"Victory over Stress!"

Recap #1

That's it! No more scriptures to unpack, break down, or discuss in the series. For this rest of this week we will simply recap some of what we have learned over the past few months.

So what does this mean to you? Let's review:

1. Making peace with God comes as a result of accepting Jesus as Lord and receiving the forgiveness of sin. However, subsequent to that, we have the ability to receive the peace of God and this peace far surpasses human understanding, reasoning or explanation. The peace of God is amazing and it is available for every believer (see Phil 4:6,7).

2. We can choose what to do with our cares. We can carry them around, and allow them to burden us down, like we were accustomed to prior to coming to Christ, or we can CAST them over to God. The Father is ready, willing, and able to receive the cares we cast over to Him, because He cares for us. So be a care-caster, not a care-carrier! (see 1st Peter 5:7).

3. While it is possible to do so, the Father does not want us to become weary in doing what is right. If we become weary we will lose the grip we have on our faith and we will experience a faith-failure. However, if we hold on, if we remain steadfast, if we maintain our hope, if we remain confident, in due season (which means that there is a season when our breakthrough is DUE) we will reap our harvest (see Gal 6:9).

4. The Father offers us a Great Exchange. He is willing to exchange our weariness for His rest. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." What a great deal! We bring him our heavy burdens and He is willing to do a one-for-one exchange with them for His rest. You won't find a better deal anywhere (see Mat 11:38-30).

5. You can't be in-trust and in-worry at the same time. If you are worrying, it is an indication that you don't trust God. But if you fully trust Him there is a perfect peace - which is actually written in scripture as "peace peace" - that is available for you (see Isa 26:3).

6. Get good sleep! The Word says that it is vain to get up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows because you can't sleep, because the Lord gives His beloved sleep. Stop allowing worry to rob you of the sleep the Father wants you to have (see Ps 127:2).

7. Have fun! If you are miserable all day, then you will more-than-likely be the same at night. Don't live a miserable life. Enjoy your life in Christ and have FUN! Solomon said, "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." If you have fun during the day, you will also have fun while you sleep and your sleep will be sweet! (see Prov 17:22).

Father, I have heard from You this morning and I choose to take You up on Your offer. I release the pain, bitterness, resentment, and stress that harboring negative energy from my past has caused and I am ready to make the Great Exchange. I take off all the negatives yokes I have carried in the past and I decide to only put on one yoke, from this day forward, for the rest of my life, and that yoke is Your yoke. I yoke up with You and as I do You partner with me so that I don't have to attempt to live my life alone. You sharing the load of my life gives me complete confidence that I will be able to maximize my purpose and potential before I die! Let's go make a difference! In Jesus' name. Amen.