Take the Chocolate Quiz!1 Do you need some hints to answer the questions?
- Hint question #2 – it’s made by
- Hint question #3- you can eliminate African and Asian countries.
- Hint question #1 –you have a 50/50 chance to get it right, so just guess!
Lets’ see how well you did.
If you want antioxidants, grab a piece of chocolate which contains almost 3 times more antioxidants than blueberries! Better yet, eat both and ingest approximately 20 mg.
Sending Mars candy into space seems apropos, doesn’t it? Which candy went flying in 1982? It was M&M’s! Now astronauts never leave earth without it!
Did you guess that Switzerland has the biggest sweet tooth? Even the Swiss can’t resist their sweet chocolate consuming an average of 19 pounds annually per person. That beats out Americans who consume a mere average of 10 pounds.
Who can resist the appeal of chocolate? It entices our senses with its sweet fragrance, its rich color swirled with caramel or nuts and its decadent, silky taste. Just the thought of it can make our mouth water. Are you craving chocolate yet?
Our thoughts are influenced by our senses.
Thoughts that we savor, or focus on, are like chocolate and unpleasant food. Pleasant thoughts that we savor are beneficial like thinking about our next piece of chocolate. Unpleasant thoughts are like an unpleasant food that we prefer to spit out.
Writing about chocolate my thoughts are influenced to grab a piece. As I eat my chocolate, it lowers my stress hormones, enhances my mood and activates that feel-good chemical serotonin. It’s a scientific fact!1
Aside from the chocolate, how about the influence of the images we see on TV or social media? Those unpleasant images of violence, war, radical threats and public discord can evoke anxious thoughts. We hear about them and then what happens? We savor them by imagining what is or what could happen and our mind and body react.
Suddenly our stress rachets up, our mood plummets and anxiety sets in.
What do we do?
Do we grab chocolate?
Sure! But don’t stop there; trade anxiety in!
TRADE IT IN!
When anxiety strikes, God is near with open arms to trade our anxiety for peace.
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,
Philippians 4:6-7
Do you want to make a trade?
Follow three steps.
1. PRAYER
It may seem unnecessary for the scripture to direct us to pray. After all, the Lord knows our thoughts and feelings.
But when we pray, we invite God to be part of our situation and the solution. God longs for an intimate relationship with you, His child whom He dearly loves. That intimacy develops when we express our deepest feelings and anxieties to Him.
When we pray, we are not acting alone. We are partnering with Jesus who lovingly intercedes on our behalf.
Therefore, He is able to save completely
those who come to God through him,
because He always lives to intercede for them,
Hebrews 7:25
2. SUPPLICATION
Supplication: “A humble and earnest petition”
Merriam Webster
Supplication is not a term we frequently use today. However, it expresses what we are to do. As we boldly approach God, we are not to be demanding but, respectfully, earnestly and humbly petition for our request.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need,
Hebrews 4:16
3. THANKSGIVING
This is an act of faith! Giving thanks before we see an answer to prayer demonstrates our faith that God will take care of our request. It proclaims, “My faith is greater than my anxiety!”
Having faith doesn’t mean that God will answer our requests in our timing and in the way we imagine. But it does show our trust that He will answer them in the way that is best for us.
In everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,
1 Thessalonians 5:18
WASH IT OUT!
Do unpleasant images still flash through your mind? Sometimes those unpleasant images are hard to remove. Like an unpleasant taste sticks with us until we wash it out, an unpleasant image needs to be washed out as well.
How can we wash out it out? We can wash it out by choosing to savor thoughts of good things.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,
Philippians 4:8
What’s the best thought to savor? Jesus!
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You,
Isaiah 26:3
REFLECTION
What are you savoring? What are your words or actions causing others to savor?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write Philippians 4:6-7 and say it aloud, strengthen my faith to bring my requests to you with prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. Remind me to savor good things and use me to encourage others to do the same. In Jesus name. Amen.
TRADE ANXIETY FOR PEACE IN JESUS
Comment!
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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
1 sciencedirect.com
