When I was young (OK, it’s been a few years), one of society’s
predominant concerns was that with the rise of technology, people
would one day have nothing to do.
When I was young (OK, it’s been a few years), one of society’s predominant concerns was that with the rise of technology, people would one day have nothing to do. Boy, has history proved that worry to be unfounded! We are busier today than ever, and one of the primary results has been a tremendous rise in the stress level of the average American. Fortunately, there are three simple steps we can take to reduce the stress in our life.
First, we can learn to rely upon God more than ourselves. We can affirm the words of Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” One of most important aspects of this truth is found in the nature of stress. Stress is not the product of one big crisis; it is the result of lots of little mini-crises. It is caused by all the day-in, day-out frustrations that build up. So the key is to not let them build up, and a sure way to keep them down is by remembering that even though life has its bumps and bruises, God is our refuge and strength.
A second way to effectively deal with stress is to enjoy the little blessings of life. Worrying about what you don’t have robs you of the enjoyment of the many blessings you do have. Paul gives us some great advice in 1 Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” That’s another way of saying “lighten up!” Let me share a little bit of philosophy called “If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again.”
“If I had my child to raise over again, I’d finger-paint more and point the finger less. I’d do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes. I would care to know less and know to care more. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging. I would be firm less often and affirm much more. I’d build self-esteem first and the house later. I’d teach less about the love of power and more about the power of love.”
A third suggestion on how to effectively deal with stress is to build a close network of family and friends. Why? Because life isn’t about things, it’s about people and our relationships with one another. When all is said and done, that’s what will last, so we need to get real intentional about obeying what God says in 1 John 3:18, “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.”
John goes on to say there is an additional benefit to building quality relationships: “It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts…” (verse 20). There is nothing wrong with self examination. In fact, we are told to practice it. But what John is talking about here is when we take it to the level of self-condemnation. God wants us to learn from our mistakes, change and then move on! Surrounding ourselves with a close network of family and friends gives us the encouragement and support we need to do that.
We’ve looked at some very practical things that you can do in order to reduce stress in your life. The only question left to answer is, will you try them out?
Henry Harris is Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Road, Hollister.
