Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
STRESS, everyone seems so stressed. Is this new? I don’t really think so. Life is stressful. It’s not going to change. Nothing I say here will change how the world and human society operates.
I could say that I’m too busy to write this; too busy to listen, too busy to notice, too busy to care, too busy to help, too busy to love.
I could say that I’m too poor to share; of my money, my time, my love.
Is it that I don’t have enough, or am I stressing the wrong things?
Have you ever noticed that stress also means what we emphasize- what we focus on?
In fact, when I put the “em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LA-ble,” I misunderstand and am misunderstood.
We don’t get to choose what happens in life. We don’t get to choose how other people behave. But it has been pointed out that there is one thing, and one thing only, in life that we have control over, and that is how we react to what happens around us. There is an option to be thoughtful about what we focus on.
There is a battle for our attention and focus. What do we choose to focus on?
Being stressed is a choice.
Being thankful is a choice.
Being sad is a choice.
Being happy is a choice.
Living in fear is a choice.
Living in faith is a choice.
Of course, this is not true about the emotion you feel in a split second. This is about pausing, reflecting, and deciding who we want to be in this world. It takes strength and patience to find the peace of Christ in our hearts. Whose image do you follow, and is it something that you do with or without thought?
The choices we make become the habits of our behavior. They form the pattern of who we are. As we weave the tapestry that becomes a lifetime, what picture will emerge from our choices? Will it be random, angry, and fearful, or will it be intentional, loving, and thankful?
The next time you find that you have lost the peace of Christ in your heart because of the stress of life, what choice will you make?
Let us pause, choose, and pray together.
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts in the quiet times and the stressful times. Give us the strength to follow Your path and emphasize what matters. Give us the strength and the foresight to pause, reflect, and choose. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness when we fall short of this, and help us to make choices that show our love for You and our neighbors. Amen.
This devotion was written by Jill Pope and read by Judy Wilson.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.
First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
