We asked last week for ideas to relieve missionary stress. A few of you gave great ideas!
Scott replied: Romans 8:6 says the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Only a spirit of humility and repentance for living according to the flesh can transform me from a life of stress and unrest to a life of peace and joy.
Frank states: Practicing the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude and keeping sabbath helps me to keep my stress levels down.
Henry says: That taking a weekly sabbath is very important, as is spending lots of time with the Lord every day in prayer and in the Scriptures. We also like to take an extra day off every six weeks. These serve as “islands of relief” to look forward to, to get away from everything.
All great ideas! See their posts here https://brigada.org/2023/06/04_38375. What can you add? Please comment.
Problem: Proverbs 12:25–Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.
Solution: Isaiah 61:3–(The Spirit of the Lord will give) a garment of praise for a spirit of depression.
Solution: I Peter 5:7–Throw the entire weight of your anxieties on Him for you are His personal concern.
Solution: Psalm 104:34–May all of my meditation (on the Word) be sweet (pleasing) to Him.
To add one more:
Solution: Philippians 4:6–Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Thank you Neal for your input, not only here but also through all the books you have written. I use a lot of your wisdom, and just want you to know that the seeds you planted are still bearing fruit around the world.
Thank you for your heart for the workers,
Ryan
Having worked for many years of church plantiing in an oppressive, dangerous Muslim nation, where there were plenty of pressures to deal with (arrests, jail, trials, expulsions, etc), there are three things God gave me to eliminate junk stress.
First is meditating on Scripture: memorizing passages, personalizing them and praying them. This brought transformation of my mind, will and emotions. Favorites: Psalm 1, 23, 34, 37, 62 and 86
Second was “lifing my soul to God”( Psalm 143:8) in the following way. First writing down my thoughts, feelings and desires (mind, emotions, will) with no editing, really laying out how I feel and think.Writing makes me finish my thoughts and makes me look more objectively at what is going on. Then turning to God to hear what He has to say about this; this is where meditation intersects, for then the Spirit can bring Scripture to mind. Third is to surrender to God’s way of thinking, deciding and acting. I have found this “almost magic” in the relief, insight and encouragement He gives through lifting my soul to God.
Third is offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, meaning giving thanks when I’d rather complain. Psalm 50:23 “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me [the purpose of our lives] and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving is done purely by faith before we see a solution. It reminds us that God has a plan, that he will lead us through and out off the challenges we are facing. It also is part of Phillipians 4:6-7, praying all kinds of prayer WITH thanksgiving.
I still use these three disciplines very often and always find relief from the pressures of spiritual warfare. If you would like more indepth input on these three, the book “EQUIPPED, ready for everyday spiritual warfare” will help you. Available on Amazon in paperback and electronic versions. Look under s.m. wibberley