a prescription for overcoming stress. via @AndreaMerrell  (Click to Tweet.)

Are you worried and stressed? Prayer and a merry heart are the best medicine. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

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