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Awe can lower our stress and give a greater sense of peace and rest. But it’s easy to miss the awe. Christians can read their Bibles, pray, serve, and go to church either intentionally pursuing awe or acting largely oblivious to it. Here are some simple ways to cultivate awe in your relationship with God.
Stress affects all of us in different ways and it comes from different directions. But when stress is constant and not released, researchers say that it results in anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, muscle tension, and heart disease. Obviously, monitoring stress and finding relief from it is something that needs to be on our radar. What’s fascinating to me is that recent research points in the same direction that the Bible has prescribed for thousands of years.
Many people feel a sense of envy when they hear someone talk of their calling. The process can feel mysterious, and we can feel as if we’ve missed out. The Bible provides clear principles that can demystify God’s plan for our lives.
What starts with a terrible boss can turn into a terrible performance review. Their problem can quickly spiral into your problem. And nobody wants to derail their career because they couldn’t find a way to deal with a difficult manager. Consider the alternatives that the Bible provides.
The shift began during the pandemic. At first, we all celebrated the technology that enabled us to watch sermons online. But subtly we began to think that what we were doing online was the same as what we used to do in person. It was a natural conclusion to make. Let’s talk about what’s wrong with it.
Even when we’re not physically working, it’s hard to convince our minds that it’s okay to rest. The Bible’s approach to rest is unique and it offers specific strategies to help us unwind in a world that keeps tightening its grip.
The command to be baptized needs to be treated with healthy caution toward all people but particularly with younger children who are highly motivated to please parents and Sunday School teachers whether they grasp the implications of biblical faith or not. The fact that the child threw up their hand in response to the question, “Who wants to follow Jesus?” doesn’t really settle anything.
He was insulted by “customers” and threatened by “competitors.” Just as His “career” seemed to be getting started, it was ended by people who were jealous of His “success.” When people mocked Him by putting a crown of thorns on Him, Jesus stood with all who have ever felt the thorns of their own jobs and wondered whether there’s a God who cares.
When you see your job like a machine, you become less human, and work becomes something less than it was ever intended. Remind yourself that you were uniquely created for work and bring all of who you are to reflect God’s image in how you approach what you do.
Why doesn’t our resolve bring greater change? Why do we struggle to follow through? The Bible doesn’t address the topic of New Year’s resolutions directly, but it does give two formulas that explain why they often fail and how to approach them differently
