March 1, 2017 - Everybody is in a hurry. We eat at our desk at work, while driving down the road, I've even seen people eating while they walk. We are constantly on the phone either texting, talking, or checking social media. We have microwaves to cook our food faster, cars and planes to get places faster, the internet to get information faster, everything is about doing more in less time. I read a recent study that stated that no other time in history have we had more things to make our lives easier and faster, and yet we have less free time than at any time in history. We try and cram more "stuff" in less time.
There is a song by the group Alabama whose lyrics go like this; "I am in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really have to do is live and die. I'm in a hurry and don't know why." The truth of the matter is that we do seem to stress ourselves out trying to get more things done in a day. We even transfer that stress to our children. If we don't have enough to do, we try and fill our children's life up with stress by enrolling them into every sport, cheer-leading, after school activity that there is and expect them to perform at their highest level at all of them. There's no wonder that the rate of teen suicide is at an all time high. There are more children as well as adults on antidepressants and anti anxiety medicines than anytime in history. More and more do I see children and adults coming into my office for stress related illnesses. Stomach ailments, hypertension, anxiety, depression, headaches, heart disease, obesity, and yes even some cancers can be attributed to or worsened by stress. Increased stress steals our joy and health and can cause us to drift from God. News Flash! You don't have to do everything!
In Psalms 46: 10 God says, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
We need to learn to be still. God wants us to step back every once and a while and just rest in Him. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11: 29-30, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." God wants us to be happy and stress free, content with our lives.
So now I know the question your going to ask. "How can I find relaxation in my hectic day?" Well I am glad you asked. I have a prescription for you to try. First, put down your phone. Turn off the TV and the radio. Find a quiet place and take three deep breaths. Then second, if you will take just 10 minutes a day and sit still, read aloud these three passages it can change your stress level and your life. Recite Psalms 23, Psalms 91, Matthew 6: 25-34 and make them personal. I promise it will change your life.
Don't take my word for it. Try it! Slow down and let God remove the stress from your life.
I'm just sayin,
Mike Belgard
