8 Reasons To Stop Stressing and Start Living. Bro. Zeru went on his knees without warning, smiling.
He slowly, romantically, took out a ring and proposed.
“Are you willing to marry me?
Sister Sube closed her eyes for a moment before landing a deafening slap on the poor brother’s face!
Sister Sube began.
“What have you been doing all this time? For all the endless vigils I had praying for a husband, for all the times I fasted, including dry fasts, for all the nights of desperation and depression wondering why God abandoned me, for all the times I thought I would never marry again because something was wrong with me, for all the times I nearly ended up with an unbeliever out of desperation, for all the times I thought I was not beautiful and something was wrong with me, for all the times I thought there was a generational curse and a warped lineage, take one more,” and with that, she gave him one more deafening slap!
Then she smiled. “My answer is Yes, I will marry you!”
By this time, Bro. Zeru didn’t know what to make of it, whether to cry or laugh.
Sister Sube pulled him up and gave him a hug. I love you too and I will marry you!”
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That story is humorous, but it also illustrates what waiting singles go through in their bid to get married.
But I want to tell you something this morning: Stop worrying!
Actually, when you worry, you are out of faith! That is why Jesus said
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Mat 6:33-34, MSG)
Here are eight reasons why you should stop worrying as singles and couples
8 Reasons To Stop Stressing and Start Living
1. Your spouse is alive, breathing, and probably praying to meet you as well. It is not as if he or she is just about to be born. Rest in God’s arms, that He will cause your paths to cross.
Couples, stop worrying about how things will turn out. You are now married. God has you covered.
2. Your marriage is in the future, but it is in God’s past. In God, it already happened. It is a live match for you, but for God, it is a replay! It has happened. Have faith in its manifestation and stop worrying.
Couples, God provided before you began. Learn to stay in faith and enter into rest in Him.
3. Worry adds nothing to you except anxiety, depression and doubt in God’s promises. So don’t weary yourself unnecessarily.
Couples, enjoy your marriage rather than endure one another.
4. No matter how many weddings take place daily, nobody can marry your spouse! That is the reality! So, relax in God’s promise. It will happen!
Couples, stay faithful to one another. Trust God to keep you together.
5. In God, your wedding is never late, it actually becomes the latest in town. When you are in God’s season and timing, you are never late because God has a purpose for everything.
6. The Lord is your shepherd. He will not lead you wrong. A sheep never worries. Not once! He only follows!
And even after the wedding, you keep following Him. He has the blueprint!
7. God will not bring you to the place of birth and not cause you to bring forth. In the same way, God will not bring you to the place of marriage and not cause a spouse to show up! Believe that!
And God will not bring you together and deny you of fruitfulness. He has it all figured out!
8. God is more concerned than you are concerned. It is just your ability to key into that faith and judge God faithful over your marital life.
The same goes for those who are already married.
Whatever you are trusting God for, business breakthroughs, the fruit of the womb, and more, they are in God’s past. They are already done!
I want you to stop worrying and step into faith. Faith is a realm of possibilities. Great things happen there! Trust God for the best.
8 Reasons To Stop Stressing and Start Living
He has not left you nor abandoned you. The devil wants you to believe that, but the devil is always a liar.
God has you in mind. He has it all planned out!
Let me conclude with this scripture:
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jer 29:11, MSG)
God knows what He is doing. The man may be confused, but believe me, God is not confused about your life. God knows what He is doing! He has it all planned out!
Rest in that. No more worries! Rest in His plan. Something great is working out for you. Believe it and you will see its manifestation! It is well with you!
I see God bringing you into the reality of His plans for you. I see God bringing speed into your life. I see a new day for you! Believe it and you will see the hand of the Lord!
Stress is a daily part of our lives. We can’t hide from it but can only find ways to minimize its effects on us. A little stress though is good for us.
Children also experience stress. It could be a bully at school, a harsh teacher, or even an uncomfortable classroom. At home, it could be rifts between siblings, parental discord, or the death of a family member or friend.
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
1 Sam 3:8 KJV
Older children often are able to identify something that is bothering them (i.e. a stress to them), unlike younger ones who have not acquired the capacity to do so.
Children don’t and can’t manage stress the way adults do. It shows through their words, actions, and behaviours.
Little Samuel heard God calling to him but didn’t know what to do. He ran to Eli every time he heard God’s voice asking if the old priest was the one calling him. Eli identified that it was God calling little Samuel. He then told Samuel what to say when next he heard the voice.
The bible doesn’t record that Samuel experienced any stress but it was a situation that was new to him. He couldn’t process it and went to the only person he knew that could help. And Eli was able to help him.
Parents must be observant to notice any change in their children. Children won’t tell you what is disturbing them immediately, even when you ask. Only by observing can a parent find out. Parents must give total attention to children when they are speaking.
Declaration: My children are not under stress. They learn to speak out. They are surrounded daily by the right people.
Prayer (parent): Lord, help me to be truly observant about my child(ren). Help me to notice the changes in them no matter how subtle they may be. Amen.
Action plan: Parent, sit down and watch your child today. Go through their things, room, and find things you never noticed before.
Can there be stress in children? Now stress is a daily part of our lives. We can’t hide from it but can only find ways to minimize its effects on us. A little stress though is good for us.
1 Sam 3:8 (KJV ) And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
Children also experience stress. There can be stress in children – it could be a bully at school, a harsh teacher, or even an uncomfortable classroom. At home, it could be rifts between siblings, parental discord, or the death of a family member or friend.
