Living in Fear and Stress

Are you living in fear and stress? Do you feel constantly overwhelmed, like no one is there for you, nobody understands fully, or can appreciate the amount of responsibilities you carry? Do you sometimes think that death might be the only way to stop it all, the only way to manage, the only way to survive (even in fleeting thoughts)?

Believe me, you ARE NOT ALONE!

I KNOW you feel alone. I know your circumstances have always showed you that you are alone. I know it seems to end up that you are by yourself trying to figure it all out and to make it right....

But I still say with certainty, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Back off, take a breath. I mean really breathe in and out deeply. Cry, scream, run, even punch or pound a chair, pillow or the ground outside! Get all of the adrenaline pumping through your veins to more of a balanced level so that you can think.

Then try this:

1. Identify what is the wrong. Seriously face reality. Identify what is the source even if it is several. Write it down, say it out loud or simply think it through - but identify it.
2. Turn your focus away from it! You see it only gets bigger and bigger the more you focus on it. You need to put it down, back away and refocus.
3. Identify on the Truth! Sometimes we have to get another person's perspective to see the Truth. Christians can look up what they are dealing with in Scripture and Find out what God has to say about it - that is Truth. But some of us have very good friends that can also be honest with us and are willing to tell us the truth - even if it is not what we want to hear.
4. Act on the Truth. This means you are going to have to change something in your thoughts and probably also in your behavior. You can change you - your reaction, your plan, your attitude - but you can't change others so don't even try! It is a waste of time and causes more stress.

I am a Christian so when I am very worried about something or totally stressed out, in the end, I find myself face to face with God looking to Him for help (with advice from other Christian friends taking counsel from His Word or directly from the Bible itself).

Truth forces me to re-adjust my thinking and that changes my behavior. It doesn't mean the circumstance is going to come to an abrupt end. I may have to live in the storm for a long time, but at least I know I am not alone in the storm. I know I can trust God that He is with me and that He will do what He promises. 

Imagination, ignorance and doubt can be the source of many stressors that create fear and pressure in our life, but reality is until we learn to focus on what is good in life, what is pure, what is right, what is holy, what is awesome, what is lovely - we are going to live perpetually in fear and stress. 

Choose for yourself how you will live your life!

"Finally, whatever things are true, whatever are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, what ever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8 NKJV