“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22.36-40 NIV 

Pray

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4.19

It’s important to remember that we can’t follow any of the instructions in the Bible without God empowering us to do so. Our human nature won’t allow us to “love our neighbor as ourselves” without knowing deeply that God loves us. The best place to start is prayer. Talk to God about who you need to show love to. Ask Him to help you and to be secure in your relationship with Him. If you’re having trouble loving someone, talk to Him about it. There’s nothing you can say that will surprise or offend Him. He wants to help you and give you the ability to obey Him. 

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Study

Reading what the Bible has to say about people may help change your perspective. Especially if you realize those verses aren’t just talking about you, but also about the people that annoy you. 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Ephesians 2.10 NLT 

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4.8 NLT

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

Romans 12.9-17 NLT

Practice

The next time you’re confronted with a difficult person, stop and pray for help. Think about how that person was created in God’s image; how Jesus died for them; how they may be going through the hardest time in their life, or they may have been deeply affected by trauma earlier in their life. Practice showing grace and love even when it’s hard. God will be there to help you. 

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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John 3.16 NIV

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

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Romans 8.28 NIV

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

Proverbs 3.5-6 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Jeremiah 29.11 NIV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Isaiah 41.10 NIV

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Ephesians 4.32 NIV

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

What are some of your favorite verses to memorize? 

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Start with prayer. 

You might already know that God did not design us for constant stress and anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for us.” Ask God to help you trust Him and turn away from worry. This past blog has five other Scriptures to help you remember to give your worries to God: https://myhope1007.com/what-to-do-when-you-are-scared-and-worried/

Consider therapy. 

There are many benefits to seeing a counselor or therapist, but one of the major ones is that they can help you identify what’s causing your worry or anxiety and come up with a plan to manage it. Talking through your thoughts and feelings in a safe space can help you see things from another perspective and work through any unresolved issues that may be keeping you stuck in a cycle of worry.

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Thankfulness.

Keep a running list of things you’re thankful for. Worrying can be overwhelming and cause you to lose perspective, so it’s important to take a step back and focus on the things that make you feel grateful. Make a list of all the positive aspects of your life – no matter how small – and review it regularly. You could keep a journal or keep the list on your phone so you always have access to it.

Form healthy habits. 

Worry can cause physical symptoms like muscle tension, fatigue, and insomnia, so it’s important to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise releases endorphins that can improve your mood and help reduce the physical effects of stress. Take a walk or join a dance class; any kind of physical activity will help you take back control of your emotional state. Also, be sure to get enough sleep. Unhealthy habits stress your body and can aggravate or even be the cause of anxiety.

Look for healthy distractions. 

Worry often comes down to ruminating on things you cannot control or change. It can be hard to just “stop worrying,” so it helps to have something else to focus your attention on. Exercise, hobbies, or even just talking with friends can be a great way to distract yourself and create some distance from the source of your worry.

Practice relaxation techniques. 

One of the best ways to overcome worry is to focus on the present moment. Worrying about what might happen in the future is often a reaction to feeling out of control, so take a step back and try to identify what has you feeling overwhelmed. Once you have identified the source of your worry, envision handing those things over to God. Take a few deep breaths, resting in His presence. Train yourself to stop and do this every time you start feeling worried and you’ll start building new pathways in your brain that make it easier over time.

We hope these ideas help you live a less-worried life. Do you have any go-to anxiety busters? We’d love to hear from you!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“When your faith runs out, just judge God faithful.”

Sometimes you don’t know why you’ve got a question mark in your life. I remember a time I got hit with a job loss, a relative who I really loved passed away, and then medical issues cropped up all in a short amount of time. And I just was wondering, why Lord is this going on? But you know what? God brought me through all of that. And I learned that an exclamation point is simply a question mark that’s been straightened out. I learned that if I want God to turn my question marks into an exclamation point, then all I’ve got to do is trust Him.

