Sunday, June 15, 2014

Organize your life to make sure you won't burn out - Part 1



The pace of modern life gives us different challenges than the lifestyle in Bible’s times.



Still in the Bible we are told to take care of ourselves.



The Bible sets us an example of a mature Christian who has a balanced life and endurance for his activities.

Paul, in his letter to Corinthians exhorts us to run this long run in a way that we will win.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27


The Message (MSG)

24-25 You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

26-27 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

He is talking about self-discipline and being goal-oriented.

Part of the running for a goal-oriented winner is controlling the pace and the power distribution.

Without controlling your pace you will not reach the goal, at least not as a winner.

Many times us Christians distribute our power like a race car.

We have a huge motor and when we start it we have a lot of speed and we get a lot done.

But when you only have a race car and you use it for shopping and commuting it can be a waste to lot of resources, like gas and money.

Besides if you are always travelling on high gear it’s hard to slow down fast enough.


How to use your motor in a wise way?


How to run so that you will be able to cross the finish line?


What is stress? 



If you were to ask a dozen people to define stress, or explain what causes stress for them, or how stress affects them, you would likely get 12 different answers to each of these requests.

The reason for this is that there is no definition of stress that everyone agrees on, what is stressful for one person may be pleasurable or have little effect on others. 


We all react to stress differently.

Stress is difficult for scientists to define because it is a highly subjective phenomenon that differs for each of us.

Things that are distressful for some individuals can be pleasurable for others.

We also respond to stress differently.

Some people blush, some eat more while others grow pale or eat less.

Numerous surveys and studies confirm that occupational pressures and fears are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults and that these have steadily increased over the past few decades.

Just as stress is different for each of us there is no stress reduction strategy that is a panacea. 
The key to reducing stress is to prevent it.

Getting enough sleep, a proper diet, avoiding excess caffeine and other stimulants and taking time out to relax may be helpful in this regard.

Many stress relievers work because of the power of the placebo effect that comes from having faith in the procedure or the therapist.

Other very different approaches can achieve the same results because they reduce feelings of helplessness and provide a sense of control over the problem.  
 

In this five part series we are going to talk about stress and how to control it, from Bible's point of view.

14 comments:

  1. Thank you for a great post! I have been really stressed these last couple of years and you can really see it on my face. So I really can use all the info!

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  2. it's so easy to get burned out, especially if you aren't happy with what you are doing

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  3. I get burnt out SO easily sometimes. I try to get everything done all at once and I really need to plan ahead and do it a little at a time.

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  4. I definitely need to learn to be more organized. I been struggling more since the kids have got out of school for the summer.

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  5. It's very easy to get burned out, especially, if you aren't happy with what you are doing!

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  6. I really enjoyed the Bible verse. I don't think I've ever read it before. It really makes me feel better about being a goal oriented person.

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  7. I used to be the best of the best at handling stress. I sense that diminishing a bit as I'm getting older. I'll be paying attention to the series.

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  8. Organization can do wonders on a person, it really helps you out with living each day.

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  9. So true about stress and burn out!
    Thanks for linking up.
    God bless,
    Chris

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  10. I find that dealing stress in a biblical perspective is very effective on me. I also believe in being organize can lessen stress and pressure that leads to burning out.

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  11. I agree, staying organized makes my life so much better. I get more accomplished and spend less wasted time each day.

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  12. When you are organized, it tends to feel like you are a bit more in control. Amber N

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  13. I like the analogy that you use of a race car. Yes I am guilty of that one. This blog has helped me to look seriously how I tackle projects and to redfine it. Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Thank you for sharing this. You had some really good points and I especially liked the chart with different results of stress.

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