Untwisting the Knots
Julia | Friday, May 14th, 2010 | 1 Comment »from Pastor Todd
Psalm 46:10
One definition of stress that I saw recently said, “A force tending to deform a body on which it acts.” Some of the common deformities associated with stress are listed below.
Headache
Anxiety
Back or chest pain
Restlessness
Heart palpitations
Irritability
Stomach upset
Depression
Sleep problems
Anger
Insecurity
Lack of focus
Our bodies, minds, and emotions are literally twisted into knots by events and circumstances we cannot control.
God offers some simple instructions for untwisting the knots in Psalm 46:10 where He urges, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Relax. God calls us to take a time out. We can easily get into a futile cycle of repeating the same actions with increasing intensity in effort, volume, or frequency. But pushing harder on an immovable object does nothing except wear us out more quickly. Step back and consider the possibilities of different strategies and resources.
Refocus. God does not make mistakes and He does not waste time. Just because things are not working the way we want does not mean they are out of God’s care and control. Sometimes the noise and strain of our scramble for solutions prevents us from seeing that He is already working His plan and purpose. He does not need us to tell Him what to do. He wants us to do what He has told us and to trust Him for the results.
Realign. Notice that it is God’s goals that will be accomplished when all is said and done. He will be exalted among the nations. If we insist on the fulfillment of our agendas, we may well be disappointed. But if we make His goals our goals, if we put His glory above our wants, we can be assured that nothing will get in the way.
Stop the incessant striving to make people and circumstances fit our wishes and desires. Be still long enough to see what God is doing, to recognize and respond to His wisdom and goodness. He is not tied in knots. He will be exalted even in our difficulties.
Looking up a woman’s event and I see the Pastor Blog sign. Tapping in I ran into this reminder of making sure I listen to what God want and not me. It is so hard to wait at times especially when those times seem to take years or so. The answers do come. Learning not to jump until God says GO!. Thanks for the reminder to of what God says and wants on this matter. We are in the process of waiting for a answer on a matter at this very moment and praying God will show us what to do and when to do it. Thanks PT.