Category: Anxiety

What’s the effect? Stress. As a matter of fact, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports an estimated of 40 million Americans suffering from different types of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety is often the result of stress, and because of that, it’s something that’s really unavoidable. That’s why we’re here to help; here are some ways on how you can minimize the stress levels in your body.

#1. Don’t Be a Caffeine Fiend

There’s just something about having a cup of Joe to start the day. Although caffeine can help improve your energy levels right away, it also triggers anxiety symptoms, such as an upset stomach, shaky hands, and racing heart.

Although the symptoms you’re going to experience aren’t really the actual cause of anxiety, once you’re in a sensitized state, you’re going to feel more vulnerable to the psychological effects of caffeine, and the body would misinterpret those effects as results of anxiety.

#2. Don’t Overthink the Stressors

Sometimes, the more you think about what’s making you all worked up, the more you’ll feel anxious about it. The truth is, stress wouldn’t go away, and there are a lot of jobs that are inherently stressful. The best thing you can do is set these anxieties or stressors aside because they wouldn’t so you any good at all.

#3. Embrace Anxiety

Have you ever been in a meeting and started getting cold sweats, matched with a racing heartbeat? You have a few options to resolve that; either fight the feelings and remove yourself from the situation, or embrace anxiety. By accepting anxiety, you’ll be able to get use to it and learn how to ignore those feelings once it hits you again.

#4. Nothing Wrong with Faking

Sometimes, the only thing you can do is grin and endure it. Believe it or not, there are instances where faking actually bring good results. It lets the anxiety pass, and make you feel confident at the same time. So, what are you waiting for? Stand up tall, and don’t let those anxieties swallow you whole.

#5. Consider Taking a Breather

Whenever it’s possible, try to check in with yourself all throughout the day– this can be done by simply taking deep breathes, or if possible, practice meditation.

Make it a habit to drop your shoulders to release any tension from your body. These little things can help in uplifting your mood and make you feel a little more relaxed.

#6. Keep Moving

Exercise doesn’t only make you look good, but it can help you feel good as well. Just like what they always say, a healthy body leads a healthy mind.

More valuable tips covering another aspects of your life on http://aboutpersonalgrowth.com/

What’s the effect? Stress. As a matter of fact, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports an estimated of 40 million Americans suffering from different types of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety is often the result of stress, and because of that, it’s something that’s really unavoidable. That’s why we’re here to help; here are some ways on how you can minimize the stress levels in your body.

#1. Don’t Be a Caffeine Fiend

There’s just something about having a cup of Joe to start the day. Although caffeine can help improve your energy levels right away, it also triggers anxiety symptoms, such as an upset stomach, shaky hands, and racing heart.

Although the symptoms you’re going to experience aren’t really the actual cause of anxiety, once you’re in a sensitized state, you’re going to feel more vulnerable to the psychological effects of caffeine, and the body would misinterpret those effects as results of anxiety.

#2. Don’t Overthink the Stressors

Sometimes, the more you think about what’s making you all worked up, the more you’ll feel anxious about it. The truth is, stress wouldn’t go away, and there are a lot of jobs that are inherently stressful. The best thing you can do is set these anxieties or stressors aside because they wouldn’t so you any good at all.

#3. Embrace Anxiety

Have you ever been in a meeting and started getting cold sweats, matched with a racing heartbeat? You have a few options to resolve that; either fight the feelings and remove yourself from the situation, or embrace anxiety. By accepting anxiety, you’ll be able to get use to it and learn how to ignore those feelings once it hits you again.

#4. Nothing Wrong with Faking

Sometimes, the only thing you can do is grin and endure it. Believe it or not, there are instances where faking actually bring good results. It lets the anxiety pass, and make you feel confident at the same time. So, what are you waiting for? Stand up tall, and don’t let those anxieties swallow you whole.

#5. Consider Taking a Breather

Whenever it’s possible, try to check in with yourself all throughout the day– this can be done by simply taking deep breathes, or if possible, practice meditation.

