Song: On The Throne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR7uNT30BYU
Prayer: Lord as we gather here together tonight, we invite you to move among us to touch us, to heal us and to restore us. Father we know that we all have areas where we need to trust you more and to obey you too. Please forgive us and we invite you to search each of our hearts and reveal to us any areas where we have failed to place you as LORD.
Thank you for loving us and being with us and NEVER ever giving up on us. We bless you in this night. In Jesus name. Amen
Tonight we are going to look at stress from a Biblical perspective. We will likely return to “Put Off, Put On” soon but for tonight we are doing this.
Comments are always welcome.
Bible studies are GREAT. Learning more and more about the Bible and the men and women in it is wonderful. But we also, I think, need to use Biblical truth to help us in our daily lives.
Somtimes life is just stressful.
We all probably have stressors in our life. Is there a Biblical solution? Does the Bible even mention or allude to “stress”?
June Hunt, a Christian counselor asks:
Are you at the breaking point right now? Do you feel that if you have one more pressure added to your life, you will break? Stress can be a monster, but stress can also be a motivator.
Dodi Note: Have you ever considered being grateful for stress? It does or, it can draw us closer to God.
A quote by a Christian writer says: “It matters not how great the pressure is, only where the pressure lies. As long as the pressure does not come between me and my Savior, but presses me to Him, then the greater the pressure, the greater my dependence upon Him.” – Hudson Taylor
Dodi Note: Hudson was a famous missionary to China in the 1800s.
When your car breaks down, looking under the hood isn’t enough. You need to inspect the parts that have received excessive wear and tear.
Are you worn and torn by stress? Have you analyzed your own condition?
By taking a closer look at Paul’s many experiences, you can check out what circumstances are most likely to cause stress.
If the pressures in your life are not being used to press you closer to the Lord, you may be on the way to a blowout!
The Four Stages of Stress
* Stage 1 – NO LIGHT
* Insufficient Stress: No motivation/need to move responsibly.
* Stage 2 – GREEN LIGHT
* Positive Stress: Motivation/need to move responsibly.
* Stage 3 – YELLOW LIGHT
* Negative Stress: Motivational warning signs to slow down movement.
* Stage 4 – RED LIGHT
* Burnout: Movement is stopped and repair is necessary.
Dodi Note: Each of us are at one of these stages. Last week I was at stage 3 or 4, so I went to sit by the Intracoastal for a bit. It was very relaxing. My next stop that day was to pick up a grandson. We drove to his house for homework, the went out to drive to pick up his little brother. MY CAR WAS DEAD.
What to do? I got someone else to pick him up and called AAA. Since I was already stressed, what would have happened if I had not spent that time at the river? Destressing and simply “being” with God.
You know what I kept says? Thank GOD my car did not go dead at that isolated spot by the river.
Funny story. True.
June Hunt shares some wrong vs right thinking regarding stress.
Wrong Belief:
* “My life is out of control. I feel helpless to cope with all this stress in my life.”
*
* Right Belief:
* God has allowed this stress in my life to bless my life and reveal my weaknesses. I am grateful for the pressures that have pressed me closer to Him and caused me to allow Christ to be my strength.
Dodi Note: WOW? Have you ever considered that God might allow stress into our lives to highlight our NEED to trust Him more?
The Bible reminds us:
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
None of us has ever endured what all Paul endured, have we? But we have endured many various difficulties and we have and will continue to have areas where we are weak and need God’s own strength. The good news is that it is a PROMISE for us to cling to. When we call on God, he will hear and he will uphold us with His strong right arm.
Deuteronomy 33:27
"The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!'
Dodi Note: Don’t you LOVE the picture of God as our dwelling place and even under that, under us, are his EVERLASTING arms? Plus he WILL drive out our enemies before us.
Isaiah 59:1
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
Dodi Note: I LOVE this one too. God’s hand is not short, his ear is not dull. God sees, knows and cares. God HEARS us when we call upon him.
1 John 5:14 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
Dodi Note: Did you notice the “if-then” clause? If we ask according to HIS WILL.
Jeremiah 29:12-13; "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Dodi Note: This is right after Jer. 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God is speaking to His people in exile and promising them a good future. That truth is valid for each of us as well. No matter what stage of life we are in God “has us”. It may seem bleak and difficult, it may actually be a difficult season, but God IS with us. And He will continue to be with us and his GOOD plans have not changed.
Additional Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
When we ARE in a season full of stress we CAN focus on all that is wrong, or hard, or difficult or……….we can remember our instructions in Philippians 4:8-9 which say: 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
https://www.hopefortheheart.org/download/661/
I am going to share from one of June’s counseling articles a bit more about stress:
The Many Sides/Causes of Stress
* External pressure causing physical, mental, or emotional strain
* Self-induced internal pressure causing physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual strain
* Internal resistance responding to outside pressure
* Negative pressure resulting in distress, danger, or destruction
* Positive pressure producing motivation and movement.
*
* For each of the the cure is the same: “Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
*
Unhealthy Stress according to June:
* Refers more to the duration of stress over a considerable period of time
* Includes external or internal pressure that God does not intend for us to experience
* Causes detrimental effects to the body, as well as to the soul and spirit
* Stretches us beyond the threshold of our physical, mental, and emotional limits that God established within us to protect from overload
* Plunges us past a saturation point where nothing can be added without something else being eliminated
*
* The Word says:
“I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.” (Ecclesiastes 4:1)
Dodi Note: Be we DO have The Comfortor, right?
What Does Scripture Say about Stress?
• Distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.
“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil” (Romans 2:9).
Dodi Note: The evil could be our own poor choices or a wrong done to us.
• Distress can sometimes be the result of severe, self-induced, internal stress.
“See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious” (Lamentations 1:20).
