Why be stressed, when you serve the best?
I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
We live in a very fast-paced world. We see this rapid pace when we travel. There are times, I will be driving down the Interstate going 75 mph, and someone will pass me, as if I were sitting still. When you go to Wal-Mart, you had better watch around the next corner, or you just might have a demolition buggy crash. Ladies, you are at a high risk when you go to the grocery store. Have you ever watched the television show called "Supermarket Sweep"? If you haven’t, let me explain the objective of the show. Contestants rush down the store aisles, racing against the clock, filling their buggies full of expensive items, and try to find bonus prizes. You should see what a panic these people are in. I have to say, there really is not much difference in reality. Because of the time consuming and demanding lives that people are living, they rush down the aisle of the grocery store, knocking things off of the shelves, trying to race the clock of life, just in time to return home to eat, and go to bed and wake up the next day and repeat the same thing over again.
When I worked for FedEx, I can remember the overwhelming panic that I stayed in. FedEx is an occupation in which a person has to take a minute and somehow stretch it into an hour. It is an overnight service and in order to get the packages sent overnight, the courier has to really hustle. In fact, only a certain people can meet these demands. Had it not been for the grace of God, I would’ve never survived the 2 1/2 years, I worked there. I did not like being so rushed all the time. It was very hard to make rational decisions in that hustle and bustle state.
According to the American Institute of Stress, stress has been described as the #1 Health Problem in America. I quote, "The stress response of the body is somewhat like an airplane readying for take-off. Virtually, all systems (the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and brain) are modified to meet the perceived danger."
Our body does not know the difference between an actual threat and a perceived threat. Our body only knows how to react to what the brain tells it.
For example, I would like to give you a little test. Close your eyes and picture yourself on the top of the Empire State Building. Keeping your eyes closed, in your mind’s eye, walk over to the very edge of the building, now look down. Do cars look like ants? Now open your eyes. How many of you felt like you were falling? Did you feel your body get warmer? How many pictured yourself falling? Your body was reacting as if you were really standing on the Empire State Building, because your body didn’t know the difference between an actual threat and a perceived threat. You can relax now.
In a "Have it your way, right away" world, how does one balance their life? Balance is the key to a healthy life. We are supposed to balance our diets in order to give our body the proper nourishment. We balance our checkbooks, so we don’t overdraw from our checking account. It is so easy to bring this rapidity into the church. Many times before we come to services, we are often rushed in our day and weighed down with cares. But should we bring this same pace into our services?
I. What advice does the Bible give for stress?
Peter said in I Peter 5:6 & 7, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I believe this is some of the greatest counsel that we could ever be given. To cast our cares upon the Master. What are cares? Cares are our worries. Peter is saying take all of your worries to Jesus, because He is concerned for you.
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He*ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
No matter what problem we may have, we have a high priest that can touch our infirmities.
Heb. 4:14-16, "14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Our God is able to solve the problems that stress us out and steal our peace of mind. Jesus said in Matt. 19:26, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Luke 1:37, "With God nothing shall be impossible."
We often carry burdens for too long. What peace we often forfeit, because we do not take our cares to Jesus in prayer.
II. How can we limit stress?
Stress is not always a bad thing. Some stresses are good for us. Going on vacation is a positive stress that relieves negative stress. Getting a promotion at work is a positive stress. Becoming a parent is a positive stress. Let me just let you briefly name some positive stresses.
We can limit negative stress by applying the counsel of Jesus in Matt. 6:25-34, "25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
I have learned when I put the Lord first I limit many of my negative stresses. I no longer have to worry about how the food will get on the table. I no longer have to worry about thirsting. I no longer have to worry about if I will have clothes to wear; because all of these cares leave when I put Christ first. When I pay my tithe, I know if I give my last dollar, that my needs will be met.
God has promised to meet my needs. Phil. 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." David said in Psalm 37:25 & 26, "25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." When we are a Child of God, we know our needs will be met. We know nothing can harm us without first passing through the hands of God.
He is the Rock of Ages, Ex. 33:22, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:"
He is there in time of trouble, Ps. 57:1, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."
He is the refuge from the storm, Isa. 25:4, "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."
He is the sleepless watchman, Ps. 121:4, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
He is the Protecting Father, Jn. 17:11, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
He is the Almighty Guardian, 2 Tim. 1:12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
III. How to overcome stress the Bible way.
The Bible does have an antidote for stress. It is called faith. Often when we are worried, it’s because we are worried about something that might happen. Many of our fears never come true. Anxiety is worry about what might happen. I think many people fear what is on the other side of the wall. We cloud our minds with so much of the darkness of doubt, that we prevent the sunshine of hope from coming into view. The Bible is full of references relating to faith. I will recite a few.
The writer of the book of Habakkuk says, "the just shall live by faith." Habakkuk 2:4.
Jesus said in Matt. 21:21 &22, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Mark 11:21, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God."
Luke 7:50, "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Rom. 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Heb. 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Heb. 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The Bible also exhorts us to be cheerful. What does stress do? It robs us of our joy. God wants His children to be joyful. "Make a joyful noise." "Children of Zion be joyful in their King." "Let the saints be joyful in glory." "Sing, O heavens: and be joyful O earth." "Make them joyful in my house of prayer." "My soul shall be joyful in my God." "I am exceeding joyful." If we will only have faith in our God, He will restore our joy. David prayed in His prayer of repentance in Ps. 51:12 "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."
Stress is unavoidable, but not impossible to limit. If we will only take our problems to the Lord, we will be delivered from many of our fears. May we always remember to put God first in our lives and continue in His commandments, exercising our faith in every aspect of life.
"Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."