Make it a habit to drop your shoulders to release any tension from your body. These little things can help in uplifting your mood and make you feel a little more relaxed.

#6. Keep Moving

Exercise doesn’t only make you look good, but it can help you feel good as well. Just like what they always say, a healthy body leads a healthy mind.

More valuable tips covering another aspects of your life on http://aboutpersonalgrowth.com/

Do you feel stressful right now?

Are you constantly worrying about the future?

Have you caught yourself thinking about the negative future potential consequences of the things you currently do?

The truth is that stress is an inevitable part of life.

While it sounds good in theory that we could eliminate stress altogether and be carefree for the rest of your life, that’s simply impossible in reality.

Having said that, if you are overstressed for a prolonged period of time, it’s going to interfere with your happiness.

Excessive stress robs people of their energy away.

That’s why you feel drained whenever experiencing it. It can actually prevent your body from optimally performing its normal functions such as fighting off disease, your immune system is lowered when you are stressed out.

This is why excess stress can lead to diseases. The natural healing mechanism the body uses to fend off the diseases will be diverted to fend off the stress, thus you are more vulnerable to infections.

Too much stress can also interfere with happiness.

Although we can try to make ourselves happier just by actively engaging in positive beneficial activities, a chronic stress can overwhelm your positivity at those tipping points.

To combat these regular stress sources, here are a few tips on how to reduce them:

#1 Exercise And Workout Regularly

When you include exercises, especially cardio ones, in your normal routine, you are stimulating your brain to release the happy chemical called endorphins. It makes you feel good.

When you have a real chemical change in your blood stream, stress will be harder to kick in and bring you down.

Also, when you are doing these high-intensity exercises, you tend to shift your focus into the moment and thus think less about those stressful situations. You’re transforming your aggressions into different forms of energy and this can lower your levels of stress significantly.

#2 Take Imperfect Action On The Things You’ve Been Procrastinating On

When you choose to proactively engage with the tough situations you’ve been avoiding, you’ll become less stressed over time because it’s often the imagination of the situation rather than the situation itself that stresses people out.

By “eating the frog” and doing the hardest work early in your workday, you’ll free yourself up the anxiety, fear, and over-thinking that pop up throughout the day.

#3 Spend Private Time With Yourself Daily

Solitude grounds you.

When you spend some quiet time (maybe just 20-30 minutes) each day just for yourself instead of entertaining others and the world, you will give yourself a window of opportunity to relax and clear your mind.

It can be as formal as quiet meditation, but it can be as casual as sitting in your room and journaling what you had accomplished, won and learnt in the day.

Stress is going to bombard you no matter what. The key is to accept them and find ways to transform these energies into productive motivations so you continue dominate your mission and keep hustling.

Make progress consistently and happiness will ensue.

Do you feel stressful right now?

Are you constantly worrying about the future?

Have you caught yourself thinking about the negative future potential consequences of the things you currently do?

The truth is that stress is an inevitable part of life.

While it sounds good in theory that we could eliminate stress altogether and be carefree for the rest of your life, that’s simply impossible in reality.

Having said that, if you are overstressed for a prolonged period of time, it’s going to interfere with your happiness.

Excessive stress robs people of their energy away.

That’s why you feel drained whenever experiencing it. It can actually prevent your body from optimally performing its normal functions such as fighting off disease, your immune system is lowered when you are stressed out.

This is why excess stress can lead to diseases. The natural healing mechanism the body uses to fend off the diseases will be diverted to fend off the stress, thus you are more vulnerable to infections.

Too much stress can also interfere with happiness.

Although we can try to make ourselves happier just by actively engaging in positive beneficial activities, a chronic stress can overwhelm your positivity at those tipping points.

To combat these regular stress sources, here are a few tips on how to reduce them:

#1 Exercise And Workout Regularly

When you include exercises, especially cardio ones, in your normal routine, you are stimulating your brain to release the happy chemical called endorphins. It makes you feel good.

When you have a real chemical change in your blood stream, stress will be harder to kick in and bring you down.

