“The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,” Your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself; You calmed me down and cheered me up.” (Psalm 94:18-19 MSG)
Before a violin can produce music, STRESS must be put on the strings! But pull the strings too tightly and they’ll SNAP! The same is true of you! Enough stress gets the juices flowing and helps you do what needs to be done, but beyond that, YOU SNAP! And everyone around you knows when it happens because your attitude gets nasty, your temper gets short, your mouth gets reckless, your moods are swinging in every direction, you become sarcastic and belittling, you become combative and pit-bull attackingly miserable and painful to be around! This is what happens when too much STRESS causes you to SNAP!
Someone quipped, “You know you’re on overload when you have no time to cook a tv dinner, the cat is on tranquilizers, and family reunions have to be mediated by law enforcement!” Seriously, before it gets to that point, do these 2 things first:
(1) ASK FOR HELP: During Hurricane Katrina, 8 dolphins were swept out of their aquarium into the sea, but because they stuck together they were rescued! If one had tried to go it Alone, he’d have perished! That’s why you have to remember when you’re Alone too much you lose perspective. If the enemy can Isolate you, he can Influence you! This is why God Designed His Family to Stay Connected! Or as Paul says, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for another” (1 Corinthians 12:25). Lena Horne said it best: “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it” Maybe you need to stop trying to use 2 hands to carry a 4 hands load! In a Nutshell: ASK FOR HELP! It takes nothing away from your ability, calling, gifts, talents, skill-set or anointing. It’s simply being honest and real that what I’m carrying is heavy and I need help! Anything beyond that is pure arrogance, pride and self-conceit at its best. And believe it or not, but some people see you have too much and wait and watch to see if you’re going to be humble enough to ask for help. And sadly enough, most people don’t! This is why I will never understand how they get so bent out of shape, when their load levels them! All you had to do was Ask For Help! Truth is many of our mountains are really just several molehills piled up! Therefore, if you want to avoid building mountains start delegating some of your molehills! “Sometimes asking for help is the bravest move you can make. You don’t have to go it alone. “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” (Author Unknown); “Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” Everyone no matter how big and strong could use a little help sometimes. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. What are we here for, if not for each other? “Ask for help, not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong.” (Les Brown); “I’m courageous enough to know I can accomplish great things. I’m humble enough to know when to ask for help.” (Katrina Mayer)
(2) GET REAL WITH GOD: Under stress a surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming, and unless you unburden your soul before God you’ll explode at the wrong people! The Psalmist suggests: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22 NIV ); “Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety” (Psalm 62:8 CEV). It’s no coincidence that many of the Psalms start out with the Psalmist crying out to God for help, and end with him rejoicing because he vented his pent-up frustrations! Maybe you should follow his example! “I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God’s arms like a little child, and trust” (Hudson Taylor). Sometimes that alone is Enough!
Think about it: Even Jesus had to deal with human emotions! He was compassionate; angry; greatly distressed; sleepy; in anguish; in pain; sorrowful; grieved; thirsty. He asked others to pray with Him and for Him. He wept. He had to deal with difficult family members, friends, disciples, and enemies. Daily He was confronted with the sick, those with ailments and disease; those in need of sight, hearing, speech; forgiveness. Jesus had a full Human plate just as many of us have today. And yet He was still humble enough and honest enough to get away by Himself for alone time with God. The Bible shares, “…Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out of the way places for prayer. And this is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Jesus the Son of the Living God! And yet, He needed time away, because He never allowed His deity to mask his humanity. He shows us how to deal with varying daily struggles and yet be smart enough, human enough, to pull away and say enough. And if He can do it, surely He desires the very same of us. In His own words: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lie anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep companionship with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG) Sounds to me that God Himself doesn’t mind you getting a little rest in! “I do the best that I can do, and leave the rest to God.” (Danny Dummitt); “When we rest, we trust that God holds everything together.” (Margaret Feinberg); “When we do not allow time to rest, cracks in our spirit can leave us emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually fragile.” (Karen Ehman); “Throw yourself upon God’s faithfulness as you do upon your bed, bringing all your weariness to His dear rest.” (C.H. Spurgeon); “Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants us to always be stressed and pre-occupied.” (Author Unknown); “You have permission to rest. You are not responsible for fixing everything that is broken. You do not have to try and make everyone happy. For now, take time for you. It’s time to replenish. “If You Don’t Pick A Day To Rest Your Body Will Pick It For You!” J.P.O.
The Psalmist cried out: “I’m awake all night.” (Psalm 77:4) In another translation the Psalmist REALLY lets you know how he feels: “I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal. When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,” I didn’t believe a word they said. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can’t even say what’s bothering me. I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together” (Psalm 77:2-6 MSG).
