John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
I think most of us could agree that we live in stressful times! Often it isn’t an isolated event that is stressing us out, but many things simultaneously! We experience that snowball effect. Things can pile on or add up quickly. Has your day ever started out well, but by Noon you're asking what happened? Things just fell apart and you're pushed to the max! Much to my chagrin, I admit that stress can be good. Perhaps even healthy. Stress can motivate us to get things done! It may propel us to stop procrastinating. In my life I find myself dividing stressors into 2 categories – good stressors and bad stressors. (I know it’s overly simplistic, but it works for me).
A good stress might be that you volunteered to deliver “Meals on Wheels” for shut-ins or you volunteered to do the extra cleaning at your church. Or perhaps you're making sacrifices to get to your nephew's ballgame on time. You opted to stay late after work to do some needed tasks? Each requires extra time, effort, and organization to make it happen.
In my opinion, bad stressors occur to all of us. Bad stressors just happen. To the Christian; to the non-Believer. To you. To me. To everyone! Through no fault or decision of your own, something scary, debilitating, or unjust happens. It’s easier said than done, but hopefully the Christian will seek God’s counsel on how we may learn from the situation. Or you may crumble, fall, and stumble for a while. Based on my personal experience, I find that eventually you may GAIN more than you lost! However, this doesn’t mean that hurt doesn’t persist – that our memory fades from the stress and pain. Moving on and succeeding does not always make up for all that you have lost. (Life Moment: Let’s look at a Biblical example… I doubt if Job stopped thinking about his first wife, sons and daughters who died, just because God gave him new ones later.)
Ask yourself, “Do I let go, and let God" handle those things that I cannot change? Do I ruminate over unresolved pain and frustration? Do I fixate and stew over things, trying to come up to answers for impossible questions? Like most of us, you probably do your fair share of ‘stressing out!’ We all know that letting go is the best way to handle daily or weekly obstacles; yet, it is often difficult to actually do so! I doubt anyone actually LIKES to sit in a quandary and fall apart thinking about all the "what ifs." Most likely, everyone has sleepless nights wondering how things will turn out and/or wishing we knew how to handle given situations. It is important that the Christian turn to God. When faced with stressors, doubts, or even depression, don’t pretend they do not exist. Find someone you trust, and talk things out using the Bible for guidance. Do Bible readings together if possible. Seek out a prayer partner! If you can't do it in person, that’s okay. The telephone is a good option! Or text! I used “Facetime” a few days ago with someone, and it worked great. (Life Moment: Technology can be a blessing when used correctly!)
For instance on reading: My husband and I are reading the Bible together, one Book at a time, chosen indiscriminately. This month our book is Psalm. It is amazing how we can both read the same chapter, but receive different insights and blessing from God. I highly recommend finding a “Reading Partner.” We can draw strength from God’s Word like NO other person or place!
The Christian understands that the ONLY true stress-relief to be found is through Jesus Christ. In the secular sense, there are thousands of “stress aids” available, but Jesus is the only answer.
Look UP my friends!
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