INHALE GOD’S PEACE

Worry kills
Worry can cause headaches, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, angina,
even cancer. Worry will weaken your immune system, speed up cancer growth,
accelerate diabetes, worsen heart disease and even asthma.

Why? Worry means you’re seeing a threat. Worry interprets an event as a life and
death situation. Because of this perceived threat, your body gets ready for fight or
flight, releasing chemical stimulants-sodium lactate, adrenaline, cortisol.

Note: This life and death situation could just be the traffic jam, an unpaid bill, a
conflict with your boyfriend, a big exam, a job problem. And because your body is
getting ready for fight or flight, your blood pressure goes up, blood sugar
increases, your digestion slows down, and breathing becomes shallow.

How do you overcome worry?

I know of only one solution: Trust God. Trusting God isn’t just a nice thing to
do. Trusting God isn’t optional. Trusting God is about survival. By trusting God,
you save yourself from sickness and early death.

God wants you to have peace.

Jesus said, ”Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25,
NIV).

Did you notice? This is a command. This may be the most violated command
in the Bible. Because we think Jesus was not giving a command- just a nice
suggestion.

When we let go and let God, good things start to happen in our body. Our
health improves once we stop dwelling on our fears and start dwelling on our faith.
We go back to the natural state of being peaceful.

Here’s an example a practical one

We know a lot of people get angry at the traffic chaos on the road.
 I did too, until I realized it was not only useless, it was toxic. Because I know
that over time, this irritation, if done every day, will slowly poison my internal
organs.

So today, whenever I get caught in traffic , I inhale God’s peace. I relax. I chat
with God. Sometimes, I plan for my day. I began to thank God for the traffic
because it’s not a hassle, it’s a gift.

Do you notice how I changed it’s meaning?

You can change you disposition over anything.

Why do I do this? Because I love myself. You can’t control what thoughts enter
your mind. But you can control what thoughts entertain in your mind.

Here’s my fictional analogy: One day, I hear a knock on the door. When I
opened it , I see a salesman wearing a coat and tie. And he says, ”Good morning,
I’m selling a pre-loved coffin”

I look behind him and I’m shocked to see a real coffin.

He continues, “Put it this way. In fact, it’s being test-driven right now, because
there’s still a body inside. So when you buy the coffin you get a bonus.

What do you do with a salesman knocking on your door who is selling you
something you don’t like?
You could tell him-politely gently calmly-“Thank you but I’ll pass”.
 But some people keep entertaining the salesman.
They ask for him to enter their house, chitchat with him for an hour or two - until
they end up buying they don’t want.

Negative thoughts are something you don’t need. Worry, irritation, fear…..you
don’t need them. So whenever a negative thought knocks on your door , see who’s
knocking-don’t deny that there’s a negative thought-and just say, calmly, gently,
with a smile, ”Thank you, but I’ll pass”.

Inhale God’s peace. And be free.