Stop Stressing

I had to say that to myself this morning as I was multi-tasking unloading the dishwasher, getting cereal for my MeMe's babies and planning out the rest of my day. For most people, this is the last day of a relaxing extended holiday weekend; but for me, it's the first day of another very busy week full of deadlines and a bunch of other stuff that's too important to not do or to put off. And did I mention that today is also my daughters' 13th birthday? By 10 am, I was already mentally fatigued. As I swept the front porch, I thought about something that I heard Dr. Myles Munroe say in a teaching about Kingdom mindfulness. He said that worry is synonymous with stress but is in opposition of what Jesus says about seeking the Kingdom. When I finished with my sweeping, I went up to my room and opened my Bible up to Matthew chapter 6 and began reading in verse 26 through the end of the chapter. The header for this passage of Scripture reads 'Do Not Be Anxious'. It suggests that worry or stress are optional. Either I can choose to stress out about all that I have to do and the little time that I have to do it in or I can replace those thoughts with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and ask God to help me to purposefully plan and navigate through my day. (Philippians 4:6-7) The word supplication means to plead with humility. In this sense, to worry is to be defiant. In essence, choosing to worry or to subconsciously engage in worry is a prideful act of disobedience and what it translates to God is 'I got this'. Well God, I don't got this. After I checked myself this is what I said to Him:

Lord, I need Your help to navigate through this day. I ask You to forgive me for carrying concerns that You said to give to You. Forgive me for thinking that in myself and apart from You that I can complete anything that You purposed me to do. Thank You for this day, this holiday and this extended weekend. Thank You for my beautiful daughter and for the blessing of her life; there are mothers whose children never made it to see their 13th birthday. Thank You for the deadlines that I have to meet as I work unto You. I ask You for wisdom to meet my deadlines without giving in to stress inhibitors. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

You see, there will always be situations and things to worry about; if not, God would not have addressed it and told us what we are to do about it. He is All-Knowing so to think that our problems are new to Him is an insult to Him. He knows about your money problems, your marriage problems and He knows about the jerk of a boss that you have to submit to. What He wants you to know is that He is the resolve for anything that can come up against you. The answer is in His Word. As you pray and seek Him earnestly, the problems won't just disappear but the inexplainable peace of God will guard your heart and mind in such a way that you'll be able to hear His instruction to you. Don't stress.