I have sat through many lectures, teachings, and sermons where the keynote speaker would talk about his or her book and say “If for no other reason buy my book so you can have something to read if you cannot sleep.” Everyone kind of laughs and snickers a little bit and then we move on. We all have that thing we do when we cannot sleep. Most of America now employs facebook to be the mind numbing activity used to expedite sleep. Often it acheives the exact opposite of what we desire. Our minds stay engaged until all hours of the night and we end up with less sleep than we have ever had.
As a leader and pastor I have worked with countless people that say they cannot sleep that the nightmares in their dreams keep them from ever getting any sustainable rest. Why can’t we sleep? We have the most luxorious beds this world has ever seen, our homes are protected with 24 hour alarm systems that are monitored by companies every second of every day. We can check in on our babies with baby monitors. (some even have video screens) Yet we are a sleep deprived generation.
If you were to be honest, often what keeps us up are the things we are worried about; money, our kids, health, marital problems, job related issues, etc. As Christians we are children of the King. In fact Jesus Himself spent a lot of time telling us in the scriptures not to worry.
Matthew 6:25
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (NIV)
Jesus said it and we all believe it, but how often do we follow through with it?
If I was an intelligent man I would take some time to give you 10 easy steps to stop worry. However, that would cause me to be a world class hypocrite. I try not to worry, but often I allow my mind to wander to the worst possible scenarios. Why is webmd.com so popular? Because it puts a special kind of worry on us. Humans naturally work toward the worst possible scenarios.
Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the forbidden tree and instantly become afraid. They are so afraid that they hide from God and try to see if he doesn’t notice them. Humans first response to worry wasn’t to run to the God that created them, but to hide from Him.
Why are we like that? Why do we force God out of the equation of our greatest needs?
Before I can answer that question I have to differentiate to types of worry
1. Worry about things you cannot control
2. Procastinating about things you can control
If you are up at night because you haven’t finished that paper, stop being lazy. If you are up at night because your wife is mad at you for forgetting her birthday AGAIN. Be a better husband.
But so often we get to bed, exhausted, and then our minds run and run and run about things that probably will not happen or we have no control over.
When you cannot sleep or the worry of your day manifests into nightmares of your sleep what can you do? I probably will never completely stop worrying but how can I control my mind one day at a time?
1. Read the Psalms
Its the first thing I tell people. When you cannot sleep for any reason, read the Psalms. Not because they are boring chapters like that speakers joke about at the top of this post, but because they have a soothing presence about them.
David would go into the tormented King Saul’s chamber and play the Psalms for him. It was the only thing that soothed his soul.
Trust me, it works in 2015 too!
Just the other day I had been pressed over and over with some difficult nightmares. Nothing that I can even really remember after I woke up, but I got out my phone and started reading Psalms. After the 10th Psalm my mind calmed and I slept so peaceful until my son grabbed my face and said “WAKE UP, its morning time!”
2. Take control of your thoughts
As a Christian we have the ability to take control. Jesus told the disciples that all power and authority on heaven and on earth had been given to him and that we have that same power too.
Take control of your thoughts.
3. Say them out loud
Most ludicrous things we worry about sound silly once they come out of our mouths.
4. Pray before you sleep
If you are married pray with your spouse before you both go to sleep. Not only will it draw you closer, but it will also bring peace to your home.
My wife and I make it a point to tuck our kids into bed and pray over them. We pray for safety, blessings, and PEACE.
We want our home to be a peaceful home full of true joy.
Staying out of worry and living in peace doesn’t happen without purposed effort. Live a life that controls your thoughts, prays over your family, and lives in the scriptures.
Live in Peace Today!
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