Stress Free Life :Seven Keys to Extraordinary Life

What comes to mind when you hear the word stress?  Is it juggling family and career? Or perhaps the demands of ministry endeavors are weighing you down. Whatever your personal situation, stress is something we all can personally identify with. At the time the opportunity to review Stress Free Life: Seven Keys to Extraordinary Life by Bishop Bonnie Etta presented itself, I wasn’t feeling much stress but who couldn’t use some extra tools for handling stress effectively.  

Bishop Etta divides the book into two sections. Section one outlines the seven keys to living extraordinarily and section two focuses on ways to reign in life. He identifies the seven keys as:

•  Healed Through Love -discusses how our life flows from our love of God and some of the hindrances to walking in love like mistrust, human failings, rejection and abuse
• The Beauty of Forgiveness – looks at how choosing to release hurts and offences brings liberation from stress
• The Power of Truth – points out the importance of being willing to face the truth and living authentically
• The Peace of Unity- calls readers to unity not just with others but within themselves
• The Grace of Appreciation-reminds us of the value of gratitude
• Intimacy Through Communication-communicates the value of relationships with others
• The Creative Force of Faith–illustrates how faith is the necessary building block for our lives.

 It was an interesting read and there were several statements that stood out enough for me to write them down.  Here are few:

Cowards die in silence; they are influenced by people’s opinions, people’s appearances and even by the environment in which they find themselves. Cowards die with truths they never experimented; they die with life-giving keys they never used. They die with words they never released because of fear.

Needless to say I re-discovered that I’m a coward.

Stress is based upon false pictures and based upon false ideas regarding yourself and the situation you may find yourself in. Stress hates to face the truth, stress hates truth.

Many times I have been worried about something but when I actually faced the situation, it wasn't near as bad as I had conjured up in my mind.

The author not only addresses individuals but the church as well. 

The body of Christ is sick today in many countries because the various Christian bodies or denominations have lost their focus. Therefore their followers have no purpose and have nothing to do after being saved except to pay tithes and offerings.

Some of the author's theories, I did not agree with like his conclusions on the cause of poverty. On page 67 he writes, 

Poverty is born out of unbiblical way of life practices. Poverty is not a blessing from God; it does not have the nature and image of God. It is caused by foolishness, ungodliness, wicked political systems and caused by the enemy of human life; the devil.

About the Author:

Bishop Bonnie Etta is the senior pastor and founder of the World Vision International Worship Center in Beltsville MD, one of the fastest growing multinational nondenominational church. He is an international conference speaker, author, counselor, and singer and oversees  the World Vision Outreach ministries.

He holds a Masters in Ministry and he is the author of another book entitled Becoming Your Dream, which has given hope and courage to millions around the world.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of this by Bostick Communications as a part of their blogger review program. The opinions expresses are my own.