stress and the Christian

So I have often heard the saying that "I am too blessed to be stressed", and it makes me cringe.  Now don't misunderstand me, i completely understand the concept of what that means.  Focus on the good and not the bad, wipe out negative thoughts with good thoughts.  Sometimes it works, however sometimes it doesn't.  Some would have you believe that if you are that stressed then there is something "going on spiritually", and that as believers we should NEVER be that stressed.  I totally disagree.

Let me explain, we can agree that David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).  There are so many reasons why He was called that.  We can agree that David messed up, and messed up alot (the list is too long).  David also learned to be humble and to follow after God.  We also know that David stressed, and he stressed a lot.  Example:

^9 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief.

^10 My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,^

and my bones grow weak. (Ps 31:9-10, NIV)

 

Distress, sorrow, grief, anguish, groaning, affliction, and weak are all signs of guess what?  STRESS.

 

Here is my point:  You can be a person after God's own heart, and be in stress.

 

David also wrote his solution:

 

 

^14 But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

^15 My times are in your hands;

deliver me from my enemies

and from those who pursue me.

^16 Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love (Ps 31:14-16, NIV)

 

Very same Psalm, David wrote "I trust in you". 

 

We destress by doing the same thing David did.  Take the stress, the situation, and the dillema and hand it over to God.  Easier said than done, but is possible.  We stress because we feel things are beyond our control.  We like to control things.  However, control is an illusion.  We can't control anything, let alone circumstances.

 

So our solution is to allow the one to control Who has the ability to control.

 

"God may I trust in you, my times are in your hands, my stress is in your hands; take this from me and let your face shine on your servant;  I want to be a man after your own heart" - me.

 

Have a great day, Chris