Also, when you are doing these high-intensity exercises, you tend to shift your focus into the moment and thus think less about those stressful situations. You’re transforming your aggressions into different forms of energy and this can lower your levels of stress significantly.

#2 Take Imperfect Action On The Things You’ve Been Procrastinating On

When you choose to proactively engage with the tough situations you’ve been avoiding, you’ll become less stressed over time because it’s often the imagination of the situation rather than the situation itself that stresses people out.

By “eating the frog” and doing the hardest work early in your workday, you’ll free yourself up the anxiety, fear, and over-thinking that pop up throughout the day.

#3 Spend Private Time With Yourself Daily

Solitude grounds you.

When you spend some quiet time (maybe just 20-30 minutes) each day just for yourself instead of entertaining others and the world, you will give yourself a window of opportunity to relax and clear your mind.

It can be as formal as quiet meditation, but it can be as casual as sitting in your room and journaling what you had accomplished, won and learnt in the day.

Stress is going to bombard you no matter what. The key is to accept them and find ways to transform these energies into productive motivations so you continue dominate your mission and keep hustling.

Make progress consistently and happiness will ensue.

One way to tackle stress is to improve your health, your energy levels and your mood. By doing these things, you can help yourself to become more resilient and hardy to stress and you can avoid letting the smaller things bog you down. But that’s a fairly abstract way to combat anxiety that doesn’t always have an immediate effect.

The other route to take then is to look at the specific causes of stress in your life – the stressors – and to remove them. Some of these will be big and some of them will be small, but all of them contribute to raising blood pressure and making us feel a little less calm and relaxed.

The problem is, many of us can’t put our fingers on exactly what it is that is causing us stress and even when we do, it’s not always obvious how we can deal with the problems.

Read on then and we will look at some of the most common causes of stress and at what you can do to deal with them once and for all…

The Commute
Did you know that the only ‘universal fear’ is things heading towards you? Thus, walking to work and having hundreds of people moving the other way down the street is pretty much a recipe for stress – especially if you’re running late or if you have a long way to travel.

One solution then is to avoid the rush hour. You can do this by speaking with your employer and asking them to give you more flexible working hours: perhaps you could work 8am-4pm for instance instead of 9am-5pm? Alternatively, look at other ways of getting in, like cycling. Or just arrive a little early!

‘Open Loops’
Many of us have lots of niggling jobs and stresses in the back of our minds that contribute to our stress. For instance, you might need to call your relative. Or maybe you have a bill to pay. These are what are known as ‘open loops’ and they can drain us of energy, focus and positivity. The solution is to deal with each of them as soon as possible rather than letting them drag on.

Money
Money is a huge stress for many of us and can cause many a sleepless night. The solution to that is to create a budget.

Budgets show us how much we’re losing and where and allow us to formulate a plan to get back on top. What you will often find is that simply cancelling some of your recurring bills and changing your lifestyle a little can make a big difference and help you to get back in the black.

One way to tackle stress is to improve your health, your energy levels and your mood. By doing these things, you can help yourself to become more resilient and hardy to stress and you can avoid letting the smaller things bog you down. But that’s a fairly abstract way to combat anxiety that doesn’t always have an immediate effect.

The other route to take then is to look at the specific causes of stress in your life – the stressors – and to remove them. Some of these will be big and some of them will be small, but all of them contribute to raising blood pressure and making us feel a little less calm and relaxed.

The problem is, many of us can’t put our fingers on exactly what it is that is causing us stress and even when we do, it’s not always obvious how we can deal with the problems.

Read on then and we will look at some of the most common causes of stress and at what you can do to deal with them once and for all…

The Commute
Did you know that the only ‘universal fear’ is things heading towards you? Thus, walking to work and having hundreds of people moving the other way down the street is pretty much a recipe for stress – especially if you’re running late or if you have a long way to travel.

One solution then is to avoid the rush hour. You can do this by speaking with your employer and asking them to give you more flexible working hours: perhaps you could work 8am-4pm for instance instead of 9am-5pm? Alternatively, look at other ways of getting in, like cycling. Or just arrive a little early!

