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Last update: 4-28-08




		Enjoy devotionals updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Monday, May 5th

Daily Devotional from The Purpose Driven Life:

Seven Secrets of Stress Management

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)

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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)

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!

Dedication – Know who you want (John 5:30)

You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t! Just about the time you get “Crowd A” happy, then “Crowd B” willbe upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

Organization – Set clear goals (John 8:14)

Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” (NIV) Preparation prevents pressure, but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

Concentration – Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44)

You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.

Delegation – Don’t try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14)

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.

Meditation – 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.

Relaxation – Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31)

Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship

Wednesday, May 7th

Daily Devotional from The Purpose Driven Life:

Learning to Laugh

A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life. Proverbs 14:30 (LB)

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Did you know that people who laugh live longer? It’s true. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.” (LB)

Humor is an amazing thing. It’s a tension dissolver. It’s an antidote to anxiety. It’s just like a tranquilizer, but without any troublesome side-effects. And it’s free! You don’t even need a prescription.

Laughter is life’s shock absorber. If you want to have less stress in your life, learn to laugh at your circumstances.

Someone once asked U.S. President Abraham Lincoln how he handled all the stresses of the Civil War. He said, “If it hadn’t been for laughter, I could not have made it.”

Many famous comedians grew up in poor neighborhoods with lots of problems. They coped with their troubles by learning to laugh and making others laugh.

So learn to laugh. If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. And besides, if you learn to laugh at your troubles, you’ll never run out of anything to laugh at! Life is full of funny situations. The cowboy comedian Will Rogers once said, “I don’t know any jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 2:4, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs.” (NIV) Isn’t that a great verse? God has a sense of humor. God laughs!

Have you ever seen the face of an orangutan? God thought that one up! That proves he has a sense of humor. Do you want to be more like God? Learn to laugh

Friday, May 9th

Daily Devotional from The Purpose Driven Life:

Let Other Believers Help You Walk with Christ

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.
Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)

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We all need mentors – other believers – to guide us in our walk with Christ. We need people to coach and train us in ministry.

Mentors can bring out the best in you and help you achieve God’s unique mission for your life. Mentors help you keep growing – in your roles, your goals, and your soul.

Using mentors is common in a lot of professions. For instance, doctors mentor younger doctors; musicians mentor other musicians. If you search the Internet, you’ll find all kinds of organizations that are now using some sort of mentoring process.

Why? We learn best through mentors. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.” (NLT)

Is there someone advising you? If not, find a mentor – perhaps an older Christian who can help you on your path toward Jesus-like maturity, or a Christian who is a few steps ahead of you in his prayer life or a few steps ahead in her ability to witness.

When I’m with a mentor, I focus on these two things:

1. Ask questions – Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (NIV) Everyone has a reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experience to share. You are being wise when you draw these out and learn from another.

You don’t have to limit asking questions to just one mentor you meet with on a regular basis. You can meet mentors anywhere. Make a little 3-by-5 card and keep it with you – with standard questions to ask every time you get around a quality person.

I have my own set of standard questions. Whenever I am around someone I can learn from, I pull out my card. I ask questions like:

• How do you handle stress?
• What have been the greatest successes in your life, and what are the causes of it?
• What were the greatest failures in your life?
• What would you do differently if you were doing life over?
• What kind of books do you read?
• How do you manage your time?
• How do you manage your money?
• What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned?
• What have been the greatest surprises in your life?

2. Accept feedback – Ecclesiastes 7:5 says, “It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!” (NLT) Feedback is absolutely essential to fulfilling God’s mission for your life. If you don’t get feedback, you’re going to get off course.

Did you know that in all the Apollo space flights to the moon the astronauts had to do constant course corrections? The earth was turning, the moon was turning, and there was a rotation going on. In order to get the rocket to the spot on the moon where it was supposed to be at a certain time, the astronauts had to continually correct their course. To do so, they had to get feedback.

If you’re not open to feedback, you’re not going to learn, you’re not going to grow, and you’re not going to develop. You need to learn to accept criticism.

Go out and find someone you trust, someone with skills and experiences you can learn from, and ask that person to be your mentor.


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