“Return to your home, and declare how much God
has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how
much Jesus had done for him.
(Luke 8:39)
Can you remember a time when you
were feeling so overwhelmed about circumstances in your life and what you were
dealing with at the time that you couldn’t think straight? You probably were
walking around in a daze; shutting people out of your life; you probably
weren’t even listening when they were talking directly to you. It was a terrible time, wasn’t it? More than likely you felt alone, depressed,
not sure how you were going to survive, and no one was giving you the advice
you wanted to hear. It’s times like this
when we get so caught up in our lives in trying to figure things out for
ourselves that we actually forget to ask God for his direction and
guidance. When all we really need to do,
is give our burdens to Him. Listen to
what He has to say and then move forward putting the worry behind you. Worrying about things is not going to change
anything except your mood and stress levels.
Lean on God and He will carry our burdens and the dust will settle where
it was meant to.
When you
know that someone else is feeling that same way, remind them of this too. Be a person who encourages; help them lighten
their burdens. Listen to their story, be
a sounding board, but be honest, don’t say what you think they want to hear;
say what they need to hear, and say it with love and compassion as a
friend. God will give you the words they
need to hear if you pray about it first.
Remember, every one of us has a story to tell and we have no idea unless
they tell us they are struggling or what they are struggling about.
The next
time you run into someone in the store that seems to be so out of it, give them
a smile or a compliment; that small gesture could pull them right out of what
they were dealing with, even for just a moment, but that moment could impact
the rest of their day. The next time someone
flies by you on the road doing 90mph, take a moment to pray for them. Pray for their safety and that God can
lighten their burdens. We don’t know
what they might be dealing with that caused them to drive so erratic; maybe
they are on their way to the hospital or a family emergency, etc. We can be so
quick to make a judgement when we have no idea what their story is. Assume the best in everyone and trust that it
will all work out as it was meant to.
It is so much less stressful when
you can see the positive in every situation and can encourage a
person instead of knocking them down. Encouraging does not mean you have
to agree with those that are being negative just because that’s what they want
to hear. Though, it is ok to be supportive and agree with them that what
they are going through is terrible or wrong, or whatever the case may be.
What is even better is to return their focus to the positive aspects and to God
so that He can lighten their load and they can have peace in His presence
knowing that His light will guide them to where they need to be!
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