‘Open Loops’
Many of us have lots of niggling jobs and stresses in the back of our minds that contribute to our stress. For instance, you might need to call your relative. Or maybe you have a bill to pay. These are what are known as ‘open loops’ and they can drain us of energy, focus and positivity. The solution is to deal with each of them as soon as possible rather than letting them drag on.

Money
Money is a huge stress for many of us and can cause many a sleepless night. The solution to that is to create a budget.

Budgets show us how much we’re losing and where and allow us to formulate a plan to get back on top. What you will often find is that simply cancelling some of your recurring bills and changing your lifestyle a little can make a big difference and help you to get back in the black.

My desk at home is definitely my creative sanctuary. I spend endless amounts of hours generating ideas, researching new topics and crafting my work. I really do enjoy being in my own private little workspace. I have endured many long periods of productivity (some of which have turned into late night writing sessions) without ever feeling overwhelmed or as though I have lost my sanity.

However, working on projects isn’t always breezy; there are times when I am rushing to meet a deadline or I’m struggling to come up with a new topic to write about. Even so, my carefully constructed, comfortable little space can insulate my mind from the dangers of stress.

When setting up your own personal workspace there is one very important question you must ask yourself… “How does it FEEL to you?” With that in mind here are 4 ways to “calmify” your own workspace:

1. Make Your Workspace Visually Appealing

I’ve always disliked the look and feel of a corporate office: I find those types of workspaces drain me of energy and hinder my creativity. If you’re going to spend the better part of the day working in your personal workspace, it only makes sense to add a little visual appeal.

You should instantly feel good when sitting down at your desk; in fact, it should very well be our most favourite place to be. Ditch those white walls for something more energetic and eye friendly; invest in beautiful hanging artworks or vibrant floor rugs. You may even want to consider getting a plant, as they have proven to reduce stress and improve air quality.

2. Play relaxing music or ambient noise

I personally don’t like total silence when I work; I find it a little too depressing and believe it or not a bit distracting. My mind tends to wonder in silence and I easily fall prey to daydreaming.

It has been proven that listening to music while working can increase happiness and efficiency; research has shown that moderate noise level can help get the creative juices following.

I, however, can become easily sidetracked by song lyrics, which is why I prefer to listen to ambient noise. Listening to natural sounds such as waves at a beach or raining falling while you work, can increase concentration levels. If you in search of some ambient noise Spotify has a huge variety of playlist to choose from.

3. Clear the Clutter

A cluttered workspace can have quite a negative effect on your concentration and productivity. By surrounding yourself with unfinished tasks, you are reminding yourself of what you have not yet completed, which can make it very difficult to feel centred and focused.

When working in your workspace, the only items that should be on your desk should be directly related t the current project you’re working on. All other items should be neatly stored away in drawers, shelves or cabinets.

4. Work near a window

There is much more to a window seat then just the view; healthy levels of light can easily energise you and help your body become alerted, attentive and focused. Studies have shown that exposure to natural light during the day can have greatly influenced a happier mood and sharper alertness.

Natural light can also result in a reduction of anxiety, stress, lethargy, and boredom. Designing your workspace around lighting will great benefits on your productivity.

Now get to it!

Take a moment to review your workspace. How can you calmify your creative space? If you don’t have the time for a major modification, then tackle it one small change at a time. Add an art piece, purchase a plant, tidy your space. Then relax and enjoy.

My desk at home is definitely my creative sanctuary. I spend endless amounts of hours generating ideas, researching new topics and crafting my work. I really do enjoy being in my own private little workspace. I have endured many long periods of productivity (some of which have turned into late night writing sessions) without ever feeling overwhelmed or as though I have lost my sanity.

However, working on projects isn’t always breezy; there are times when I am rushing to meet a deadline or I’m struggling to come up with a new topic to write about. Even so, my carefully constructed, comfortable little space can insulate my mind from the dangers of stress.

