Devotional: When stress is bringing you down
April is Stress Awareness Month. It might just as easily be called “__________” Awareness Month. Why? Because stress is subjective and hard to define.
Even the man who coined the term “stress” couldn’t define it. The man was Hans Seyle, a Canadian endocrinologist who conducted pioneering stress research in the 1930s. Later in his life, when reporters asked him to define the term, he responded, “Everyone knows what stress is, but nobody really knows.”
Today, some people define stress as worry or anxiety. Others disagree, saying worry and anxiety are emotional reactions to the stress.
Whether you can successfully define it or not, our guess is that you have some stress in your life.
The good news is that the Bible offers many helps for overcoming stress, worry, anxiety, and fear. One help is meditating on Scripture. Psalm 119:143 says, “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.”
Another help is prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Nobody’s life is without stress. The good news is that when the stress seems overwhelming, God is ready and waiting to ease your burden. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” and Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
Faith in Action
What does the Bible mean when it says present your requests by prayer and petition? It means that we can talk to God, but we can also write. Write a petition to God today with your requests. Not only can it feel good to write them out, you’ll have a place to record His faithful response.