What are you stressed out about? Work? Finances? The economy? The state of affairs in the world? Your kids? You fill in the blank _________ All of us to some degree are burdened with stress in our lives. The physical effects of stress can be devastating, in some cases leading to death. Stress is like a heavy weight that we carry with us causing us to struggle to enjoy life. We all know the dangers of stress, maybe your doctor has reminded you of the negative impact that stress can have on your physical and mental health. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to wave a magic wand and remove the cause of stress from your life? I don’t believe that even a magic wand would have the ability to remove the cause of our stress. If I asked 100 people about the cause of their stress, I would probably receive many different answers. But I believe that the root cause is similar for most people – the lack of being able to control people or situations. We may stress about choosing a course of action to address something that is under our control, but ultimately, we have the ability to address the situation, and shame on us if we refuse to take action! The stress that overwhelms us often revolves around our lack of control. We struggle dealing with people and situations that are beyond our means to control, so we stress about the results that may possibly occur. 

     The Bible has many passages that deal with stress, referred to as “worry” in scriptural terms. The biblical answer to stress (worry) will seem counterintuitive to us. If our lack of control leads to stress then it doesn’t seem right that releasing control to God would be the answer to relieve us of our stress. King David (Psalm 55:22) & Peter (1 Peter 5:7) echo each other’s commission, to give your cares, worries, burdens, stress to God because He truly is concerned about you. The Apostle Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:6-7, to replace worry with prayer, which includes thanksgiving, resulting in experiencing God’s peace that will exceed our understanding. 

     Today as you consider pausing at noon to Bend-A-Knee in prayer may you enter God’s Throne Room of Grace and release whatever it is that is causing you stress. Just a reminder, God can handle it…! God’s invitation to us is clear, His provision exceeds our burdens, no matter how big they seem to us. “Let go & Let God” may seem to be a trite phrase but if you follow the advice, you will be amazed at the results. 

Stay connected to God & to others

God’s Peace

Pastor Mike