When setting up your own personal workspace there is one very important question you must ask yourself… “How does it FEEL to you?” With that in mind here are 4 ways to “calmify” your own workspace:

1. Make Your Workspace Visually Appealing

I’ve always disliked the look and feel of a corporate office: I find those types of workspaces drain me of energy and hinder my creativity. If you’re going to spend the better part of the day working in your personal workspace, it only makes sense to add a little visual appeal.

You should instantly feel good when sitting down at your desk; in fact, it should very well be our most favourite place to be. Ditch those white walls for something more energetic and eye friendly; invest in beautiful hanging artworks or vibrant floor rugs. You may even want to consider getting a plant, as they have proven to reduce stress and improve air quality.

2. Play relaxing music or ambient noise

I personally don’t like total silence when I work; I find it a little too depressing and believe it or not a bit distracting. My mind tends to wonder in silence and I easily fall prey to daydreaming.

It has been proven that listening to music while working can increase happiness and efficiency; research has shown that moderate noise level can help get the creative juices following.

I, however, can become easily sidetracked by song lyrics, which is why I prefer to listen to ambient noise. Listening to natural sounds such as waves at a beach or raining falling while you work, can increase concentration levels. If you in search of some ambient noise Spotify has a huge variety of playlist to choose from.

3. Clear the Clutter

A cluttered workspace can have quite a negative effect on your concentration and productivity. By surrounding yourself with unfinished tasks, you are reminding yourself of what you have not yet completed, which can make it very difficult to feel centred and focused.

When working in your workspace, the only items that should be on your desk should be directly related t the current project you’re working on. All other items should be neatly stored away in drawers, shelves or cabinets.

4. Work near a window

There is much more to a window seat then just the view; healthy levels of light can easily energise you and help your body become alerted, attentive and focused. Studies have shown that exposure to natural light during the day can have greatly influenced a happier mood and sharper alertness.

Natural light can also result in a reduction of anxiety, stress, lethargy, and boredom. Designing your workspace around lighting will great benefits on your productivity.

Now get to it!

Take a moment to review your workspace. How can you calmify your creative space? If you don’t have the time for a major modification, then tackle it one small change at a time. Add an art piece, purchase a plant, tidy your space. Then relax and enjoy.

One of the most convicting things I have recently come to realize about Jesus is that He was never, not once, in a hurry. ~ Mark Buchanan

Rest. The word conjures a sense of peace and quietness. “Sit down, rest a spell,” your gramma might have said after a long day. The loss of a loved one is referred to as ‘eternal rest’. A doctor’s prescription for illness might be ‘bed rest’. Or someone might say, “I think I’ll go lie down and rest a bit.” Translated, that means an afternoon nap!

There are ‘rest stops’ on the highway for a bathroom break and a stretch. In music, it’s a pause of silence between notes. There are arm rests, head rests and foot rests. The rest we all long for, however, is rest for our minds, relief from the constant barrage of thoughts and worries that run through our heads. That requires us to know and understand the rest of God.

For God, rest takes on a different meaning. God ‘rested’ on the seventh day because His work of creation was finished. There was no more planning or execution to do. The heavens and earth were complete and running smoothly. He had decreed The Blessing -“be fruitful, multiply and replenish”-on every species, including mankind. Without that sneaky snake’s interference, aka Satan, earth would still be a Garden of Eden with every need fully supplied (Phil. 4:19).

Exodus explains that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it (v. 20:11). God ordained one day each week, to be a ‘blessing’ for His people as a day of rest and restoration of spirit, soul and body.

Some chapters later, Moses was conversing with God about taking the Israelites into the Promised Land. God told Moses, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (v. 33:14). Apparently spending time in God’s presence provides rest, refreshment and restoration.

To find the rest of God, you must first lose your grip on worries, dreads and fears. As a born-again Christian, you can take Jesus words to heart when He said, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29) Rest for your soul means freedom from worry, anxiety, tension, dread, and every other negative emotion. The Amplified Classic Bible confirms that you will find relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for your souls.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? No more stress, pressure or worry. How is that possible? Because God is Love and, like any good parent, He wants to remove your burdens and relieve your problems. Paul explained that God wants you to cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you (I Peter 5:7).

