You need to take a break
Psalm 127:2
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
The problem is, we think we are doing better or at least OK when the truth is we are not
Martin Luther one of the Fathers of the reformation is quoted as saying
“I have so much to do today I have to spend twice as much time in prayer”
1) First is to stop and breathe
As we read earlier we do not rest as a culture Psalm 127:2
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Rest is trusting in the Lord, putting Him first, and keeping our eyes on Him rather than everything else
70% of people do not get enough rest
People who are not rested are more irritable, have lower self-esteem, those who are not rested have a mind-set often accompanied by decreases in willingness to think and act proactively, control impulses, feel positive about yourself, empathize with others, and generally use emotional intelligence*
*“The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest” Penelope Lewis
2) Set your focus on the right things
Going back to the second verse we talked about Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
Acts 12:6
The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.
Learning to keep your thoughts fixed on Him turns that around.
The science behind it.
In 2011 a Harvard study lead by Sara Lazar found that the type of focus like study in the word and regular daily prayer called “Mindfulness based stress reduction
In other words, setting your focus on the right things improves your ability to handle everything with peace and grace and gives you a general sense of wellness
3) Take time every day to get alone with God
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35
But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16
We are under so much pressure by so many demands in our
In the book, “The power of the lonely” the author quotes a Harvard study
“a certain amount of solitude can make a person more capable of empathy towards others. And while no one would dispute that too much isolation early in life can be unhealthy, a certain amount of solitude has been shown to help teenagers improve their moods and earn good grades in school.”
Send your kids to their rooms if you love them….
Everything I have shared today can really be wrapped up in this simple verse
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33
Practically
Take time everyday to shut yourself away with the Lord, even if it is only 15 minutes, please develop that habit.
If you have your mind in the right place the result will be Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Chances are you will need less stress relief and maybe even less meds, become a more proactive person rather than reactive because you have taken control of you life and put God in charge.