Have peace...

Sources: 20th Century Fox, Permanentstressrelief.com

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

It can be argued that most people deal with some stress in their lives.

This stress can come from a variety of sources. Maybe it's a job that you do not know will be there next week, but you continue to go at it because you have mortgage and bills to pay. Maybe it is the stress of dealing with the diagnosis of a major health issue such as cancer or HIV/AIDS. Maybe you are a parent who has a child who continues to deal dangerous with the wrong kind of people at all times of the night. Maybe your marriage is in trouble, and likely to fail with some miracle. Maybe you are a student who is struggling in class with aspirations of getting into the school of your dreams.

The effects of that stress can not only cause worry, but also be damaging to your health. According to WebMD, 75 to 90 percent of all doctor's visits are for some stress-related ailment, including headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems and depression. The same article also said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, said stress is a hazard of the workplace, costing American industry more than $300 billion each year in lost productivity.

So what to do about it?

Jesus said those who are weary should come to him for rest:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Psalm 55:22 tells us to "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (NIV) 1 Peter 5:6-7 says we should humble ourselves and give our burdens and care to God, because he cares for us.

Yes, even Christians deal with stress in a fallen world, and Christians do have many of the same problems as anyone else does. However, followers of Christ can look ahead to the point where God "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."(see Revelation 21:4)

Until then, the Bible tells us to do this:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Give thanks

Source: interruptingthesilence.com

"Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?'" - Luke 17:17-18 (NIV)

Think back to all of the good things that have happened in your life. Maybe you just got married, or had a baby. Maybe you just landed a great job in an economy that is still having some issues. Maybe despite everything going on, you're stil healthy and thriving.

If that is the case, then like or not, you have been blessed mightily by God. The Bible teaches that God does bless us spiritually (see Ephesians 1:3) and on occasion, materially, particularly if you're generous yourself (see Deuteronomy 15:10). God is able to bless us because He is also in control of the world, whether we acknowledge it or not (see Proverbs 19:21, Ephesians 1:11-12, Psalm 22:28).

So what should we do in response to being blessed? We should give thanks where it is due. The Bible has at least 46 verses that say we should give thanks to God where it is due. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are told to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Psalm 107 begins with "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1), and later states,

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." - Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)

In the story with the verse listed at the beginning of this article, Luke records Jesus having just healed 10 men of leprosy, having told them to go the priest to get cleansed (Luke 17:14). However, of the 10, only one of them, returns to Jesus to praise Him.  Jesus ended his healing with,

"Rise and go; your faith has made you well." - Luke 17:19 (NIV)

So the question is, do we give thanks to God where it is due?

Free to think in Christ

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - Acts 17:11 (NIV)

A friend of mine recently posted this photo on Facebook, commenting that this was a bogus thing to say. I have heard others in the past comment on this teaching, saying this translates into meaning Christian believers should be mindless robots who cannot think for themselves.

For the record, the Bible is completely against this kind of statement.

 

Isaiah recorded that God told him, "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18) even as the nation of Israel was rebelling against Him. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." (In other words, talk and think things through). And 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." In other words, know the Word of God and how to use it. In addition, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Test everything. Hold on to the good."

The Bible does allow us to think, contrary to popular opinion. As noted in the verse from Acts at the beginning of this note, the Bereans were noted as having "more noble character" than their neighbors, the Thessalonians because of their eagerness in reaching the teaching on Christ from the Apostle Paul. However, they were noteworthy because they looked at the Scriptures themselves.

 

In other words, they didn't take what Paul was teaching them at face value, as has been the mistake of far too many Christians in the past and in today's church. They looked at the Word of God, testing Paul on what He said. If what Paul was teaching them was not from God, then it would have been revealed to them from Scripture.

 

We can have that same reasoning, because God not only gave us all brains, but He allows us to use them as well, all for His glory (Colossians 3:17). That is true freedom.