Partnered with that is the truth that God is able. Paul wrote in Acts, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance… (v. 20:32). Later He wrote that God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).

So now that you know He is willing-because Love always blesses-and able-because of His divine, supernatural creative power, where do you find God’s rest?

Rest in His Word
Faith is the connection between your problem and God’s answer. You cannot rest if you don’t understand the privileges and promises of your position in Christ, and you cannot know that without spending time in His Word. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thine heart; (Prov. 4:20-21).

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The Bible doesn’t say faith might come; it says faith comes! The more time you spend in the Word through study and meditation, the stronger your faith connection to His promise.

Rest in His Promises
For all the promises of God in Him are “yea”; and in Him “amen” unto the glory of God (2 Cor. 1:20). Unlike my hubby, whose first response to any question is “NO!”, God says YES! Yea, I will bless her (Sarah). Yea, and he shall be blessed (Isaac). From the beginning of Creation, God sought to bless His people.

Consider the multiplied millions of Israelites who spent forty years in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God. Instead they grumbled and complained, and made false idols to worship. Even then, Yea, forty years didst Thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old and their feet swelled not (Neh.9:21).

Rest in His Presence
Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11). Resting in His presence is a time of prayer and listening. If you’ve ever had a one-sided ‘conversation’ with someone, you understand that you can’t talk and listen at the same time. Prayer is good, but so is quiet, with thoughts turned inward, listening for His still, small voice of wisdom and revelation.

I’ve heard it said that you should ‘practice the presence of God’. That means we should become aware that His Spirit dwells in you. The answers you seek are in you, if you will seek to remain aware of Him throughout each day until you sense the times of refreshing [that] shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).

Rest in His Power
Satan couldn’t touch Jesus, did you notice? He couldn’t kill Him as a young child when Herod murdered all children under the age of two. (The wise men brought enough ‘gifts’ to finance their trip to Egypt.) He couldn’t tempt Jesus with wealth or power in the wilderness. (Jesus understood his position and inheritance in God.) Later, He walked through the crowd trying to stone him.

Because we are ‘in Him’, the devil can’t touch us either unless we let him. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). The devil cannot touch you unless you give him an opening through fear, doubt and unbelief (worry). Instead, stay focused on His promises like this one in 2 Peter. His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness (v. 1:3). Or this one in 2 Timothy: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (v. 1:7).

God is able! No matter how big or long-standing your problem, He is not intimidated by it. He wants you to rest in Him, release your cares and let Him handle all your problems. No, it’s not easy. It takes patience and tenacity to NOT worry or scheme. It takes commitment and determination to focus solely on His promises and not let negative words out of your mouth.

Start with His Word, then strengthen your faith by hearing, study and meditation. Pray-which simply means, talk to God. Tell Him what you want and what promise you are using as the ‘title deed’ to your deliverance. Then rest. Relax, knowing that His all-encompassing Love and divine power are working on your situation as long as you leave it in His capable hands. He’s got a solution far bigger and better than anything you could ever dream or ask or think!

One of the most convicting things I have recently come to realize about Jesus is that He was never, not once, in a hurry. ~ Mark Buchanan

Rest. The word conjures a sense of peace and quietness. “Sit down, rest a spell,” your gramma might have said after a long day. The loss of a loved one is referred to as ‘eternal rest’. A doctor’s prescription for illness might be ‘bed rest’. Or someone might say, “I think I’ll go lie down and rest a bit.” Translated, that means an afternoon nap!

There are ‘rest stops’ on the highway for a bathroom break and a stretch. In music, it’s a pause of silence between notes. There are arm rests, head rests and foot rests. The rest we all long for, however, is rest for our minds, relief from the constant barrage of thoughts and worries that run through our heads. That requires us to know and understand the rest of God.

For God, rest takes on a different meaning. God ‘rested’ on the seventh day because His work of creation was finished. There was no more planning or execution to do. The heavens and earth were complete and running smoothly. He had decreed The Blessing -“be fruitful, multiply and replenish”-on every species, including mankind. Without that sneaky snake’s interference, aka Satan, earth would still be a Garden of Eden with every need fully supplied (Phil. 4:19).

