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Hope for the Heart is a worldwide biblical counseling, coaching, and caregiving ministry founded by June Hunt in 1986. We’re passionate about helping people
114K followers
Pushed to the Breaking Point 0:00 Hi. This is June Hunt, founder of Hope for the Heart. Has unrelenting stress ever pushed you to the breaking point? If so, you're not alone.0:12 How well I remember a time in my own life when I thought, I can't take any more stress. I can't handle 1 more thing. I felt deeply wounded and betrayed in0:24 a relationship. Words were spoken that weren't true, and the stress it caused in my own life was intense. Our ministry was in its infancy, and the daily to0:35 do lists were beyond my ability to accomplish it all. As a result, my body felt the impact. I'd go to bed very late, working0:47 past midnight, and I am a confirmed night owl. But I'd also wake up in the morning at 4. I was instantly alert, my mind racing through the0:59 endless list of tasks necessary to meet the needs of others. Understand, waking up before sunrise has never been my norm. I always thought1:11 if the lord wanted me to see the sunrise, he would have scheduled it later in the day. Nevertheless, those early awakenings were truly beneficial, enabling me to get even more1:22 work done. Yet several months later, the Lord showed me that my rising abnormally early in the morning had nothing to do with increased productivity.1:35 Instead, my sleep disturbance had everything to do with stress, specifically, the painful pressure of a broken relationship. As difficult as the physical1:47 burden was, the emotional toil was even weightier. Our young, hope filled ministry, always such a joy before, began to feel like a 21:59 ton boulder on my back. I didn't have the help I needed to answer all of the counseling letters. I didn't have the confidence to do all the research required for my2:11 teaching. I didn't have a way to release all the mounting pressure of ministering to others. This period in my life was a blessing2:22 and a burden at the same time. And then there was the weight of wrong choices. My acute awareness of the fact created even more pressure.2:34 If only I had made different decisions. If only I had thought a different way. If only I had been a different person. If only. If only.2:46 By god's grace, I began to meditate on 1 of the most precious verses in the bible. The lord himself goes before you and will be with you.2:58 He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. That's Deuteronomy 31 8. This passage and several others,3:10 coupled with the wise counsel of friends, helped me turn a spiritual corner. Slowly, I began surrendering my burdens to the lord, and my3:22 stress began to dissipate as quickly as it had arrived. Since that time, I've learned not to miss the signs god has for each of3:34 us. When stress is signaling possible burnout, slow down and turn from danger. Stop and ask for directions,3:45 god's directions. Yield the driver's seat to Christ, then resume your journey totally trusting in the lord. I also learned that stressStress: Strengthener or Shatterer 3:57 can have either a positive or negative impact in our lives. On the positive side, it can increase our ability to endure. On the4:09 negative side, it can cause us to break. Realize, when a blacksmith applies heat in the process of hammering out a horseshoe, he not4:21 only shapes the metal, but also increases its strength. Likewise, when god allows us to come into contact with the heated4:33 hammer of circumstances, it's never for the purpose of harming us. Instead, under his care, he will both shape us and strengthen us. He4:45 knows the right amount of pressure to permit in your life. Even so, your response to that stress is critical. When you surrender yourself to the perfect4:57 hands of the master craftsman, He will reproduce the life of Christ in you. For years, the following words were attached to my5:08 bathroom mirror, reminding me of this life changing truth. Quote, there is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touchRest in the Joy of Victory 5:20 me until, first of all, it has gone past god and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose,5:33 which I may not understand in the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift my eyes up to him and accept it as coming from the throne of god.5:45 For some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me. No trial will ever disarm me. No circumstance will5:57 ever cause me to fret. For I shall rest in the joy of what my lord is. That is the rest of victory. You can personally6:09 be at rest amidst your trials if you focus not on your trials, but on your god. He is sovereign over your trials, and he knows how to6:21 use the stress in your life to bless your life.6:26 This devotional is a sample of June Hunt's book, Letters from June, Stories of Hope on 40 Real Life Issues. You can order your copy today at hope for the heart dot org slash June, or text the6:38 word June to 7 0 9 1 9 to learn more.In this video 0:00 Pushed to the Breaking Point3:55 Stress: Strengthener or Shatterer5:14 Rest in the Joy of VictoryComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
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