WEBVTT - Getting Stressed

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to morning devotions. Do you feel stressed out sometimes?

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<v Speaker 1>Now if you do, you're not alone. Many people feel

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<v Speaker 1>like that and for many people stress has become a

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<v Speaker 1>way of life and the sad truth is, what has

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<v Speaker 1>it taught us? Well, our experience with stress, I think,

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<v Speaker 1>has taught us that not only does it eat away

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<v Speaker 1>at the joy of life, it actually eats away at

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<v Speaker 1>us as well, because,

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<v Speaker 1>Living with stress hurts us in many areas, including our

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<v Speaker 1>family relationships. For example, think of a husband who works

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<v Speaker 1>12 hours a day and comes home tired and exhausted, his,

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<v Speaker 1>his kids miss out on his company, and this can

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<v Speaker 1>easily destroy or damage families. And of course that is stressful.

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<v Speaker 1>Stress hurts us physically, can cause anything from panic attacks,

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<v Speaker 1>heart palpitations, high blood pressure, coronary disease, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's even been linked with cancer. And what about our

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<v Speaker 1>panicked efforts to complete those to do lists that never end?

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<v Speaker 1>It's no secret that today's society is under a great

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<v Speaker 1>deal of stress, so it's financial, emotional, physical, and even

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<v Speaker 1>spiritual stress, but we face it every day. It can

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<v Speaker 1>complicate the way we think, it can cause us not

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<v Speaker 1>to sleep at night.

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<v Speaker 1>And robs us of the joy of living, so how

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<v Speaker 1>can we gain control over this threshold of stress in

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<v Speaker 1>our lives? Does the Bible have any tips? We're plagued

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<v Speaker 1>by what's been called the hurry worry syndrome. It was

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<v Speaker 1>uh Chuck Swinde who wrote the book Stress Fractures, and

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<v Speaker 1>he said gone are the days of enjoying babbling brooks

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<v Speaker 1>along winding pathways or taking.

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<v Speaker 1>Long strolls near the beach, the relaxed bike ride through

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<v Speaker 1>the local park, he said that's been replaced with the

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<v Speaker 1>roar of the motorcycle whipping through busy traffic. He says

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<v Speaker 1>the easy come, easy go lifestyle of the farm has

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<v Speaker 1>been preempted by a hectic urban family going in 6

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<v Speaker 1>different directions, existing on microwave food, shouting matches, strained relationships,

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<v Speaker 1>not enough sleep, and too much television.

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<v Speaker 1>That's what Chuck Swindle says, I think it's pretty right.

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<v Speaker 1>Stress can be caused by so many things. It's different

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<v Speaker 1>for each of us. You can be stressed out by

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<v Speaker 1>the demands and pressures of work, and maybe that's a,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a big deal for you right now. Or maybe

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<v Speaker 1>you get stressed out by simple things. And then there

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<v Speaker 1>are the three common words that cause stress. You know

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<v Speaker 1>what they are? Should, ought, and must.

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<v Speaker 1>And these words, I think, have caused more stress than

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<v Speaker 1>any other words in our society. And how often are

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<v Speaker 1>we guilty of saying these words? Should, ought, and must.

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<v Speaker 1>Can I say that the, the Christian faith here offers

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<v Speaker 1>some help? I've read books by Rabbi Harold Kushner, and

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<v Speaker 1>he once said that my religious faith satisfies the most.

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<v Speaker 1>Fundamental human need of all that is, he said, the

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<v Speaker 1>need to know that somehow we matter, that our lives

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<v Speaker 1>mean something, that they count as something more than just

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<v Speaker 1>a momentary blip in the universe. Stress, that's an engineering

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<v Speaker 1>word actually, a term used to determine how much weight

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<v Speaker 1>or pressure steel can endure before breaking to the point

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<v Speaker 1>of collapse.

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<v Speaker 1>Someone called Earl Nightingale has said that 40% of things

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<v Speaker 1>never happen in our lives. We will get worried about 30%

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<v Speaker 1>concern the past that we can't change. 12%, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>deals with criticism and petty problems. 10% is related to health.

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<v Speaker 1>Which worsen with worry and only 8% are real legitimate concerns.

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<v Speaker 1>So if he's correct, most of the stuff that we

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<v Speaker 1>stress about isn't worth it. It's either never going to

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<v Speaker 1>happen or we can't do anything about it. But of

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<v Speaker 1>course we have that 8%, that 8% of stress. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I think we need to realise that trouble is going

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<v Speaker 1>to happen. Stress is a part of life. We're going

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<v Speaker 1>to have things that will go wrong. I think people

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<v Speaker 1>are overwhelmed by stress because they're not expecting it.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know this is what Jesus said in Matthew 6:34.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't worry about tomorrow. It'll take care of itself. You

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<v Speaker 1>have enough to worry about today. So Jesus didn't say that, well, look,

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<v Speaker 1>you won't have trouble. He didn't say you won't experience stress.

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<v Speaker 1>He said you would, but he said in the face

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<v Speaker 1>of the trouble, relax. Don't be overwhelmed by it. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>get preoccupied with it.

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<v Speaker 1>With all the potential problems that may or may not

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<v Speaker 1>happen down the road, so I think Jesus is saying

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<v Speaker 1>to us, take one day at a time. You're going

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<v Speaker 1>to have troubles. You're going to have stress, but God

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<v Speaker 1>can deal with them day by day. Well, Heavenly Father,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you for leading me to the heights where we

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<v Speaker 1>know that things are good and true. Thank You for

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<v Speaker 1>being truth, Lord, so that I can have a standard

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<v Speaker 1>on which to live my life. Help me not to

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<v Speaker 1>be stressed because I ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.