W. Frank Walton
11/12/11
In our hurry-up, pressure-cooker world, about everyone knows about stress and its adverse impact on our well-being. For many, the “Happy Holidays” are the most stressful of the year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services found in the year 2000 that 75% of respondents experienced stress in the last 2 weeks, of which half felt it was moderate to severe (“Healthy People,” National Health Interview Survey). Stress is negative psychological pressure, which comes from the crushing demands our fast-paced lifestyle.
Have you ever thought about Jesus facing stress? He did: “I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” (Lk 12:50). The Bible word “distress” (Greek, sunechō) means “to press together” (Zodiates,Complete Word Study Dictionary). It conveys feeling compressed or constrained by a mental burden. Jesus, as our perfect example, was distressed by the great demands of facing the suffering of the cross as the Savior of the world, but He was never “stressed out”!
In the life of Christ, we can observe major crisis moments in His life, noting how the Lord handled each stressful situation. We cannot glorify God or effectively serve Him if we’re mentally tied up in knots. Jesus promises us: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).
We cannot escape stress in this world. However, by faith and trusting obedience to Jesus’ example, we can manage to keep from being “stressed out.”
1. Remember God’s Word. No sooner had God confirmed Jesus’ identity and mission at his baptism than Satan called it into question in the wilderness temptations. Temptation to sin is seductive stress. Each time, however, Jesus responded by saying, “It is written…” He quotes from Deuteronomy, which is the ancient record and review of God’s “son” Israel, who also went through the water into the desert to be tested regarding trust in God. Jesus knew and expertly used the very best Scripture to blunt each temptation. In the stressful arrest in Gethsemane, instead of abandoning His mission, Jesus focused on fulfilling Scripture to help Him stay the course (Matt 26:54, 56).
Instead of falling prey to our changing moods and surging urges, contemplating Scripture helps to refocus our minds in the calm light of unchanging, eternal truth. “Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psa 119:165). Fill your heart continually with God’s Word, which is the instrument by which the Holy Spirit encourages and strengthens you in times of trial. Write down your own list of “Stress-busting Scriptures” and memorize and meditate upon them.
2. Do God’s Work. As Jesus entered on his ministry of teaching, healing, teaching and exorcism, the needs and demands placed on Him were tremendous. This is the stress of overwhelming demands, with seemingly too much to do and too little time to do it. However, Jesus faced the situation without despair by orderly doing what God had sent him to do — day by day, dealing with one person at a time. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is still day” (Jn 9:4). He never was flustered nor “lost His cool.”
When the task seems too enormous to bear, remember that we can only breathe one breath at a time, do one thing at a time, take one step at a time and live one day at a time. We must prioritize our actions to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33). Do not let trivial things obscure the vital things we ought to be and can be doing. Simply do whatever you know God has given you to do for that moment and that day, without “biting off more than you can chew.” Also, consider this saying: “We must stop stewing and start doing!” Stress can come from an over active mind and an underactive body. God will be with us each step of the way. He will give us strength and guidance for each challenge confronting us.
3. Rest in God’s Control. Some cities which saw most of Jesus’ miracles still did not believe in him. This is the stress of disappointing results. Yet, Jesus’ response was a joy-filled heart and a prayer to God — who is always in charge and whose work will never be defeated (Matt 11:20-30). He invites us to take His yoke of discipleship: “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).
When our agenda crashes, our hopes wither and our plans fail, we must rest in the knowledge that God has an eternal purpose. Remember with Jesus to proclaim before God: “Your will be done!” (Matt 26:42). He alone is in ultimate control of the universe and eternity. There is not enough power in hell to defeat God in the accomplishment of His purpose. No one will ever thwart his master plan for the salvation of all those whom he has graciously determined to redeem.
4. Seek God’s Presence. Amid a busy, hectic schedule of healing the multitudes, Jesus would “often go out to the wilderness to pray” (Lk 5:16). To cope with the stress of a busy schedule, Jesus made time for intimate communion with the Father (Mk 1:35). He drew strength and direction for His Messianic task. Also, when the clamoring crowds tried to make Jesus a political king (Jn 6:15), Jesus refused the stress of popular pressure by going “on the mountain by Himself to pray” (Jn 6:23).
The same powerful resource of prayer is ours today, if we will seek and receive it, for the work God has entrusted to us (Heb 4:16). Prayer can relieve the stress we face and soothe our soul. “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer…the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ” (Phil 4:6-7).
5. Trust God’s Faithfulness. In the Garden of Gethsemane and again on the Cross, Jesus entrusted himself to the Father’s will. In the stress of pain and sorrow, He was confident, even in His abandonment on the cross, that death would not have the final word. He voluntarily yielded up His spirit to the Father’s safekeeping (Matt 27:50). “Father, into your Hands I commend my spirit’ (Lk 23:46).
Sometimes, life reveals no quick answers, no simple solutions, and no ready escapes. Yet, God is always faithful. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13:5). We can always entrust ourselves to his care, with full confidence and without any reserve. Handling stress comes from seeing things from God’s perspective. His perfect, eternal plan can see us through today’s stress to tomorrow, even unto the day of eternity.
W. Frank Walton