Stress is inevitably a part of life and when a need is not being met it can cause us to experience a great deal of stress. Yes, even if you are a Christian. However, how the stresses of life are dealt with can be a direct reflection of how much we trust God. I am not saying if you trust God you will never experience stress again. Living a God-Centered stress free life is not easy to obtain.
However, what I am saying is when your trust is in God how you handle stress will be different. For example, instead of stressing and worrying one whose trust is in God will be more lead to pray fervently about their situation. In addition to the practical disciplines such as: a healthy diet, proper sleep and implementing an exercise plan, here’s a few ways to close the gap between faith in God’s sovereignty over our lives and the stress of this world.
Stress Busters We May Be Overlooking
Worship
Can Worship reduce stress? Yes, it absolutely can. Worship is extremely calming to the spirit creating an inner peace as one spends time in God’s presence. Connecting with God through worship not only creates spiritual intimacy but it would be extremely difficult to worship and worry at the same time. In Worship your mind is completely focused on God and not on yourself. Spending time in Worship will also cause you to focus on how great God is instead of focusing on how big the problem may be.
Trusting in The Word of God
Having faith in the Word of God can reduce and even eliminate stress all together. The Bible says: “then Jesus said, “come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light”. (Matthew 11: 28-30 NLT)
I recently went through a very trying period financially that caused a great deal of stress. I can remember the day I decided to completely place the issue, the lack of money and the outcome into the hands of the Lord. My thought process went from what am I going to do to Lord how do you need me to assist You in this situation. This change completely removed the weight off of my shoulders and into the Lords hands where it belonged. I realized my stress was because I was trying to hold onto and work out a situation I had no control over. I was out of position, trying to be lord over my situation. Once I got into the proper position, I was able to hear clearly from the Lord as He instructed me pertaining to what I needed to do.
Submitting to the will of Jesus for this situation instead of mine meant this “Lord I don’t want to move…but I trust You”. After taking that position, my will was no longer fighting God’s will for me. End result, I did have to move, but God put the people in place to move me, supplied the necessary funds and not one need went unmet. I moved to a nicer place for less than I was paying and needless to say that everything worked out for my good and His glory!
Prayer
Committing to a life of prayer is not only wise but it is also very powerful. When we pray about situations that cause us stress, we transfer the weight of it off our shoulders onto The Lord (who is able to handle it for us). Prayer activates faith in God to handle that which we pray for. Having faith in God to work your situation out will reduce your stress level. It is also important to have Faith that God will work things out on your behalf. The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. So activating our faith is important.
If you are not accustom to praying and believing God, there’s no better time than the present to start. Implement prayer into your daily schedule if only for five minutes. Consistency is more important than duration. This will strengthen your relationship with God.
Relax In The Word (Christ-Centered Meditation)
Meditating on God’s promises can dissolve worry, fear, mental clutter and stress. The Bible commands us to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God says to meditate on His word day and night so we will obey it. By doing so, we are not only being obedient to The Word of God, but we also become aware of His instructions to us pertaining to our current situation.
Many Christians tend to think that meditation is not for them to practice. However, we each meditate on something everyday. To meditate is to engage in contemplation or reflection, to focus one’s thoughts on: reflect or ponder over, to plan or project in the mind. The focus of Relax In The Word (Christ Centered Meditation) is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and reflecting on Biblical Scriptures.
Jesus himself spent time abiding in God’s presence daily. There are numerous benefits to setting time aside daily to spend with God. Some benefits are: peace, emotional and spiritual balance, calmness, mental clarity or perhaps simply being still and quiet, listening to hear from Him.
Christian Meditation is an effective way of reducing or even eliminating stress.
Tips for Creative Worship
Light a Candle – Lighting a candle creates a relaxing atmosphere, and is pleasant to the sense of smell (aroma therapy candles can also be used to reduce stress).
Worship Music – Listening to Worship Music is soothing to the soul and sets the tone for a wonderful time of Worship.
Herbal Wraps – Consist of a blend of relaxation herbs sown into a fabric shaped wrap. The wraps can be heated in the micro-wave and placed on the shoulders to soothe and relax.
Cup of Tea – A warm cup of tea can calm and help you enter into a peaceful state of mind. There are specialty teas such as chamomile used specifically to promote calmness.
Narcissistically Speaking 