There is always something you can do to get yourself out of fear, anger, despair, confusion, grief or any other negative situation. Of course, we always pray first, and ask Holy Spirit for direction, and if you have a human friend you can talk to, that always helps!
But actions are what actually produce change. Here are some actions you can take that will affect every area of your life:
1. Surrender
Immediately stop trying to control what you can’t control. Let God be God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. — Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Forgive
Since you are not God, you need to immediately forgive Him, yourself, and everyone else others for whatever wrong you believe was done to you or someone you love.
“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” — Matthew 6:12
3. Give Thanks
We can always find something to be grateful for, no matter how distraught we may be. Thanksgiving is a choice.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
4. Find someone else you can help.
There is always someone who has a worse problem than yours. It may not seem so at first, but when you reach out to another human being and do what you can to support or encourage them, “magic” happens. If you can’t think of anyone, just visit a nursing home or homeless shelter.
5. Move a muscle, change a thought.
Take a walk, do some pushups, run, swim, bike, — do whatever you can do to get the blood flowing and to take in more oxygen. Exercise releases the mind-altering serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins that God has equipped us all with. If you can’t move at all, take some deep breaths.
6. Count your blessings.
It may sound trite, but take pen and paper and start a list of all that God and others have done for you in the past. If you can’t think of anything, just ask Holy Spirit to help you. If you can’t come up with at least ten memories of the ways that God and other people have blessed you, then you might as well go ahead and kill yourself.
That last statement was meant to make you laugh, because “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22
7. HALT
There is a saying in AA: “Don’t let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired.” Sometimes we just need to take a nap, eat something, talk to another human being, and, like step 2 above, just let go of anger and trying to control other people and situations.
These seven steps are the most powerful actions that we can take to change how we perceive our situation immediately. There are plenty of verses that confirm and support the attitudes of surrender, forgiveness and gratitude.
There is nothing more powerful than the Word of God. You can use a concordance or online Bible app to find many, many more verses. Just ask Holy Spirit to guide you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how relevant and personal His leadings are.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12
If you have trouble doing any of these things feel free to contact me and I'll send you a phone number that you can call so I can help you directly.
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