The truth is: You Can’t Escape All Stress, but you can learn to cope with it by taking control of your life in small but important ways:
(1) THINK ABOUT SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF: David was so frazzled he was awake all night. Ever been there? That’s when you need to remember: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG). Elijah was depressed and suicidal when God showed him how to help himself. How you ask? BY Leaving The Cave He Was Hiding In, And Going Out And Ministering To Others! Focusing On Something Other Than Yourself Gives You Better Perspective! “All Praise To The God And Father Of Our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 MSG). Need help? Then Reach Out And Help Others! However, this does not mean adding someone else’s load to the one you’re already struggling with yourself! It means something a little more simplistic: Tutor a teen with a subject they’re struggling with; drop off a hot plate of food to a senior who lives alone or someone sick and shut in; send someone an encouraging quote who’s dealing with a burden; sit next to someone in service you know is hurting and hold their hand. You’ll be amazed how much of a break your brain will get from constantly being drained by your own struggles. And as an added bonus, when you began to help someone who is worse off than you, it helps to put things into perspective for yourself. Just maybe something or someone you’re struggling with is not as bad as you think…remember as bad as things are they can always become worse. So learn to appreciate where you are and what you have, and the best way to do that is helping someone else! “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” (Dr. Steve Maraboli); “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.” (Author Unknown); “We rise by lifting others.” (Robert Ingersoll); “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” (Ronald Reagan); “The strongest people make time to help others, even if they are struggling with their own problems.” (Simple Reminders); “As you grow older you discover you have two hands: one for helping yourself, one for helping others.” (Audrey Hepburn)
(2) DON’T GET BITTER: Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond to it. When somebody you trust betrays or disappoints you, or you’re struggling financially after tithing faithfully for years, it’s easy to feel let down. But “…Don’t…become bitter” (Hebrews 12:15 CEV); it destroys relationships and cuts you off from God’s presence. The answer is learning to “Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP). Don’t Become Bitter, Become Thankful, and Watch Things Become Better! “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34 MSG) I know today many of you have the testimony that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong! Your son tattooed his forehead, your daughter pierced her tongue, your husband’s paycheck went down, your wife’s blood pressure went up, the dog chewed your work shoes, the job wants overtime while you have no vacation time, the toilet’s overflowing, the roof is leaking, the washer sounds like the car and the car sounds like the train! And naturally today is the last day to send in the check, sign the permission slip, drop that off and pick that up! No Wonder You Are Stressed! Well, let’s see if we can find just a little help! When life gets overwhelming remember these 4 simple things:
(1) GOD’S STILL LOOKING OUT FOR YOU: I know what it feels like, I know what it looks like, I know what it sounds like, I know what it seems like, and still I say God is Looking Out for You! When things look bad, remind yourself that God’s bigger than your problem: “…Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God Will Help You Deal With Whatever Hard Things Come Up When The Time Comes”(Matthew 6:34 MSG) God has not and will not ever leave you or forsake you! Hebrews 13:5, “…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, or will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” (AMP) You my friend are never alone! You are never without His presence, His protection, His provision. Handle what you can handle then leave the rest in the hands of God. Remember: YOU said you trust Him…now’s the time to prove it!
(2) DON’T QUIT: Every time you reach the breaking point it’s a test! You have before you a series of choices that will add up to either quitting, or persevering through to victory. Paul was flogged, thrown in jail, shipwrecked and run out of town, but he refused to give in to circumstances and in the end he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race, and I have REMAINED FAITHFUL” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT). DON’T QUIT! Don’t change jobs, change churches, or change spouses! Stick it out and wait for the Lord! He has promised you He has a guaranteed plan for your future: Jeremiah 29:11, “This is GOD’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” (MSG) and last I checked He Still Cannot Lie and His Word Still Cannot Fail! (“…God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing His mind. Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come through?” So I reiterate Don’t Quit; No matter how many things are going wrong. God will come through at just the Right time on your behalf!
(3) IF IT’S NOT YOURS…DON’T TOUCH IT: Stress comes from micro-managing others and assuming responsibilities that aren’t yours! Establish healthy boundaries. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask God to show you. In other words, adhere to His Word: “…mind your own business; do your own job. (1 Thessalonians 4:11 MSG) Make Sure You Are Not Carrying Something God Never Gave You! Selah!
(4) YOUR BREAKING POINT CAN BE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH: Ever heard the expression “hitting the wall?” Well, Runners use it when they’re exhausted and feel like giving up. But seasoned athletes know if they push through the pain they’ll get their second wind and experience a “runner’s high” that’ll carry them over the finish line! So, Don’t let the Overload Overwhelm you, you have a finish line to cross, so get your second wind, finish your assignment, then relax! Remember: You are called to Overcome not to become Overwhelmed! So today, Unload!
“Learn how to say ‘no’. Don’t let your mouth overload your back.” (Jim Rohn)
“Saying ‘yes’ to happiness means learning to say ‘no’ to things and people that stress you out.” (Thema Davis)
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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