Every Christian has hurts and this is one of yours, but you go to God every time and He holds you.

When we worry we say to God, 'I can't trust You. You're not doing Your job, so I'm going to step in and take over.' We can't just call that arrogance and foolishness—it's sin.

Let's face it, stillness is not exactly easy to come by in today's culture. We are far more likely to be restless, anxious, fearful, fretful, and busy. But God's invitation is to be still—and to find again, in the calm pause, the assurance that He is, in fact, God. His plans are undeterred, and with or without us, He is going to receive glory from all peoples on the face of the earth.

From an early age, we are taught to be proud, strong, and independent. None of those things are wrong, but when it comes to our Christian life, the paradigm has to shift. Jesus invites us to rest, to trust, to depend on him.

As we will soon discover, admitting we are not God—not in control, not running anything, not responsible for everyone's well-being, not the solution for everything and everyone, not at the center of all things—doesn't belittle us; it frees us.

The first, stress, gets a stranglehold on us when we move through life feeling like everything (every decision, every answer, every provision, every protection) rests on our shoulders.

Enough of little lives led by little people, crumpling under the weight of stress. And enough of empty ambition masquerading as something grand yet marked by the numbing effects of a vacant heart.

Learning to let God help you keep your cool during the little stuff makes it easier to keep your cool when the big things come around.

What can you do to "cool off"? Take a deep breath and say a little prayer. Ask God to cool your temper and simply show you what to do next—like mop up the milk, pick up the pencil again, and wipe your face. Learning to let God help you keep your cool during the little stuff makes it easier to keep your cool when the big things come around.

Lord, when little things—and big things—make me want to lose my temper, help me not to sweat it. Remind me to ask You what to do instead.

First speech? Frightened beyond belief. First board meeting? Scared stiff. I was never good the first time, and I was always scared on top of that.

Limit the effect of any emotional high or low to the twenty-four-hour period that follows the occurrence.