Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, St. Matthews Baptist Church

Editor’s Note: Traditionally we have not published articles on Sundays.  Until now.  This article is the first of what will be many “Sermon Briefs,” which will be published each Sunday and on select other days as appropriate.  We owe a debt of gratitude to Les Hollon, Pastor of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, for making this happen.

Make The Days Count is about reminding ourselves what is important in our lives, and how we can be more positive and productive each day.  You can see the various topics we focus on in the right margin … with the intent to be present, make each day count, be productive, and live well … For us, this includes God.

How do we manage life?  How can our faith help us live with mounting stress?  How do we find rest in a busy world?

Strange, isn’t it?  Our technology was marketed with the idea of giving us more time to enjoy by our not having to do the “work” once required before the technological developments.  Yet Americans are working more and talk of being “stressed out” because we don’t have enough personal time away from disstressful responsibilities.

We live in the wealthiest country in the most affluent era of world history, yet we feel the affect of a financially “stressed out” society.  We live in an age of remarkable medical resources for living longer and healthier.  Though we have added more years to our life, we have not added more life to our years. What is going on?  The gap is caused by an age-old problem.

The gap of distress is caused by the disconnect of our living in a sin sick world and our faith in God in light of the world’s challenges.  Rather than placing our trust in God to form our lives, all too often we depend upon society & ourselves to get done what we can’t do alone.  And our inability stresses us out. 

The three key promises in faith are:

▪ Know that God understands our needs (see I Peter 5:7).

▪ Trust God because God is trustworthy.   And we become trustworthy as we allow God to shape us (see Matthew 6:33; 11:28-30).

▪ Trust God with our whole life and apply that faith to each life area, one day at a time (see Philippians 4:6-8).

When we look to our faith and trust in God first - rather than ourselves or society - our hopes & expectations are shaped by God’s promises and the stress which then comes with life is placed in His power and we are given the strength to fulfill His desires in our lives.

Healthy stress is a necessary part of healthy living.  This stress is the natural interplay of living out good priorities in healthy ways.  This is Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, which Jesus used.

Pastor Les Hollon

“I have to learn that the aim in life is God’s, not mine.  God is using me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him, and never say - Lord, this gives me such heart-ache - He simply asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness.”
-Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost For His Highest”

This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of St. Matthews Baptist Church.  For more information about finding peace through faith, St. Matthews Baptist Church, or to contact Dr. Hollon, click over to St. Matthews Baptist Church.

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