Stress Test

Relaxing will only make things worse.

Philippians 4:1-9

Reference: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

Explore: Have you ever been stressed? I actually feel ridiculous even asking that question! I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who has never been stressed.

I would be the first to put my hand up to say that I have been stressed; many times in fact. However, if you were to ask me why I have been stressed in the past, I’m not sure I’d be able to remember all the details.

When we are stressed it seems like the whole world is crashing in on us. And yet, when we look back at those times it’s often hard to recall why we were so stressed in the first place.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. When you are in the midst of feeling anxious, you think that nothing will help. People tell you to relax and yet you’ve got no time, relaxing will only make things worse.

It’s not until I’m about to keel over from a stress attack that I realise something has to change. That’s when I usually take out a pen and paper and write down what I’m stressed about.

Once I have everything visually represented before me, I get a little more perspective. I see which things I’ve almost completed, those which are out of my hands, and those that still need some work. Writing things down helps me to see what the problem is rather than just feeling overwhelmed by everything.

Application: The writer of the Philippians was very wise to say not to be anxious, but he doesn’t just leave us there. He instructs us to bring everything to God in prayer – make a list and let God know.

In this way, we are not just laying out our worries to our all-powerful Lord, but it also helps us to get perspective on what our concerns really are. So often, once I start praying, I realise that so much of the concern is in my head and not really connected to the issues at hand at all.

Prayer is an incredible way for us to connect with our God, but also a brilliant way for us to put our thoughts in order and express our priorities to God.

Prayer: Spend some time to lay before God all of your anxieties.

How do you combat stress?

anxiety, lists, Philippians, prayer, relax, stress