"...And I will ask the Father, and He will give
you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener,
and Standby), that He may remain with you forever..." - John
14:16
According to the
National Health Interview Society, “75% of the general population experience
some level of significant stress every two weeks.” So tell me in the last two weeks, what has
you stressed? What are you doing to
eliminate it, reduce it or at least control it?
If you are anything like me, you bottle it up inside and just work
harder at solving the problems that are causing it.
I recall a story a few years back. A man brings one of his employees home for dinner. As they walk up the path leading to the front door, the man stops reaches for a tree next to his front porch. Laying his hand upon the tree, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and then proceeds to enter the home. The other man looks at him in a rather peculiar way and then follows him in. He realizes throughout the night that his boss is not the same man at home as he is in the office. He is laughing, hugging, playing with his children, relaxed and at ease, almost a exact opposite of how he is in the office. The next day at work, the employee walks into his boss’ office and asks, “Sir, I’ve been running it through my mind all night and this morning. I noticed a complete transformation of your personality as you walked into your home last night. How do you just shut it off like that?” The man laughs a little and replies, “It’s my worry tree. Do you remember the tree I touched just before I walked in the door? That is my worry tree. I place my worries there every night when I come home. From that point on, I focus only on what’s important – my family. Surprisingly, the worries aren’t there the next morning when I walk out.” The other man nods his head in understanding, “I like that idea.”
God sent us the Holy Spirit to live within us, rather than leaving Jesus Christ here indefinitely for us to follow. But, make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is God Almighty in spirit, living inside of you. He takes your worries, your burdens, your concerns and gives back peace, confidence, strength and courage. He is the gentle reminder of righteousness and the one who convicts you of unrighteousness. No condemnation, no belittling, no guilt, but rather a counselor in love and understanding to put you back on the right track. This counselor and comforter is there at any moment you need Him.
There is no worry tree outside of our front door, other than for symbolic reason. The Holy Spirit within you is the source of comfort, peace and rest from your daily worries. I recommend that you offload your daily concerns to the Holy Spirit before you enter your home each night, and leave the day’s work behind, trusting that the Holy Spirit will lighten that load by the time you want to pick it up again in the morning. Find peace in the One who created it, not in your own ability too.
Be Blessed,
I recall a story a few years back. A man brings one of his employees home for dinner. As they walk up the path leading to the front door, the man stops reaches for a tree next to his front porch. Laying his hand upon the tree, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and then proceeds to enter the home. The other man looks at him in a rather peculiar way and then follows him in. He realizes throughout the night that his boss is not the same man at home as he is in the office. He is laughing, hugging, playing with his children, relaxed and at ease, almost a exact opposite of how he is in the office. The next day at work, the employee walks into his boss’ office and asks, “Sir, I’ve been running it through my mind all night and this morning. I noticed a complete transformation of your personality as you walked into your home last night. How do you just shut it off like that?” The man laughs a little and replies, “It’s my worry tree. Do you remember the tree I touched just before I walked in the door? That is my worry tree. I place my worries there every night when I come home. From that point on, I focus only on what’s important – my family. Surprisingly, the worries aren’t there the next morning when I walk out.” The other man nods his head in understanding, “I like that idea.”
God sent us the Holy Spirit to live within us, rather than leaving Jesus Christ here indefinitely for us to follow. But, make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is God Almighty in spirit, living inside of you. He takes your worries, your burdens, your concerns and gives back peace, confidence, strength and courage. He is the gentle reminder of righteousness and the one who convicts you of unrighteousness. No condemnation, no belittling, no guilt, but rather a counselor in love and understanding to put you back on the right track. This counselor and comforter is there at any moment you need Him.
There is no worry tree outside of our front door, other than for symbolic reason. The Holy Spirit within you is the source of comfort, peace and rest from your daily worries. I recommend that you offload your daily concerns to the Holy Spirit before you enter your home each night, and leave the day’s work behind, trusting that the Holy Spirit will lighten that load by the time you want to pick it up again in the morning. Find peace in the One who created it, not in your own ability too.
Be Blessed,
Rich
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