pc68 Confidence or Worry Dealing with Stress

pc68 Confidence or Worry Dealing with Stress We examine a situation of stress and problem in life, and how Satan uses them against us and God, and how God uses problems for our good.

TOPICS: There is no fear in love | Lack of energy, you want to move on | The persecution for being a Christian | The concern for the disease | Do not worry about money | Marital Stress, Family

Confidence or Worry: Dealing with Stress

By David Cox

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Summary: We examine a situation of stress and problem in life, and how Satan uses them against us and God, and how God uses problems for our good. TOPICS: There is no fear in love | Lack of energy, you want to move on | The persecution for being a Christian | The concern for the disease | Do not worry about money | Marital Stress, Family

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Consider for a moment all the people in the Bible, trying to follow God, and yet they have problems and pressures from the world. Job was a righteous man in the sight of God, and look at all the problems he had. Consider Abraham, David, the prophets, and Israel, the darling of God, his love, also had lives full of problems. Why? How? Didn’t God protect them from problems? No. God was with them, but it was God’s will that suffers something.

Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that there are spiritual maneuvers going on from God’s point of view, and we must be prepared for them.

There is no Fear in Love

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Christians should not fear. When they come under God’s perfect love, their lives change. It’s not that sometimes it changes; it’s that they always change as a rule. Likewise, the love that comes from God gives them comfort. Psalm 34:4

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

The major issue of dealing with stress is to understand that our Loving Father leaves us under the tensions and problems of the world so that we build a relationship with Him that we trust in God. This is that we have faith in God’s decisions especially in our lives. God’s perfect will, although it hurts now, is for my good. That is, we endure the stress of life, because of my faith and trust in God.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.  

The fear of the future or the present is a force of Satan harming us. With being saved, this threat has no strength with us because God protects us. The fear or stress of life causes us to “faint” or stop working and fight. But it shouldn’t. We are children of the King, and God protects us and always loves us. God helps us in every situation.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We must not be anxious for anything. All the evil that can happen to a person is a distraction from their relationship with God. Jesus is big enough to deal with all our anxieties and give us the necessary grace to keep our lives in peace even when we grow up.

Lack of desire to continue on

Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

But the question is how can we be strong for our God? 1) By communion with God (meditating on His words to us, the Bible, and praying to Him) 2) Faith is increased by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). 3) Believe what God tells us in His Word.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

There are two things to guide us in verse 27: 1) there are things you cannot change in life. We are not to concentrate our attention, efforts, resources, or spiritual and emotional energy on things we cannot change. No matter what you do you will not change those things. Pray for them, okay, because it is the only thing that will work in one way. 2) There are things that can be changed if you put your energies in them.

Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  But there are things which one can change. God shows us that it is lack of faith that disturbs you life. Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

1) We must seek the things of the kingdom of God and the justice that God desires within us. This must be our priority in life, not everyday things that happen temporarily. We have to understand that Satan wants to distract us from following God with problems in life. Because of this, we have so many problems. Instead of concentrating on what makes us unhappy, focus on what makes you happy and what makes God happy with you. Second, even pagans have needs; they look in a way to get them. Do the same. 2) God is not going to give you everything in life while you do nothing for yourself. Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. God wants us to do physical labor to get what we need. It is not to say that we do not pray at the same time. Acts 20:34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. So, first of all, have you done everything you can to get your needs and solve your problems?

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

That is, in the sight of God, and what God commands for us, if the person does not want to make an effort to solve his personal problems, God will probably abandon him, and we should not cover the laziness of the person who refuses to work.

The Persecution for being a Christian

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

The progress of God’s work, the will of God, remains under the intense care and supervision of God. God knows everything. If you suffer, God will avenge you one day in judgment on the evildoers, and will restore to you what you lose and will reward you too. Trust that God is still on the throne of the universe, and is active, never sleeps. God knew before everything started, that there was going to be opposition. We are the beloved of God, and we will be the target that Satan attacks. God decided that the suffering of his children cannot be avoided. But God will restore what we suffer or lose, and God will avenge us for what Satan does to us.

Worry about the Sickness

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Surely you are a sinner, and for this, you will die. Death usually comes to us through getting sick, and then dying of it. So why do you worry about this? Salvation is the belief that Jesus is going to rescue us from hell, take us to heaven after we die and restore us to a better new body.

Don’t worry about money

1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Matrimonial Stress

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

God knew that most people who accept the Lord will not accept him until they are adults. For each one who accepts the Lord, there are a thousand who will never accept him. This indicates that many couples are going to have a saved and an unsaved for a long time. Few of them will have both saved with time. Most Christians will live fighting and in conflict.

Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 7 that it is better not to enter into marriage problems (to get married) but most people do not endure as singles, and they must marry.

1 Corinthians 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Basically, God calls us to peace in these situations. If the unsaved person begins to live in peace with the Christian, they remain married, but if the unsaved person wants to break the marriage, they separate. The Christian must do everything possible on his part to live peacefully with the other one who can.

The chances of your partner being saved will be greatly multiplied if you and your partner stay together. They decrease if they separate.

Matthew 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

This conflict over the gospel will destroy many family relationships, and it is something that God already tells us beforehand. We should not worry about this, but do everything possible to maintain peace with the members of our family.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Este Folleto en Español: CP68 ¿Ansiedad o el Confiar?

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