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Psalm 31.3-5

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You know, sometimes when we pray for something, we get the answer quickly, but sometimes we have to wait and wait and wait. And I don’t know about you, but patience is not exactly my strong suit. It’s not a very pleasant thing to wait, is it? But you know what? That waiting is all part of God’s process. He’s working out that situation to perfection. So instead of asking, “why is this taking so long?” Maybe our attitude instead should be, “God, I thank you for working this out perfectly. And I thank you that what You promised is on the way.”

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3.1

This is something we all should do from time to time. Especially in life, when things are rough. Take some time to look back over your life and contemplate all the times God was good to you. I mean the times where He made a way when you didn’t see a way, He brought you to the right place at the right time so that you were blessed. Your health didn’t look good, but somehow He turned that around. Maybe you made mistakes that should have held you back, but God and His mercy covered you and brought you to a really nice place in life. So yeah, from time to time, let’s look back over our lives and contemplate God’s goodness.

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.

Psalm 145:5-7

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Here’s an acronym that’s easy to remember: FEAR. FEAR has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run, or, Face Everything And Rise. That’s powerful! The choice? That’s yours.

~Todd Stach

In How To Handle Fear- Part One, we read the parable of the prodigal son and talked about how to run to Jesus. I included the quote from Todd Stach again to refresh you on the acronym that inspired this blog series. This time, we’ll look at what it means when someone tells you to “take it to Jesus” or “lay it at Jesus’ feet.” Let’s start with Scripture! 

What the Bible says about Fear and Worry

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10.28-31 NIV

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11.28-29 NIV

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.67 NLT

Laying your burdens at Jesus’ feet is about trust, prayer, and renewing your mind. Worry is part of the human experience that stems from fear and is aggravated by our increasing desire to control every part of our lives. Add on top of that the fact that we can instantaneously find out about scary and troubling things happening all over the world, and it’s a miracle we do anything but worry! But the Bible is very clear on this: “don’t worry about anything…” The Bible tells us not to worry and not to fear many many times. If you ever took a class or a study on how to read the Bible, you probably learned that when something is repeated, it means “pay attention!” and God knew we would really need to hear “don’t worry” pretty often. 

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How To Lay Your Burdens at Jesus’ Feet

1) Trust

If you’re a new Christian, spend time building your relationship with God through Bible study and prayer. By learning who He is, and seeing Him work in your life, trust will begin to grow. If you’re a more experienced believer, being in the Word and in prayer is an important part of trusting as well, but you also have your past experiences to help you. Remind yourself of the things God has brought you through, the prayers He has answered. Remembering how you learned to trust God before will help you trust now.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17.7-8 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Psalm 91.1-6 ESV

2) Prayer

The way you lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus is through prayer. When you’re tempted to worry about something, take it to Him in prayer. “Laying it down at His feet” means handing it over and not picking it back up. It’s hard, because sometimes our minds run away with scenarios and fears before we even realize what’s happening. When you find yourself in that mindspace, just pray immediately and tell the Lord you’re giving it back to Him. Like anything else, it takes discipline and practice, but it is possible to take control over your thoughts and your fear.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

James 5.13 NIV

3) Renewing Your Mind

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12.2 NIV

Renewing your mind comes from being committed to studying the Bible, prayer, and refusing to allow your thoughts to dictate your belief in the truth. The Bible tells us to “take captive every thought.” You can do this by paying close attention to the thoughts in your mind. Train yourself to catch thoughts that go against the Word of God and replace them with the truth. The brain is a fascinating organ. The thoughts that we have over and over create physical grooves in our gray matter called neural pathways. The more we think certain thoughts, the deeper those pathways get and the easier it is for your brain to automatically run along those lines. The great news is we now know those paths can be changed! Thinking new thoughts weaken the old paths and eventually, the new neural pathways can become the dominant ones. The longer you’ve had certain habits, (like worrying) the longer it will take you to break them, but take heart! The result is so worth the effort!

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10.4-5 NIV

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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