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BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY BLOG@ Rhythms of Grace: a Journey into RestSustenance for the journey into rest and peace
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THIS SERIES: KICK THE WORRY HABIT WHEN TALKING TO YOURSELF IS THE ONLY SANE THING TO DO... Worry often keeps us awake at night, or occupies our minds throughout the day. Worry is the undisciplined action of our souls—our minds, wills and emotions—and many of us live at the mercy of our souls, rather than living from our spirits, which are filled with His Spirit. King David was very clear about how he dealt with his soul: firmly and consistently—and yes, he talked to himself! Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God. [Psalm 42:5] Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits…. [Psalm 103:2] Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. [Psalm 131:2 NKJV] 6 STEPS TO REPLACE WORRY WITH HOPE  Try this strategy for dealing with worry, it’s one I have found to be really effective: 1. The starting point is to know that God is good all the time, and that He is good to me personally, all the time. (See last week’s post). Everything that follows is built on this foundation. 2. The opposite of worry is hope, which in Biblical terms is the confident expectation of good. Set aside a specific time every day—about 30 minutes—for the specific purpose of breaking the worry-habit and replacing it with a habit of hope. 3. Arm yourself with a ‘Hope’ notebook, and two pens, one black and one coloured. Whenever you are starting to worry, write the worry down in the notebook with the black pen. Leave plenty of space underneath each entry for a response. Then say (aloud—if no one is nearby!) to your soul, ‘I’m not thinking about that issue now—I will deal with it during today’s ‘Hope Session’.’ 4. Every time that worry creeps into your consciousness, refuse it in the same way, and instead turn your thoughts to giving praise to the Lord, thanking Him that He has got you covered, and will show you an answer for all your worries. 5. Then during your Hope Session, in the space under each worry, begin to write out the truth in coloured pen. (The coloured pen makes these truths stand out from the lies.) The truth is what God says in His Word about your concern. You can find out by doing an internet search on ‘What does the Bible say about…?’ 6. Finally, speak these truths aloud over your soul, saying, ‘I am not concerned about… because…’ Continue speaking these truths daily, until like David, you can say that your soul is like ‘a weaned child’—in other words, it is quiet and at peace, not constantly clamouring for attention. Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. [Psalm 55:22] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. [John 14:27] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7] Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. [Isaiah 40:31] It’s time to kick the worry-habit and live like hope-filled children of the King! THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM:
NEXT WEEK: 5. WHY WE SHOULD WATCH WHAT WE SAY The Bible clearly teaches that what comes out of our mouths is enormously important... OVER TO YOU...
[Photo credits: Babi (worried girl); Faris Mohammed (small plant); Ronak Valobobhai (hope-stone) @ Unsplash, with thanks]
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