October 20, 2012
How Not to Be Stressed Out
“The chief cause of stress is reality.”
- Lily Tomliln
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? 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? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 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.
Matthew 6:25-34
If we, even for a minute believe that the quote above holds any element of truth: how do we avoid stress: for surely we can’t avoid reality? Not to oversimplify the solution but simply we must overcome by the blood of the lamb; the word of our testimonies and we must not love our life to the extent that we are not willing to lay it down in surrender and service to the Lord.
Scriptures tells us to handle stress in this way:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philippians 4:6-8
It would seem that that only foolproof way to avoid stress is to do things God’s way. Anything short of that lends itself towards allowing stress to have some kind of space within the reality that is our lives.
Today’s Prayer
Father, reality from my point of view can be painful, overwhelming, and difficult to navigate at best: but through your eyes, it’s all under control: so help me to see things your way by doing things the way you want me too.
“Purify my heart
Let me be as gold
And precious silver
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Refiner’s fire
My hearts one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do your will.“
- Lyrics from ‘Refiner’s Fire’ by Brian Doerksen
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