Exodus explains that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it (v. 20:11). God ordained one day each week, to be a ‘blessing’ for His people as a day of rest and restoration of spirit, soul and body.

Some chapters later, Moses was conversing with God about taking the Israelites into the Promised Land. God told Moses, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (v. 33:14). Apparently spending time in God’s presence provides rest, refreshment and restoration.

To find the rest of God, you must first lose your grip on worries, dreads and fears. As a born-again Christian, you can take Jesus words to heart when He said, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29) Rest for your soul means freedom from worry, anxiety, tension, dread, and every other negative emotion. The Amplified Classic Bible confirms that you will find relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet for your souls.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? No more stress, pressure or worry. How is that possible? Because God is Love and, like any good parent, He wants to remove your burdens and relieve your problems. Paul explained that God wants you to cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you (I Peter 5:7).

Partnered with that is the truth that God is able. Paul wrote in Acts, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance… (v. 20:32). Later He wrote that God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).

So now that you know He is willing-because Love always blesses-and able-because of His divine, supernatural creative power, where do you find God’s rest?

Rest in His Word
Faith is the connection between your problem and God’s answer. You cannot rest if you don’t understand the privileges and promises of your position in Christ, and you cannot know that without spending time in His Word. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thine heart; (Prov. 4:20-21).

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The Bible doesn’t say faith might come; it says faith comes! The more time you spend in the Word through study and meditation, the stronger your faith connection to His promise.

Rest in His Promises
For all the promises of God in Him are “yea”; and in Him “amen” unto the glory of God (2 Cor. 1:20). Unlike my hubby, whose first response to any question is “NO!”, God says YES! Yea, I will bless her (Sarah). Yea, and he shall be blessed (Isaac). From the beginning of Creation, God sought to bless His people.

Consider the multiplied millions of Israelites who spent forty years in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God. Instead they grumbled and complained, and made false idols to worship. Even then, Yea, forty years didst Thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old and their feet swelled not (Neh.9:21).

Rest in His Presence
Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11). Resting in His presence is a time of prayer and listening. If you’ve ever had a one-sided ‘conversation’ with someone, you understand that you can’t talk and listen at the same time. Prayer is good, but so is quiet, with thoughts turned inward, listening for His still, small voice of wisdom and revelation.

I’ve heard it said that you should ‘practice the presence of God’. That means we should become aware that His Spirit dwells in you. The answers you seek are in you, if you will seek to remain aware of Him throughout each day until you sense the times of refreshing [that] shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).

Rest in His Power
Satan couldn’t touch Jesus, did you notice? He couldn’t kill Him as a young child when Herod murdered all children under the age of two. (The wise men brought enough ‘gifts’ to finance their trip to Egypt.) He couldn’t tempt Jesus with wealth or power in the wilderness. (Jesus understood his position and inheritance in God.) Later, He walked through the crowd trying to stone him.

Because we are ‘in Him’, the devil can’t touch us either unless we let him. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). The devil cannot touch you unless you give him an opening through fear, doubt and unbelief (worry). Instead, stay focused on His promises like this one in 2 Peter. His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness (v. 1:3). Or this one in 2 Timothy: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (v. 1:7).

God is able! No matter how big or long-standing your problem, He is not intimidated by it. He wants you to rest in Him, release your cares and let Him handle all your problems. No, it’s not easy. It takes patience and tenacity to NOT worry or scheme. It takes commitment and determination to focus solely on His promises and not let negative words out of your mouth.

Start with His Word, then strengthen your faith by hearing, study and meditation. Pray-which simply means, talk to God. Tell Him what you want and what promise you are using as the ‘title deed’ to your deliverance. Then rest. Relax, knowing that His all-encompassing Love and divine power are working on your situation as long as you leave it in His capable hands. He’s got a solution far bigger and better than anything you could ever dream or ask or think!