Older children often are able to identify something that is bothering them, unlike younger ones who have not acquired the capacity to do so.
Children don’t and can’t manage stress the way adults do. It shows through their words, actions, and behaviours. There you must learn how to identify stress in children so you can help them.
Little Samuel heard God calling to him but didn’t know what to do. He ran to Eli every time he heard God’s voice asking if the old priest was the one calling him. Eli identified that it was God calling little Samuel. He then told Samuel what to say when next he heard the voice.
The bible doesn’t record that Samuel experienced any stress but it was a situation that was new to him. He couldn’t process it and went to the only person he knew that could help. And Eli was able to help him. Older adults can therefore help manage stress in children.
Parents must be observant to notice any change in their children. Children won’t tell you what is disturbing them immediately, even when you ask. Only by observing can a parent find out. Parents must give total attention to children when they are speaking.
Declaration: My children are not stressed. They learn to speak out. They are surrounded daily by the right people.
Prayer (parent): Lord, help me to be truly observant about my child(ren). Help me to notice the changes in them no matter how subtle they may be. Help me to identify stress in children. Amen.
PrayerChild: I will speak out when I have an issue bothering me. I will ask for help.
Well, we have finally come to the end of our series on handling stress in marriage.
In our final series, I will be talking about
Ungratefulness
The whole bible is from the old testament to the new testament has several instances where gratitude, Thanksgiving, the gratefulness of heart is encouraged and even commanded.
The human heart has the capacity to be ungrateful and to forget where we were and where we were coming from. Once we get relieved, we are quick to forget the hands that held us up.
Now, I would like to write today about gratitude to God and gratitude to those who were there for us and how it helps in handling stress in marriage.
If we don’t learn to show appreciation and train ourselves to be thoughtful enough to show gratitude, we will stress our partners.
No matter how difficult your spouse is, we can still choose to be grateful to God for them. Someone said, don’t complain you have an headache, thank God that you even have a head.
How true this is. On matter our condition, the place of praise and thanksgiving will still remain intact. We may however, choose not to see it or cease the opportunity to be grateful.
Let check out few places in the bible we were admonished to live a thankful life.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 NLT
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NLT
We are encouraged in scriptures to show gratitude to God in everything and at all times.
If you think, you will be able to thank. If you think that you didn’t create yourself, you can’t sustain yourself, the breadth that you breadth you didn’t provide it for yourself, the hair on your head, you didn’t put it there, that you go to work and come back meeting everything intact is because God is a merciful God.
So when you think of all the goodness of the Lord you should return gratitude to Him.
If you are grateful for the many things God has done for you, it will also flow also in gratitude to others. It is the same heart it takes to be grateful to God that it takes to be grateful to others.
A spouse who is always complaining and has an entitlement mentality is a pain in the neck.
When a couple learn to appreciate each other in little things and show gratitude for efforts and every little attempt to improve, there will be bliss.
It takes a heart of understanding to give thanks. Someone said when you are thankful your tank will be full. This is the one of the best things to do when handling stress.
Everything dries up in an atmosphere of complaint.
Don’t put the strain on your marriage rather put the strain off your marriage.
I hope we have learnt one or two things from our series.
Your marriage is a living entity, and as such you don’t want to do things that will quench the fire of passion.
I pray if any marriage is being besiege by stress or its effect, God will cause peace to reign in Jesus name
We are continuing on our series, how married couples should handle stress in their marriage. We are looking at different stressors, especially those that are self-induced, and how to handle them.
We have looked at the following:
1. Financial pressure
2. Dealing with in-laws
3. Comparison traps
4. Doing beyond ourselves
5. Not minding our own business
6. Not being able to say No.
And today,
7. Being unforgiving to our spouse.
One of the most important ingredients in having a happy marriage is when couples forgive each other quickly.
The bible is so clear on the issue of forgiveness and also tells us he dangers of unforgiveness.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NLT
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 NLT
When you release an offence you open the prison doors. Unforgiveness puts us in a prison that puts stress in our marriages
To err is human and to forgive is divine. When we forgive our spouse, we invite divinity and all that heaven has to offer. We invite peace, joy, and prosperity.
When we allow unforgiveness, no matter how grievous the offense, we give place to the devil and all that is associated to him.
If anyone is walking in unforgiveness, I urge us to please forgive. Let go and let God. God is not just asking us to close our eyes to the offense, he is asking us to give Him the pain and hurt of the offenses
He says vengeance belongs to Him.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19 KJV
God wants to work our vengeance for us in a most beautiful way. He want to compensate us. Most of the time when we avenge ourselves, we don’t compensate the hurt. That’s what God wants to do.
The issue of forgiveness is so big that we can either ruin our lives and lives of our children by not forgiving our spouse.
Families that were once cordial have been separated by the spirit of unforgiveness. Couples who were once loving have been set apart through unforgiveness. Children have become victims of their parent’s unforgiveness.
I understand that it is very tough when your spouse does such grievous and demeaning things. Yet we must let God be true and every man a liar.
Forgive and see the unbelievable release of God’s power towards your marriage. It is almost like magic. It is a miracle.
God comes to defend you in ways you could never have imagined. Favor works for you, you enjoy peace, health, prosperity and the likes.
I will stop here today and continue on this topic of handling stress in marriage tomorrow by God’s grace.
May God grant us the spirit of forgiveness to all that has offended us in Jesus name.
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am a wise spouse. I know how to relate to people.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, give me wisdom
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
