The battle with stress in your life happens between your ears. What you fill your mind with determines your level of stress.

“Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected” (Philippians 4:8 NCV).

The battle with stress in your life begins between your ears. It’s in your thought life. What you fill your mind with determines the level of stress in your life.

The Bible says to “think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected” (Philippians 4:8 NCV).

To lower your stress, change what you think about. In this verse, the Bible gives us eight tests for deciding if we should allow something in our mind. Ask yourself, “Is it good? Is it worthy of praise? Is it true? Is it honorable? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it beautiful? Is it respected?"

When you think about things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honorable, right, pure, beautiful, and respected, you’re really picturing God.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT).

What you think about determines how stressed and worried you will be. If you fix your thoughts on God, he will keep you in perfect peace.

Talk It Over

How are you doing in the battle against stress in your life?

If you asked the eight questions of your favorite entertainment choices, would they pass or fail the test? Does the answer change anything for you?

How can you direct your thoughts toward God more often throughout the day?

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This devotional © 2019 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.