What stresses you out?
Money? (Or lack thereof) Work? Relational conflict? Parenting? Responsibilities?
All of the above?
Life is full of stress, and it can be both good and bad. Stressful situations are those that push us out of our comfort zone. This can actually help us realize we have greater capacity than we thought we had. A life free from stress is one which never demands more of us than we’re sure we can handle.
I know that stress in my life is a key factor in growing my faith. When I am pushed beyond my own resources I have to depend on God. When I come to the end of myself, I meet the Lord in profound ways.
Perhaps we can say that stress is actually a perquisite for a deeper relationship with the Lord.
For example: what really stressed me out in the early years of launching and growing my business, did not do so in later years of the business. My faith had grown. Stress had stretched me and increased my strength.
Or perhaps, more accurately, it was the stretching that caused the stress and forced me into a deeper encounter with the Lord.
Stress is really our reaction to situations that push us outside our comfort zone. We can move into fear, or we can move into faith. Will we fear that we won’t have what we need to get through whatever the stretching is, or will we choose to believe that God can provide all we need to get through whatever we are facing.
Being stressed out is a fearful reaction to stretching.
Stretching does not have to produce fear and stress us out. It can produce faith if we choose to focus on the Lord and not on ourselves.
I would like to suggest that growth is impossible without stress, if we define stress as simply that which pushes us outside our comfort zone. Stress is not synonymous with worry and anxiety. Worry and anxiety is caused by a fearful response to stress.
Let’s look at the children of Israel leaving Egypt being trapped at the shores of the Red Sea as Pharaoh’s chariots closed in on them. I would consider that a highly stressful situation. The people of Israel chose worry and anxiety – a faithless response. Moses chose faith – he believed that God was faithful and He would somehow deliver them.
I heard about a survey recently that was done with 1,000 young adults. They were asked if they could go back to when they were children, what would they want more of? The assumption was that they would want more time with their parents. However, the most popular response was that they would have wanted to see their parents less stressed out.
Stress is part of everyday life. There is no such thing as a life without stress. However, we get to choose how we will respond to that stress. Will we choose faith and believe Jesus is who He said He is and we can trust Him to provide for all of our needs? Whether that be wisdom, favour, influence, customers, jobs, money, healing, patience, grace, love, etc.
Or, will we choose fear and believe that we have to take care of ourselves?
We will choose to be stressed out… of faith? Or will we choose to be stressed in… to faith? Stressed out… of Truth? Or stressed in… to Truth? Stressed out… of Jesus? Or stressed in… to Jesus?
Being stressed out not only has significant physical, emotional and spiritual effects on us, but also on our children. But, if we learn to choose faith and not fear – if we choose to cast all our cares on Jesus and trust that He will provide for all our needs – then the stresses of life actually lead to our personal growth and that of our children as well. Our faith becomes real and tangible.
Our children need to hear us trusting Jesus to provide for our needs. They need to see us casting our cares on Him. They will certainly experience the effects of our worry and anxiety.
Choose faith over fear and be stressed in… to Jesus.
Luke 12:22-31
“And He said to His disciples, ‘…do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing… And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?… But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!… seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.’”
Philippians 4: 6, 7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Luke 8:14
“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”
1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“