Trust Jesus (and Stress and Fear will Disappear)

Everything was going wrong.

The weight of the world had decided to settle on my shoulders. Bill collectors were calling and asking for payments that I didn't have.

The car insurance was due and I simply did not have it. The cable went out on Wednesday, and I love Law & Order but had to miss it because regular television doesn't work without cable in my area.

The final straw came when the Student Loan people called and demanded I send a payment. I couldn't handle it anymore. Not by myself, I couldn't.

So, I called on God for assistance. I needed to know what was happening.Why was everything coming down on me at that particular time? What was the message He wanted me to learn?

But, for some odd reason, I wasn't getting any answers from Him.

The following morning, things didn't get any better. As I was making myself breakfast, I dropped and broke my favorite drinking glass. I was stressing so much it was hard for me to concentrate on one thing.

As I was driving into work and talking with God, as I so often do while in the car-- the strangest thing happened. At the very moment I was asking God to answer me and tell me what I should do, I saw a sign.

A real sign.

A sign nailed to a tree.

A sign, which read in bright orange letters - TRUST JESUS. Now, I must tell you that I have driven down this very highway for four years, to and from work, five days a week, and never before noticed that sign.

I'm a very observant person and I refuse to believe it was there prior to that day and I somehow never notice it.

It was a 2" by 2" square wooden plaid with orange writing that read, TRUST JESUS.

It looked as if someone had the sign professionally made and then took a really big nail and hung it on a tree on the side of the highway.

At that very moment, all of the stress that I was feeling disappeared.

The reason I was stressing so much is I had forgotten to trust Jesus.

I'm sure you are familiar with those feelings. The feeling of stressing yourself out because you forgot to trust Jesus. You want more than anything to take that leap of faith and find a job or career that will fit God's purpose for your life, your calling. But you are afraid to make the first step.

Fear is holding you back from following your dreams and desires.

Someone once said FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real. This is so true.

The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

When we allow fear, which is not from God, to take control of us, we stress. But, God did not give us the spirit of fear therefore FEAR is false.

Whenever you feel fear starting to creep in, remember to TRUST JESUS.

Trust that He has a purpose for your life and that if you are not happy with what you are presently doing, then you aren't following HIS purpose.

Trust that making changes will be difficult and at times, frustrating, but always be mindful that you will be doing God's work.

Trust that everyone will not see the vision you see, but be mindful that God has a calling for you and you must fulfill that calling.

Here's an action point: Write both FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real and 2 Timothy 1:7 on two different pieces of paper. Then on another piece of paper, write in big orange letters, the words TRUST JESUS.

Post these saying somewhere you will see it everyday. Post it on the headboard of your bed; next to the mirror in the bathroom; on the visor of your car; on your desk at work.

Read these every day, several times a day--anytime you feel fear of stress coming down on you, take it out and read it.

If you do it often enough, you will learn to always TRUST JESUS and fear and stress will not exist in your life.

Trust Jesus and nothing will hold you back from discovering God's purpose for your life.

Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author and life coach who teaches how to discover God's purpose for your life and incorporate it into a lucrative