By Ken Fletcher
“Stress is a big deal. We all know what it feels like. It feels terrible. It is awful for our health. Blood pressure goes up. Sugar levels go up. Thinking is impaired. All kinds of negative stuff affecting us because of it. Why are we experiencing it?
Lots of outside reasons. We let it in. Sometimes, we deal with it not too good at all. Feeling it’s effects in our body. What’s the deal about stress? Where is it coming from? Fear is at it’s root. Fear of not being able to make the deadline. Fear of what MAY be coming can be stressful. Some have a stressful job. Some have stress at home.
How do we deal with it is the key. How do look at it? Listen, we see things partially of the total of the way things really are. Why? Because of our fallen nature. We do not know everything about a situation.
What if we could see it all like Jesus does? Would we be stressed out then? Nope! Why? No fear. If we could see everything right, we would just flow. No stress. No fear. What’s to be afraid of, or stressed out about, when you see it all? It’s what folks don’t see about situations that brings the stress. So, it’s what you don’t know that’s the problem.
Listen friend, we really can live stress free. It does take some practice, I must say. Some decisions of your will. Some commitment. Probably asking forgiveness from some people. And, some giving of things to the Lord. I mean, really giving things to Him and leaving them there with Him. But, it takes faith in Him to do it!
We can actually do Philippians 4:6-8 (NASB) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [d]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is [e]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [f]dwell on these things.”
It IS possible to live in peace. Not stressed. Even in tough circumstances. I can tell you that this verse works in our lives IF we will do it. Really do it. I know. Because I have many times. Stress is an awful thing. It’s just another manifestation of our fallen bodies interacting with a fallen realm filled with trouble, pain, and fear. We can learn to live differently than others. We can live in peace with the Lord.
What are you doing with the stress that is coming your way? Are you dealing with it in a proper manner? Getting it off of you the right way? Some folks end up drinking or pick up other destructive behavior to compensate for the stress they are dealing with. Unfortunately, that only leads to more stress and more problems because of not dealing with it properly. So, as time rolls along, the end result is even worse than before. More pressure now. More trouble than before. A terrible cycle of stress and negativity.
Dealing with stress the right way is, in essence, mind control. What I mean is, you control your thoughts, what you allow inside, through your own will. You decide what to allow in. Whether you realize it or not, you do not have to keep wrong thoughts in your mind. You can get rid of them by your will. You can refuse to think destructive thoughts.
Also, by practicing the above verses. Doing them, step by step, each word, daily, will bring you to another place. A place of peace with the Lord. That is where we should all abide inside. We have all of this available to us now, in this life.
We do not have to be a slave to stress. We can live fear free. The parts of life that we do not know, we have the opportunity to have faith in Jesus. Here in this life, we walk by faith, not by sight. We do the above verses by faith. Believing in our Lord.
Jesus does not want us to live in stress. But to abide in His peace. Always. I am endeavoring to live this way. To say that it is easy would not be the truth. But, even though it is not easy, it is really worth it. The alternative stinks. Stress is so negative and hurtful to our beings. It is really worth the effort to deal with those thoughts properly.
Only you can. Only I can. The Lord is there to help us, of course, but it really is up to us what we do with it. I hope this article really does help you to begin living stress free. I’m working on it here too. God is so good to show us how to live fear free and stress free. Living by our faith in Jesus instead!” KF KenFletcher.org