Dodi Note: In this case the cause of stress was the result of rebellion aka chosen sin.
• Distress is a state of anguish, vexation, or affliction. “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly
distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16).
Dodi Note: This is the sort we can have every day due to the culture and political climate in which we live. I believe the cure for this is to go to the Lord in prayer.
• Distress is a word used over 100 times in the Bible (NIV) to describe negative stress. It most often pictures the negative result that pressure and pain can have on the heart.
The apostle Paul wrote to those whom he deeply loved in the young Corinthian church—those who had severely rebelled against him, but had later sincerely repented.
“For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you” (2 Corinthians 2:4).
• Distress is often a translation from the Hebrew word tsarah, which means “straits, distress.” The word means distress, anguish, or affliction in a spiritual or psychological sense.
“We saw how distressed he [Joseph] was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that is why this distress has come on us” (Genesis 42:21).
Checklist for Burnout/Stress by categories:
Emotional Symptoms
I feel apathetic and anxious.
I feel depressed.
I have a great deal of self-doubt.
I have a sense of hopelessness.
I have decreased self-esteem.
I have difficulty concentrating.
I have feelings of disenchantment.
I have feelings of disorientation.
I have less time and energy for relationships.
I have uncharacteristic anger, cynicism, and negativism.
Physical Symptoms
I eat and snack excessively.
I generally feel nervous and unsettled.
I grind my teeth at night.
I have difficulty relaxing.
I have frequent, severe headaches.
I have high blood pressure.
I often have indigestion.
I have lower back pain.
I have tightness in my neck and shoulders.
I have trouble sleeping at night.
Dodi Note: Those were emotional and physical symptons of unresolved stress. The next list she gives us are deeper and involve our relationship with/to God.
Spiritual Symptoms
I am apathetic toward Scripture.
I am feeling more and more desperate to improve my situation.
I am losing confidence that God can help me.
I fail to recognize my own limits much of the time.
I feel I am in a spiritual vacuum.
I feel I am on my own. (Abandoned by God and others)
I feel I have lost perspective on life.
I feel that God has given up on me.
I feel like giving up on myself.
I rarely pray or have quiet time anymore.
If any of those symptoms describe you, I hope/pray our discussion is helping you KNOW that God is with you. And if you are not actively “there” right now, I pray you will be able to remember these points when you need them.
Key Verses to Memorize
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
Dodi Note: This is an awesome verse to memorize. At time we can/will ALL become weary, burdened or stressed. God knows that and offers the way out. His name is Jesus.
June offers us a Key Passage to Read
1 Kings chapter 19 .
She also offers some practical advice. I modified it a bit.
How to Stop Stress before It Overtakes You
Exercise—do whatever aerobic activities you enjoy. Dodi Note: Maybe while playing Worship Music.
Take a few deep breaths—let out a good long sigh. Dodi Note: Meditate/repeat a verse that speaks to you while doing this. I like Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Sing worship songs at the top of your lungs.
Practice muscle relaxation techniques.
Dim the lights and take a hot bubble bath while listening to relaxing (worship) music.
Become better organized—clutter can increase stress.
Dodi Note: Besides God is a God of order not chaos.
Go for a casual walk in a scenic location. Spend time thanking God for His creation. I do this often myself.
Invite friends for a fun-filled evening.
Have a good cry once in a while.
Dodi Note: Remember God collects our tears in a bottle.
See a favorite movie or watch a special show.
Turn off the television and read an inspiring book.
Smile at people and laugh a lot.
Dodi Note: Blessing another brings joy to our own heart and destresses us.
Develop your faith that God is at work in every situation.
“Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” (Psalm 66:5)
Stop Stress with Truth
Lie #1: “The more I do for God, the more He will love me.” Truth: God already loves you completely. Nothing you can do will increase His love for you. (Galatians 3:3)
Lie #2: “I will lose God’s love if I fail.”
Truth: God’s love is always with you regardless of what you do. (Romans 8:38–39)
Lie #3: “When I’m not pleasing God, I feel His condemnation.”
Truth: God’s heart for you is not condemnation. He desires freedom for you and condemns only the sin that has you in bondage. (Romans 8:1–2)
Lie #4: “I’m afraid that if I fail, God will punish me.”
Truth: God does not punish us. He disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)
Lie #5: “Because God is always available when anyone needs Him, I should be too.”
Truth: Jesus was not always available. He consistently left the crowds and His disciples to be alone and pray. (Mark 6:46)
Lie #6: “If I don’t do everything that I’m asked to do at church, I’m letting God down.”
Truth: God is far more interested in having an intimate love relationship with you than He is in what you do.
(Matthew 22:37–39)
• Lie #7: “I must appear to have it together and not allow my mistakes to show.”
Truth: A spirit of humility is more impressive than a spirit of pride. (Matthew 23:12)
• Lie #8: “When I’m at death’s door, I’ll be sorry I didn’t accomplish more.”
Truth: When you’re at death’s door, your primary regret may be that you didn’t show your love more. (Romans 13:8)
Questions and Answers
“In Gethsemane, how did Jesus mentally process the situation He was facing?”
Although Jesus knew He was about to be arrested and would face death, He acknowledged His Father’s sovereignty and put His trust in God’s ultimate control over the situation.
“‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you.’”
(Mark 14:36)
“How did Jesus outwardly express His emotions?”
Although Jesus was frequently open with His emotions (John 11:35), He responded to His pending crucifixion by releasing His anxiety to His Father in prayer. He admitted His great desire to avoid the torturous death facing Him by asking His Father to remove the cross from His life. Yet, His heart remained submissive to His Father’s will.
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
‘Father, if you are willing,
take this cup from me:
yet not my will, but yours be done.’”
(Luke 22:41–42)