Thursday, April 3, 2008

Lightening Your Heavy Heart

Life has a way of bringing pressure to bear on our weary bodies, minds and spirits. The stresses of life accumulate and we’re caught almost by surprise in depressions and anxieties; ills of the mind and heart. How much stress, worry, and anxiety do you carry with you? We all carry some.
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Having a heavy heart is all about forgiveness. Living a guilt-free life requires you to tap into grace — and to forgive yourself. If you cannot forgive yourself, you’ll struggle to forgive others and vice versa. The problem compounds on itself and sooner or later you’ll find the burden growing heavier and the weight starting to weigh you down.
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Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest... learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”[1] Bringing it home, have you ever noticed the inspirational figure, be it family member, friend, coach, or mentor who seems to reduce your load? They mimic Jesus, and make your life easy; a pleasure. Jesus comes not to hold you to impossible standards, but to free you. Learn from him; be faithful to him and he will do it.[2]
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If you have too much on or can’t say no you need to develop the courage to say no to others and also say no to yourself. Two of the great villains to our sense of inner peace are worry and indecision. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”[3] When we can’t make up our minds we nurture chaos within. At times, whatever decision we make will bring negative consequences. Avoidance-avoidance conflicts in psychology terms are about being ‘between a rock and a hard place’. Again, courage goes a long way. Don’t delay the decision if your logic tells you to do something. Get on with it, and move onto the next thing. Boldness has its rewards.
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The weight of the human heart is not designed to be any heavier than a feather. It is the design of life to rely on God. He makes our paths straight and lifts our burdens.
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© Copyright 2008, Steven John Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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[1] Matthew 11:28-29 (New Revised Standard Version)
[2] 1 Thessalonians 5:24b.
[3] Matthew 6:34 (New Revised Standard Version)

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