Christmas got you stressed? December 21, 2007
Posted by reformedville in : Theology , trackbackDoes Christmas get you stressed ? Does me even asking you that stress you out?! Who doesn’t have stress ?
Stress is defined as: a mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. (American Heritage Dictionary)
Stress is said to be one of the most pandemic fruits of our society and culture. That’s interesting because as Christians the fruits that are to typify of our lives is to be that of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22) … and yet we are all stressed out. I heard a sermon about three months ago on stress that was so far off the mark biblically, and wasnt that great of a seminar either! But I am not going to duplicate that poor stress management seminar cloaked as a sermon, bujt rather look to see what God has to say about it.
I would say instead of looking at stress we need to look for peace instead. We are given prescriptions for peace that dont require a doctor or a pharmacy to fill either. We will never be able to escape or eliminate stress from our lives. But with God’s help we can lose the weight of it in our lives. Stress plagues us as Christians for a couple major reasons ; first, we don’t take God at His Word, because second, we don’t trust God.
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
Listen to the psalmist … As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. (Psalms 119:143)
The joy the psalmist finds in God’s commands is not merely in knowing about God’s Word or being able to quote it. But his joy (fruit of his life) is based on taking God at His Word knowing he can trust God and therefore he applies God’s Word to the stress and pressures of life.
No application of God’s Word leaves us weighted down with stress filled living.We want peace in the midst of strife and stress on our own terms. We think we know better than God. In stressful times are we are more likely to trust our own instincts and to lean on our own intuitions, being wise in our own eyes?We stress ourselves out seeking for some stress reliever, when all the while if we take God at His Word we will find His peace.
So how do we find peace?
Psalms 119:165 NIV Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Isaiah 26:3 NLT You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 48:18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Psalms 119:143 As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands
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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Christmas and life in general got you stressed? God’s Word is full of applicable scriptures to help us to lose stress. Give yourself a Christmas present and take God at His Word, give the stress to Him and He will give you His peace in return.
This is the perfect time to give Him all your phony righteousness and attempts to please Him through being good enough, religious enough, going to church enough or trying to earn your salvation or impress your neighbor with your good works. That is enough to stress anyone out because it is a losing formula, a proven failure.
Instead accept His righteousness, and find His peace. It’s the only righteousness and peace you will ever have.
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