You can't escape stress, but you can learn to cope with it by taking control of your life in small but important ways. Here are two: (1) Think about someone other than yourself. David was so frazzled that he was awake all night. Ever been there? That's when you need to 'Let…praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down' (Philippians 4:6 TM). Elijah was depressed and suicidal when God showed him how to help himself. How? By leaving the cave he was hiding in, and going out and ministering to others. Focusing on something other than yourself gives you perspective. Paul says, the 'God of all healing counsel…comes alongside…when we go through hard times…and…brings us alongside someone else…going through hard times so…we can be there for that person…as God was there for us' (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TM). Do you need help? Reach out to others. It's in 'connecting' that we are made whole! (2) Don't get bitter. Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, 'Nothing creates more deep-seated anxiety, than the false assumption that life should be free from anxieties.' When somebody you trust betrays or disappoints you or you're struggling financially after tithing faithfully for years, it's easy to feel hard-done-by. But 'Don't…become bitter' (Hebrews 12:15 CEV); it destroys relationships and cuts you off from God's presence. The answer is learning to 'thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you…to live' (1 Thessalonians 5:18 TM).
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