Don't Stress, STRIVE

How many times have you heard the saying, "I am so stressed out"?  This phrase seems to be very popular in the world that we live. There are countless things that can happen to spin you into a stress level that you just don't feel you can recover from. Sometimes the load of it all can be suffocating.  This phrase is often followed by a down flow of  tears or even worse anger, lashed out in most cases to people who don't even deserve it.

My boss came in this morning  to wish us all a good morning and to see how things were going. Wes, being the encouraging person that he is, started a conversation with one of my coworkers who has recently had a change in her responsibilities and gave her a an hourly goal. He said "We all have to have a goal to work towards" and then followed it up with " But Don't stress". Immediately the thought came to my mind, "Don't stress, STRIVE" so I spoke it. Those words have stuck with me this morning and almost consumed me...

I have found myself of late stressing over everything, going through the motions with a smile on my face yet on the inside truly a broken mess. I have taken on the weight of the world, so to speak, and it has consumed me. There have been many things that have contributed to my state of mind lately and not the least of them being my husband's heart attack last month, however I have totally taken the situations into my own hands and have forgotten to lean on the one who has it all under control. God spoke to me so clearly today with just those three words, Don't stress, STRIVE!

So I looked up the definitions of those two words stress and strive. The definition of the word stress is: a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that cause bodily or mental tension. Stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on your body or mind. In contrast the definition of the word Strive is: the attempt to overcome limitations and stay focused on a goal, regardless of whatever quarrels or disputes come up. Well there you go!!

And then it hit me, what is my goal? what events am I focusing on? I have totally let my responses to life's punches become stress and I have put the striving on the back burner. I have gone through worse than this in my life and I was never as stressed as I have found myself of late. My focus is off, my determination to strive for excellence has taken the back seat to this friend I call stress. I have built a relationship with the one thing that gives nothing back in return. STRESS!! In the words of my beautiful Aunt Wanda "WHAT THE WORLD"????

No more, I have the ability to effect change in my life, to do away with the stress and STRIVE for EXCELLENCE, for PEACE, for JOY. John 14:27 says: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. That's it, my heart is troubled and afraid and I have no one to blame but myself.  I choose to STRIVE for more of God, for better relationships with my husband and my children, for more desire to be a soul winner, for VICTORY!!!!!

Bishop Chavis opened up his heart this past Sunday and charged the church to keep fighting, that in the midst of a battle with the devil we can STRIVE for victory!! Keep pressing, keep praying, keep fighting. Give your all in all you do. Don't stress, STRIVE!!