Having worked in hospice setting for a number of years and being at the bedside of those who only had a few months and then days left to live, I have come to believe that if we knew definitely that our time was limited, we would look at the world with different eyes. We would suddenly begin to see things more clearly.

The truth revealed as we read about Hazael also reminds us of David who became so angry and indignant when he heard about the awful behaviors of a rich person described to him by Nathan.

A question I ask myself is, ”Why do I even think I need to understand God’s ways?” Do we think our ways are better? Sure we do at times. Do we need to think about how we are going to get down that river the most effective way on that tube?

So, none of us arrived with an Owner’s Manual, neatly referenced to enable us to look up our ails, appreciate where we are, and, understand what is next. We expected its indelible validation to enable us to navigate some of the more fearful and exhilarating moments in our lives.

This article is a reply that deals with certain criticisms concerning views expressed in my article titled Pagan Philosophy, Unbelief, and Irrationalism.1 This article briefly exposed the bankruptcy of materialistic and empirical philosophy in particular and the worldview of non-belief in general.

Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
ROMANS 6:11 My friend Randy had given up trying to live the Christian life. He said, “I have tried, but have failed so many times. Nothing seems to work for me.” After listening to his account of his many failures and defeats, I began to explain the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Randy interrupted: “I know all about the Holy Spirit. I’ve read everything I can find, and nothing works for me.” My thoughts turned to Romans 6. I asked him, “Randy, are you sure you’re a Christian?” “Yes,” he answered. “I’m sure.” “How do you know?”

Learn about some very powerful ways to control stress and get some relief quick.

Well, it’s the start of the second period, I mean article on facing off against your fears. Let me recap the highlights from the last article. We delved into the first three steps of our seven-step game plan in dealing with our opponents: fear, anxiety and worry. The first step was to change our attitude about facing fear in realizing that you can do something about it, if you believe in yourself. The second step was to identify our most prevalent fears that are holding us back in life. The third step was to learn how to incorporate two calming skills into our daily routine.

When faced with a stressful situation do you let it dictate your actions? Do you ever completely lose it and yell in frustration at others? Fight just to prove you’re right? Assume an action was intentional? Take things personally and sulk? These are just some of the negative emotional reactions USE IT is designed to relieve—forever. Rather than fighting against stress, you can learn to take any given situation and USE IT to your advantage. USE IT is an easy, life-tested five-thought approach that works in the office, at home, on the road—and everywhere in between.