1 Peter 5:9, “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
There's a story of a professor who began one of his classes by holding up a glass of water. He held it up high enough for the entire class to see then asked, “how much do you think this glass weighs?”
“1 pound!”,,, “2 pounds!”… “3 pounds!” the students answered.
“I really don't know unless I weigh it,” the professor said. “But my question is: what would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”
“Nothing,” the students again answered.
“Okay, what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?”
“Your arm would begin to ache,” said one student.
“You're right, now what would happen if I held it up for a day?”
“Your arm could go numb, you may have severe muscle stress, paralysis; have to go to the hospital,” ventured another student as the students laughed.
“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?”
“No,” came a unified answer.
“Then what caused the aches, the muscle stress? What could I have done instead?”
The students were puzzled. “Put the glass down,” a student gave the obvious answer.
“Exactly,” set the professor. “Life's problems are something like this. Hold them for a few minutes in your head, they seem okay. Think of them for a long time, they begin to ache. Hold them even longer; they begin to paralyze you, and you will feel helpless to do anything.”
The glass in the story represents our worries in life. Maybe even the challenges we may be facing. If we hold on to them, worry through them, stress over them, we will begin to feel the burdens ache more and more to where it pushes our stress to the max and beyond.
I have a saying above my bed. ‘Give it to God and go to sleep’. I know it can be hard, and I have had my fair share of times I couldn't let go as easily. But I've also experienced a calming peace when I let it go and go to sleep. The same worry may still be there the next day, but I will be refreshed enough to face it again. Maybe even rested enough to see it in a different light. And when I give it to God to handle it can becomes lighter to deal with.
Mankind has always been best at worrying and the pressures of life only aggravate it. That is why there are several verses in the Bible that tell us not to worry. If we simply give our anxieties to the Lord, He assures us we will find peace. Here is a great three-step plan when life's challenges and worries begin to creep in.
- Pray! Philippians 4:6-7. Prayer is the best way to give your worries to God and it helps you exercise your faith in Jesus. Eliminate worry by asking God for help.
- Focus on the truth, not the lies! Philippians 4:8. Even if the world is spinning out of control you can control what you think. Ask the Holy Spirit to help focus your mind on Jesus- Hebrews 12:2; on God's word- including His promises- 2 Timothy 3:16; on being thankful- Colossians 3:15; on prayer- Romans 12:12; and on the beauty of every good gift God gives- James 1:17.
- Be alert! The world and devil will lie to you- John 8:44. Focusing on your worries only affects your health and mind in unhealthy ways. Have you ever noticed that whatever you focus on only increases, the more you focus on it. Being joyful and thankful only makes you more joyful and thankful. Worrying and being anxious only increases your worry and stress. Feed your faith and your worries will starve to death.
Remember when worry begins to creep in PUT DOWN THE GLASS and GIVE IT TO GOD!
The Bible is God’s Word, spoken from His Heart into our own. When we spend time studying Scripture, Jesus invites us to take our place in his story of love and salvation. And even in the times when we end up with more questions than answers, we can trust that God is right here, drawing us closer, and giving us the restoration we need.
No matter where you are in your bible study journey, whether you are just starting out or wanting to get back to basics, I hope you have had time to follow this study on relating to others as God does with showing mercy.
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