UCB Word For Today

• 7 worry-conquering Scriptures

  Is your mind besieged with fear and worry? Read these seven Scriptures prayerfully and carefully, and use them in prayer: ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). ‘The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace’ (Psalm 29:11 NLT). ‘Give your worries to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let good people down’ (Psalm 55:22 NCV). ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid’ (John 14:27 NLT). ‘Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit’ (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). ‘Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet’ (Proverbs 3:24 NKJV). © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Laugh more often

  Solomon wrote, ‘I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness’ (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT). If you are wise, you will take those words to heart. The impact of laughter is well documented. Studies show it lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension. It reduces stress hormones and cleanses the lungs and body tissues of stored stale air, because laughter empties more air out than it takes in. It increases immune functions in the body. On top of all these benefits, laughter triggers the release of endorphins – those ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain that make you feel happy. These are the identical chemicals released when some people, after a prolonged period of running, experience a runner’s high. That’s why the Bible says, ‘A merry heart does good, like medicine.’ So, take advantage of every opportunity to have a good hearty laugh. Laugh at your mistakes – especially on the job. Shed the superwoman or superman image, and start having fun. This doesn’t mean you have relaxed your standards of excellence; it just indicates you are aware of the fact that you and those around you are human. So have some fun; be a good sport. Don’t allow life’s pressures and negative circumstances to snuff out your sense of humour. Laughter reflects positive emotions and makes you a lot more enjoyable to be around. Nobody enjoys a sourpuss; laughter can also take your mind off what’s stressing you. So, laugh often, and remember, ‘The joy of the LORD is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Create a peaceful atmosphere

  How much peace do you display? How well do you respond to the difficulties in your workplace? Are you always tense or complaining? Is your desk neat and organised, or are there huge piles of paper all around? Disorder can be mentally unsettling and stress inducing, and wear down your peace. What about your overall behaviour; are you always fuming over co-workers’ mistakes? Have you learned to stop sweating the small stuff? Have you stopped to think about what a poor testimony it is not to reflect peace, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit? ‘The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). What about your daily drive to work? Do you sit down in your car with the aim of keeping a peaceful atmosphere no matter the circumstances you encounter on the road? When was the last time you prayed for a bad or unkind driver? Do you play calming music? The right music can be an excellent source of peace. When King Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, his servants told him, ‘Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again’ (1 Samuel 16:16 NLT). Jesus said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27 NIV). That means wherever you go, you can take the peace of God with you. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Prepare for the next phase

  When you move into a different house, you arrange a date for movers to come; you change the phone, electricity, and internet to your new address; and you place your belongings in boxes marked bedroom, kitchen, and living room, etc. Preparing for the next phase of your life is similar. Here are some tips to follow so you will be ready for whatever doors God opens: 1) Compose a plan for financial independence. This involves insurance, retirement, and estate planning. Your insurance policies should also cover your mortgage in case you become incapacitated and unable to work. 2) Always give yourself flexibility. After you have run the first half of the race of life, you may decide to switch direction. What you want to do right now may change twenty years from now, or it may be different from what you wanted to do twenty years ago. The delightful thing about life is that no matter how old you are, you can always begin again, and opportunities may exist in the future that you can’t predict now. 3) Stay current with technology, a major part of modern society. Those unable or unwilling to utilise the latest technological tools will have a hard time succeeding. In addition to technology, it’s important that you stay up to date with developments in additional business skills; communication, negotiation, and etiquette are all essential to succeeding in a changing world. Solomon wrote, ‘People may make plans in their minds, but the LORD decides what they will do.’ So, the word for today is – prepare for the next phase.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Get back on track

  It’s time to get back in touch with who you really are and your God-given gifts. This may mean confronting certain things you may dislike about yourself and your present situation. Beginning the process is the most difficult part. One approach to do that is to stop seeing yourself as you or others see you, and instead see yourself as God views you. Your vision for yourself is one of the first things that disappears when life gets hard, when you get stuck in sickness or debt or unhappiness. So, get back in touch with that vision! And where you see a disconnection between who you are and how you are currently living, drop the blame and self-accusation for getting off track. Once you do, you will start to detect that what’s inside you is now outside as well, showing in your life. Who you are behind closed doors develops into who you are everywhere. Let yourself see yourself as fresh and new, willing to begin again. Start taking one step at a time. When you see yourself the way God does, you see yourself standing up to say, ‘I am here and ready to use my gifts to live the life I was intended for!’ That puts you in agreement with God who says: ‘Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it? I will make a road in the desert and rivers in the dry land.’ © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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