STRESS!
Matthew 11:28-30
INTRODUCTION: Does life seem far more stressful today to you then it did twenty or thirty years ago? Stress contributes to high-blood-pressure, heart disease, and addictive disorders. It often leads to headaches and backaches. Stress has been traced to stomach and breathing disorders. People under stress often lose their energy and struggle with chronic fatigue. Christians, just like the rest of mankind are subject to stress: John 16:33. Trouble in our lives can bring on stress and the Bible is full of men and women who dealt with high levels of stressful pressure in their lives. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. It is our ability to rely on our God in our stressful times that is at the very crux of godly living in our stressful times. 2 Chronicles 20:1-17. When the everyday stresses of life hit you where do you turn? Psalm 141:1, 8-10. Remember: Stress is emotional pressure with physical symptoms that has a spiritual remedy. Let’s learn some Biblical principles that will allow us to know where to turn to for help in properly handling the stress in our own lives.
- REST!
Yes, something as seemingly simple as just getting some physical and emotional rest can make a huge difference in both the amount of stress we feel and in how we operate under that stress. Psalm 127:1-2; 1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:28-30. Our stress comes as we try to carry the burdens of this life ourselves. When we rest our souls in Christ then our bodies can also find rest. Mark 6:30-31; Psalm 37:7. Exhausted people are emotional people, and our overreactions to life’s events are often in direct proportion to our fatigue.
2. MEDITATION!
Meditation is simply allowing your mind to mull over portions of Scripture that you have memorized: Psalm 23:1-6; John 14:1; Romans 8:28. Meditation can be done anyplace at any time. Psalm 119:143 in the New Living Translation.
3. PRAYER!
Prayer is the third stand of spiritual principles to add to our arsenal to help us deal with our stress. As we ask our God in prayer to take from our souls the strain and stress, and to drop His quietness in our spirit we will see His peace flood our soul: Philippians 4:6-9 New Living Translation. We dare not forget the thanksgiving part of the equation.
4. COUNTING IT ALL JOY!
James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus taught us: James 1:2-4. The Greek word for “consider” used in those verses means “to think something through.” As we think through our divine resources, divine help, divine promises and our Lord’s divine presence with us instead of being stressed we will be blest. Philippians 4:11-13: Like the Apostle Paul, we too can learn how to be content in every situation of life our Lord allows. Soon you too will feel to blest to be stressed!