Stressed? Learn to Calm Yourself!

“Come to Me and I will give you rest” Jesus: Matthew 11:28-30

Has anyone ever lived without STRESS? I doubt it! I’ve been reminded of this as I began a ten-week series teaching the book of ESTHER this past week. Every character experienced stress for one reason or another—just as you and I do!

The Bible, God’s Word to us, is full of the stories of people. One researcher claims there are over 2,500 names of people in Scripture. Ever wonder why? Because we learn from how they handled the stressors, challenges, and blessings they encountered in life.
 

STRESS IS NOT UNIQUE TO OUR TIME IN HISTORY
—NOR ARE GOD’S SOLUTIONS

• We don’t have to be victims of ongoing stress. 
• We don’t have to stay anxious, wondering what to do or being too fearful to act.
• Jesus said He came to give us rest and abundant life (John 10:10). That’s not a life without painful experiences or of financial luxury. We live in a world where hurt and pain happen, but we can know God’s rest, peace, strength, comfort and courage no matter what we go through. He is the source of our ability to be calm under stress.

PRAYER, SCRIPTURE, AND A CONSTANT AWARENESS THAT GOD IS WITH YOU ARE ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR CALMING YOUSELF. 

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF OVERCOME THE STRESSORS THAT COME IN LIFE. 

HERE ARE 2 – WATCH FOR 3 MORE IN THE NEXT BLOG.

1. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL 

Is your stress coming from not being able to control someone else? A spouse, a child, a parent or ???? You can pray, you can influence, but you cannot control what people think, say, believe, or their reaction to you.

WH0 CAN YOU CONTROL? Yourself: what you say, your thoughts, values, beliefs, boundaries, actions, and time.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Release that person or situation to God and let go of your need to control the situation and outcome. Respect their right to autonomy, hard as that is.
 
Jesus let the rich, young, ruler walk away. Even though He loved him, He didn’t try to control his decision. (Mark 10: 17-22)

2. DON’T INVEST MAJOR ENERGY IN MINOR PROBLEMS

Some stress comes from making a mountain out of every molehill! Not every problem is major or life-changing, yet we can waste a lot of mental energy on them.
 
WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Relax.
• Calm down.
• Take several deep breaths.
• Ask yourself what difference will this make a week, a month, or a year from now?
• If it doesn’t, go ahead and decide, reminding yourself that it is not going to determine the rest of your life! 

Pray for wisdom and make a choice. Stewing about what to do and going back and forth only increases your stress.  Refuse to be a “worry wart”. Jesus said “Do Not Worry” because He knows what you need and worry doesn’t change a situation, it only make you feel worse!

WANT SOME HELP ON OVERCOMING WORRY AND FEAR—WHICH ARE MAJOR SOURCES OF STRESS? FIND SCRIPTURES AND HELPFUL PRACTICES IN MY FREE EBOOK. DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

Blessings,
Poppy