There’s a story about a couple who decided to build a farm. Then they began to argue. The wife wanted to build the house first. The husband wanted to build the barn first to house the animals. They went back and forth until finally the man said, “Look, we have to build the barn first - because the barn will enable us to build the house, the garage, the silo, the kids’ swing set, and everything else!” When you focus on putting first things first, everything else is more likely to fall into place.
Anthony Campolo says, “What you commit yourself to, will change what you are and make you into a completely different person. The future conditions you, not the past.
What you commit yourself to become, determines what you are - more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday.
Therefore, I ask you, ‘What are your commitments? Where are you going? What are you going to be?
Show me somebody who hasn’t decided, and I’ll show you somebody who has no identity, no personality, no direction.’”
Focusing on weaknesses instead of strengths is like having a handful of coins, a few made of gold, the rest of tarnished copper, and setting aside the gold coins to spend your time shining the copper ones in hopes of making them more valuable. No matter how long you spend, they’ll never be worth what the gold ones are. So, stay focused on your God-given strengths!
HAVING A STEADFAST PURPOSe
When your life has a steadfast purpose you can bear almost anything. Without it, nothing is bearable.
Isaiah complained, (Is.49:4) “I have labored to no purpose, I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.”(niv)
Dr. Bernie Siegel found that he could predict which of his cancer patients were most likely to survive; by asking them, “do you want to live to be 100 years old?” Those with a deep sense of purpose who answered “YES” were the ones most likely to survive.
“Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.” There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat“. Mark 6:31 (NLT)
Jesus experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn’t seem to disturb his peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, his life reflected a calm sense of balance.
What was his secret?
Identification – Know who you are (John 8:12) “I m the light of the world.”
Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined himself. There was no doubt in his mind as to who he was. If you are unsure of your identity, you’ll allow others to pressure you into their molds. Trying to be someone you’re not causes stress!
Know who you want to please (John 5:30)
You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t! Just about the time you get “Crowd A” happy, then “Crowd B” will be upset with you.
Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission.
Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” (Luke 4:42-44) He had purpose, "I must preach the gospel."
You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.
We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. Don’t allow perfectionism, or the fear that others may do a better job, to keep you from involving others in the task.
Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35)
No matter how busy Jesus got, he found time to get alone to pray everyday. A daily quiet time is a great stress decompression chamber. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems, evaluate your priorities, and discover the rules for successful living by reading the Bible.
Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31)
Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.
