Too Blessed To Be Stressed

To Blessed to Be Stressed

I remember one day I was driving along minding my own business and be self absorbed with y own problems and all of a sudden I was in the midst of 5:00 traffic. Little Rock isn’t a big city, but unfortunately it has big city traffic. Well, I was waiting for the light to turn green and I saw this bumper sticker that said “To Blessed to Be Stress.” I don’t know why that caught my attention, but I took it as a sign form God that regardless of what I was going through, I am just too blessed to be stressed out over the situation that I was going through. And immediately the stress that I was feeling was gone, and I was able to look at my situation with a new perspective and a positive attitude. That wasn’t the only time I have felt that way, but every time I have been in that situation, I have always remember that saying on that bumper sticker. “I am too blessed to be stressed.”

But the million dollar question that we have to continue to ask ourselves, “How can we maintain a positive attitude in ALL situation?”

How can we save face when we are under distress?

How can we have joy when we are oppressed?

How can we have a rich frame of mind in poverty?

How can we have peace while tragedy is around us?

Whatever the circumstances are, we have to always remember that as believers we are too blessed to be stressed.

Now let’s examine what the Lord says in regards to this. Let’s turn to Luke 9: 23-25 (NIV)

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his or her cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life shall loose it, but whoever looses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul?

This is the Word of God for the People of God and the entire World. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.

In other words…

Anyone who follows Christ must let him lead because you are not in the driver’s seat- he is. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow Jesus he’ll show us how. Self help ain’t no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way. In self-sacrifice we find our true selves.

Now, I am going to have to stop right there for a moment. Because what I just said must have been divinely inspired. Now as your pastor and a human being, I find it hard to always having to give on up for the team. I am tired of being looked over and unappreciated. Sometimes you beg God for some slack!

It’s funny, I didn’t get into to this to be appreciated, and I got into this to serve. And the fact that my name is still not on the church sign doesn’t matter, because God knows and you know who the pastor of your charge is. And I am proud to be the pastor of both churches.

But Jesus says “What Good would it do to everything you want all the time and loose the real you? This isn’t your pie in the sky by and by. It is going to come a time when we are going to have to take a stand.” And I am telling you now that have to stand on the promises of God because in the midst of distress we have to realize and recognize that are truly blessed.

I have to quote Fred Hammonds for a minute. My favorite song that he sings is called “Blessed”. The chorus goes like this:

We’re blessed in the city.

We’re blessed in the fields.

We’re blessed where we come or we go.

We’re blessed because the stronghold of sickness and poverty will cease.

For the devil’s been defeated.

We are blessed.

Blessed in the morning in the noon and in the evening.

Blessed! Blessed! Blessed!

So I don’t know about you, but I am blessed!

I am blessed because I got beans and corn bread to cook when I am hungry.

I’m blessed because I woke up this morning and got here safely!

I’m blessed because I have family that loves me so!

I’m blessed because my family made it out of New Orleans in time!

(Pause)

We are just too blessed to be stress!

(Pause)

I remember my favorite commercial as a child was the commercial for sure deodorant. I remember as little girl that every time I saw that commercial, I would raise my hands. I remember making of joke of it at school. I would tell my teachers that my answer was correct was because I was wearing my sure deodorant this morning.