This is the last post in our series on living a carefree life. We will briefly retrace a couple of points we made previously, then come to our conclusion.
HOW TO DE-STRESS AND BE BLESSED!
Our prayer for you is that you will apply the lessons of this message in your daily life so that Holy Spirit can activate the power of God’s Word in you and liberate you from the prison of anxiety, fear, and stress, once and for all!
1. REALIZE THE DANGER OF STRESS
Stress is an increasingly common part of our everyday lives. Most people struggle with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness, whether they openly admit it or not.
Like the proverbial frog, gradually being boiled by the rising temperature of the water in which it sits, people sometimes find themselves sitting in the toxic mess of stress, unwilling or unable to jump out.
Day after day it goes on. Eventually, they become acclimated to the steady stream of negativity, doubt, frustration, mistrust, and anger that spike their stress levels.
Some people withdraw inside themselves, surrendering to their cares and problems.
Others try to defeat their anxieties by reaching for a pharmaceutical fix which may only magnify their problems and compound their stress. They just hope they can cope with it all.
As believers, we have a better option than “hoping in our coping”. Our victory is in “believing and receiving”!
Actually, God gave our generation clear warnings about the sky-high stress levels we would face.
“But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear].” (2 Timothy 3:1, Amplified Bible)
“But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with… worldly worries and cares pertaining to… the hassles of daily life… lest that day [when the Messiah returns]… catch you unaware…”
(Luke 21:34, Combination of Amplified and Voice Translations)
2. REFUSE TO ALLOW FEAR, CARE, WORRY, ANXIETY, AND STRESS INTO YOUR LIFE!
Care, worry and anxiety are weapons the enemy uses to control and destroy God’s people.
Stress will steal your joy and peace. Care will kill you. And anxiety will destroy you, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Ephesians 4:27 tells us to not give the devil:
“… an opportunity…” (Passion Translation)
“… a foothold…” (Ben Campbell Johnson)
“… a loop-hole…” (New English Bible)
“… a way to defeat you…” (ERV)
We CAN successfully block satan’s access to our minds, by making a “quality decision” to steadfastly resist and reject care, worry, anxiety, and stress.
A “QUALITY DECISION” is a life-changing decision in line with God’s Word, that propels us forward into new dimensions of spiritual growth and strength, It is a decision from which we will never retreat.
3. RELEASE EVERY CARE TO THE LORD
God never designed us to CARRY the weight of worldly worries on our shoulders. Instead He tells us to CAST all our burdens on Him.
“CASTING the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, ONCE AND FOR ALL on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:7, AMPC)
The Greek word translated as “casting” is epiripto, which means “to hurl; to fling with force; to throw decisively.
VISUALIZE yourself carrying a load of cares and worries, each one represented by a stone. You are standing in front of a lake. Unload your care-stones near your feet and start throwing them into the middle of the lake.
Hurl them as far as you can. Fling them with force and finality. Throw your care-stones with the uncompromising determination of your quality decision.
As you do, VOCALIZE your rejection of your cares, worries, and fears. Shout it out!
“Fear, you have no place in me. I cast you out of my thoughts, out of my emotions, and out of my mind, in Jesus’ name!”
“Now, Father, I thank you that I have the victory over worry and fear. I am truly free.
I will continue to walk in your peace, the peace that passes all understanding, in Jesus’ name!”
Two things just happened simultaneously when you RELEASED YOUR CARES to the Lord:
● First, your FAITH RELEASED YOU from the cares and worries you’ve been carrying aound.
● And second, YOU RELEASED GOD’S POWER to initiate a miracle in the situation you’ve been so troubled about! Your miracle is on its way.
But the enemy will attempt to abort that miracle before it’s fully manifested. He will try again to crush us with a heavy load of care and concerns. He will endeavor to crowd out and choke God’s Word so that it bears no fruit in our life.
So we must resist his counter-attack and hold on to the gains we have made. One thing we’re not gonna do is hang out with the devil and get stoned again!
So let’s find out how to reject those recycled cares and worries, and protect ourselves from the schemes of the enemy.
4. REPLACE WORRY WITH FAITH BY RENEWING YOUR MIND WITH THE WORD!
Listen to the Lord’s compassionate call:
²⁸ “COME here to ME, all who are growing weary to the point of exhaustion and who have been loaded with burdens, and are bending beneath their weight, ²⁹ and I alone will cause you to cease from your labor and take away your burdens and thus refresh you with rest.” (Matthew 11:28-29, Wuest)
Here is something so simple, yet so very profound. Jesus said, “Come here to me.”
Question: Where are we supposed to go for release from our burdens and rest for our souls?
Answer: To Him! But He is physically in heaven. How can we go to Him?
Revelation: Jesus is the Word of God!
We come to Him by coming to the Word!
“The Word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the Word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us.” (Romans 10:8, The Message)
THE WORD: “Come here to me! Come here and hear! Listen and learn! Know and grow! Renew your mind and refresh your soul!”
5. REJOICE IN HIS PRESENCE
(Philippians 4:4, 6-7, Amplified Bible)
⁴ “Rejoice in the Lord always; delight, take pleasure in Him; again I will say, rejoice!”
⁶ “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything, every circumstance and situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your specific requests known to God.
⁷ “And the peace of God, that peace which reassures the heart, that peace which transcends all understanding, that peace which stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus is yours.”
As we rejoice in the Lord, praising and worshipping Him, our focus is shifted from our problems, worries, and anxieties to His grace, His goodness, and His greatness.
And we are reminded of His unconditional love, and His personal care for us. We are now living our best life… the carefree life!
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Ours is a labor of love. We have never asked anyone to support this ministry financially. We don’t sell merchandise. We don’t host advertising. We don’t solicit donations. We have never received any income through this site.
Christ is, and will always be, our sufficiency, meeting all of our needs.
But we have humbly asked, and do ask again, that our readers would generously support our ministry Partners in the Philippines, Student Life Organization, Inc.
God has given Co-Founders Ian Rustia and Anne Ruiz a clear vision and an open door to reach many in their nation, and beyond, with the love of Christ. They powerfully and faithfully demonstrate His love through outreaches to the needy, the marginalized, and the often forgotten… children and young people with disabilities and special needs, and their families.
SLOI has only been incorporated as a non-profit ministry for slightly more than a year, yet they have already produced much fruit for the kingdom of God. Grace and I consider it a privilege to share in their work, and we earnestly ask that you would join us in supporting their ministry through your prayers and giving.
PLEASE DO THESE THREE THINGS:
Pray for the continued success of this ministry and that God would supply every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Check out and subscribe to the SLOI website to learn more about their latest outreaches and ministry events. You may do this by clicking on this link:
NEWS FLASH! The SLOI Newsletter is now featured on our site! Just click on the button found on the homepage!
Please give generously to support this ministry. You may do so through the Paypal link to their newly opened ministry account:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/studentlifeinc2025
⁶ “Remember this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously, that blessings may come to someone will also reap generously and with blessings.
⁷ Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver whose heart is in his giving.
⁸ And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
⁹ As it is written, he [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; he gives to the poor; his deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!”
(2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-9, AMPC)
Thank you! We pray that you will experience God’s richest blessings as you give freely and cheerfully in Jesus’ name!
Joe and Grace
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