STRESSsssss.... The very word slithers
out and brings to mind a coiled serpent ready to strike. It reminds us of
tension headaches, deadlines, frazzled nerves, and Rolaids. Stress is like
an invisible hand pushing us to do more, and to do it faster and better
than ever before. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but it touches
most every life at one time or another, and the results it leaves behind
are physical as well as emotional. The fact is, our physical lives and our
spiritual lives are intimately woven together and inseparable. Ulcers,
insomnia, colitis, and many other illnesses can be the calling cards of
stress. The things going on inside of us are reflected outwardly. This
truth is echoed in Proverbs 14:30-- "A heart at peace gives life
to the body."
Our bodies and minds were not designed
to bear the heavy loads that we force upon them. We weren’t created to
be "in charge" of our own lives-- that’s hard work for beings
who are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. He who created us wants to also
carry our burdens: "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) Isn’t that great news? Someone wants to take that heavy
weight right off our shoulders and carry it for us! We can live in a state
of total rest and freedom from weariness!
I can hear the questions now: "Then
why do I see so many Christians running around stressed and anxious just
like everyone else?" Many times it’s because we give our burdens to
the Lord in prayer, but before we even get off our knees we’ve stuffed
it all back into our pockets as if He somehow needs our help. Other times
we burn ourselves out to accumulate temporary possessions that won’t
matter in eternity. When we lose our focus on Jesus our priorities are out
of order and we look no different than the rest of the world who are
struggling with stress.
Martha learned that lesson through a
loving rebuke from Jesus in Luke 10:38-42,
As Jesus and his disciples were on their
way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to
him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening
to what he said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparations that
had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care
that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help
me!"
"Martha, Martha," the
Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but
only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not
be taken away from her."
"What is better." Undoubtedly,
Mary could have easily found something to fill her time, but she chose to
sit at Jesus’ feet and focus on the One Person with the power to bring
peace to her life. Many things compete for our time-- jobs, spouses,
children, housework-- but we, like Mary can choose the "one thing
that is needed"... basking in the presence of the Lord.
We are promised that if we put our trust
in the Lord, we will have peace: "You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You." (Isaiah
26:3) "The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content
untouched by trouble." (Prov. 19:23) Each one of us is given a
choice: We can either try to run our own lives and carry the resulting
turmoil by ourselves, or let Someone bigger than us do it while we rest in
the comfort of knowing He’s more capable. Which will you be .....
stressed, or blessed? Our focus makes all the difference. V
bm
