What is stress? What is trust? Are these two things related in any way?
Stress and the Bible
Paul writes:
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, submit your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
When I was writing this, a song chorus popped into my head. I went to youtube and listened to it, and these lyrics came up "You're calling me to lay aside the worries of my day, to quiet down my busy mind and find a hiding place." It is so essential that we are placing our focus on God and taking time to spend with him. This is something I am constantly struggling with, but I keep trying.
How do I stop stressing?
-Memorize verses. Having them stored in my head and heart is great for when I need to calm myself down.
-Take deep breaths.
-Pray for trust, which will then bring peace.
-Get good rest.
-Make a list of things I am thankful for and then thank God for those blessings.
-Take time to enjoy life: big and little things.
-Laugh. lots.
"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." ~Bill Cosby
-Keep a positive attitude.
-Listen to music. Preferably Jesus music.
Conclusion
Something that constantly comes to my mind when I stress is, "Am I really trusting God if I am acting like this?" If I am truly trusting in God, I would be having faith in His plan. Stressing shows that I don't trust God to know what is best for me, and so I take matters into my own hands. Trust God. It's something that I need to daily remind myself to do. Because it's impossible to do God's job, it will always be stressful if I try. So I choose to let Him lead.
Stress (noun): “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension” (dictionary.com).
Trust (noun): “1. firm reliance on the integrity, ability, etc., of a person or thing; 2. confident expectation” (dictionary.com).
I feel stress a lot of the time. Between school, work, homework, and all the other responsibilities I have, I constantly am moving, doing, and thinking about all the things I have to do. Sometimes I get more caught up in worrying about what I am not doing then focusing what I AM doing.
Stress and the Bible
There are endless times in the Bible where "worry" is mentioned. In a lot of these passages, "worry" is synonymous to "stress."
Matthew 6:25-34
Verse 27 asks "Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?" I think it's more likely that we are taking time off of our life when we worry and stress.
Verse 34 says "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." When we focus on one day at a time, it cuts down stress and it helps us to focus on the task at hand.
This passage is almost word-for-word repeated in Luke 12:22-34.
When we keep our minds focused on Jesus, even it the midst of situations that can be stressful, we have a peace.
Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You."
The next three verses take similar approaches on what we should do if we are stressed.
Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 6:25-34
Verse 27 asks "Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?" I think it's more likely that we are taking time off of our life when we worry and stress.
Verse 34 says "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." When we focus on one day at a time, it cuts down stress and it helps us to focus on the task at hand.
This passage is almost word-for-word repeated in Luke 12:22-34.
When we keep our minds focused on Jesus, even it the midst of situations that can be stressful, we have a peace.
Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You."
The next three verses take similar approaches on what we should do if we are stressed.
Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Paul writes:
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, submit your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
When I was writing this, a song chorus popped into my head. I went to youtube and listened to it, and these lyrics came up "You're calling me to lay aside the worries of my day, to quiet down my busy mind and find a hiding place." It is so essential that we are placing our focus on God and taking time to spend with him. This is something I am constantly struggling with, but I keep trying.
What are the effects of stress?
Occasionally (well, maybe a lot more then occasionally) Jesus has to do "semi-radical" things to make me slow down, breathe, and get my mind focused on Him again. This past week I managed to run myself ragged and get sick 2 days before a big test. I was forced to slept for 14 hours and call off work. I was able to use this time to rest, calm down, and study.
The day of the test I was freaking out again, and after the test one of my friends texted me and asked how I thought I did.
"I think I passed," I said.
She replied, "I'm sure you did. And even if by some fluke you didn't, you know God wants you in OT so He'll make sure you get what you need. :)"
I really needed that reminder. That if I was where I thought God wanted me, and I was working towards it, then He would help me through it.
Stress not only can affect your mind, but it can also affect your physical wellbeing. It can cause you to become so rundown that you get sick. Did you know that stress kills brain cells? It can make you moody and irritable to people you love and people around you. It can make you lose sleep at night.
The day of the test I was freaking out again, and after the test one of my friends texted me and asked how I thought I did.
"I think I passed," I said.
She replied, "I'm sure you did. And even if by some fluke you didn't, you know God wants you in OT so He'll make sure you get what you need. :)"
I really needed that reminder. That if I was where I thought God wanted me, and I was working towards it, then He would help me through it.
Stress not only can affect your mind, but it can also affect your physical wellbeing. It can cause you to become so rundown that you get sick. Did you know that stress kills brain cells? It can make you moody and irritable to people you love and people around you. It can make you lose sleep at night.
-Keep a positive attitude.
-Listen to music. Preferably Jesus music.
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