To Your Success Part 6 "Mind, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is: "The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence." ~Norman Vincent Peale Overcoming Stress Here are a few steps to help you overcome stress. Oh by the way, these are methods I used personally to help me overcome stress. Here are some examples: 1.)Changing Your Perception through Scriptures- Throughout, my journey in dealing with stress I learned perception is everything when it comes to stress. However, the scriptures were written to alter our perception. Although, it’s possible to be under stress and not yet distressed. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NASB) Here are a couple of common perceptions versus the reality of the Scriptures. 1.) Common Perception: There is no hope for me in the situation I’m in. Reality of the Scriptures: “Behold, I am the lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?” ~ Jeremiah 32:27 (NASB), “The lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his sovereignty rules over all.” ~ Psalm 103:19 (NASB) 2.) Common Perception: These stressors will never go away. Reality of the Scriptures: “Be gracious to me, O God; be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in you; and in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. ~ Psalm 57:1 (NASB). 2.) You must Develop a Fighting Spirit- Throughout my weight loss journey I had to learn how to develop a fighting spirit or the attitude of “I will beat this thing.” By doing so, I was able to survive the physical and emotional stress. I remember a couple of years ago, one my elders at church to me to always pray to God but make sure I row to shore. In other words, God will help you, but we must do our part and keep fighting. As it states, in the book of Nehemiah “But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.” When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses”. ~ Nehemiah 4:9, and 14 (NASB) Indeed, we must continue to keep fighting. You see God wants us to have a fighting spirit so we are able to combat the effect of the stressors in our life. How much fighting spirit you think you can muster with God’s help? 3.) Learn how to Alter Your Lifestyle- I remember when I use to live a high-stress lifestyle. One thing I learned along the way to changing this lifestyle; and that was altering my lifestyle. By doing so, it helped me alleviate some of my stress. Here are some things you can do to help you alter your lifestyle. 1.) Get a different job, 2.) Go on a vacation, 3.) Move to the country, 4.) Avoid certain individuals, and 5.) Bring an end to some other ongoing stressor. Furthermore, it’s definitely worth making changes in your lifestyle if they mean you will have less stress. Conclusion- You see the world is filled many stressful people and events that can make you feel devastated. Furthermore, stress does not have to defeat you. There are several ways to gain insight to why you are having stress, memorize the scriptures, developing a fighting spirit, and altering your lifestyle. Most importantly, trust Christ to help you relieve a stressful life. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Stay tuned! I will be presenting a new series about "loneliness" . Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson