Life's Storms!

Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Luke 6:47-48

 

 

Feeling stressed?  Feeling overwhelmed?  Feeling worried?  Feeling as though everything is crashing down around you?  Perhaps you feel like Job, "The churning inside me NEVER stops: days of suffering confront me!" (Job 30:27).

 

You have BILLS so you need:

     *  MONEY (for such things as food, clothing, shelter)

     *  So you get a JOB! (paycheck coming in is good, but the job and the expectations of those over you and the community make the Job stressful).

     *  You work so much, think about work so much, focus on work so much that the LIFE you wanted seems always just out of reach.

     *  With your LIFE in turmoil because you can't seem to find the stability you need, LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS are not satisfactory.  And then you begin to notice that stress has led to some unhealthy habits so you begin focusing and stressing about your LOOKS and your HEALTH.

    *  And the cycle continues with more stress being added because we can be a demanding and neurotic species.

 

I will be perfectly honest....there are NO quick fixes that will have lasting positive results!  I am sorry to have to say that, but it's true.  We LEARNED to be stressed and anxious! The only way to fight that is to LEARN how to let go of the stress and let anxiety roll off.  

 

If you look at today's verse, you will see that just because a man dug deep and built his house on a solid foundation did not stop the floods and storms from coming.  If you are looking for a life of laying by the seaside with no worries or concerns ever....ummmm.....not happening this side of Heaven, I'm sorry to say.

 

But there ARE things you can do to get a firm foundation!

    1.    Talk with someone you trust (Padre's suggestion here is, God!  He knows everything already).  Someone who will be truthful with you, not just tell you what you want to hear.

    2.   Develop a hobby.

    3.   Yes....I'm going to get on my Padre Platform: Invest yourself in a church!

    4.   Develop friendships that are outside your comfort zone.

    5.   Spend time with positive people (not cheerleader types, but those who help you see a more positive perspective.)

 

 

There are lots of other things that will be helpful, but changes need to come because you're ready to accept them and actually MAKE them.  

  

Most of the time, we stay stressed out because we are to afraid to make any changes.  Stress becomes the place we feel "comfortable" even while it slowly kills you.  Think about it!