Do you feel overwhelmed, burned out, or extremely stressed?
If so, you are not alone.
Many people, even those who identify themselves as Christians, can still have days that are harder than others. Some even feel a certain kind of guilt whenever they are anxious or stressed out, falling prey to the fallacy that once you become a believer or follower of Jesus, you will be spared from feeling stress or even sorrow.
But truth be told, life has stress. And stress is a valid feeling!
Thankfully, your faith can help you cope with stress. Here are some practical tips from the Word of God on how you can better manage your stress levels:
Learn when to say “No” or “Not Now”
Do you allow yourself to be dictated by the timeline of others?
In John 11:3, Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus – wanting Him to heal their sick brother, Lazarus. Although it was a clear emergency and Jesus loves Lazarus, Jesus stayed where He was for the next 2 days (John 11:5-6). Further in the story, Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.
Stress mostly stems out from pressure or fear of disappointing other people. But like Jesus, the schedule and emergency of others don’t have to pressure or weigh you down. Simply saying, “No, I can’t do this,” or “I can’t do this right now,” will help you manage or even avoid stress.
Remember your purpose and priorities
When you forget God’s purpose for your life in this season, life’s hurdles can easily overwhelm you.
The crowd followed Jesus wherever He went because they wanted to hear His teachings and experience His healing. But in Mark 1:38, Jesus said that He wanted to go “somewhere else” to preach the gospel. He knew that is what He was called to do.
“Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’” (Mark 1:38 NIV)
A pandemic, financial crisis, or family problem could single-handedly stress you out and even make you do things that are not related to God’s calling for your life. To manage stress, list down your purpose and priorities then ask God to help you focus on what truly matters.
Seek help
Not wanting everyone to know your struggles or see your weak side is understandable. If you’re one breath away from burnout, here’s something to comfort you: You don’t have to go through everything alone.
God wants you to seek help from others and trust that they can really support you. He showed this trait when He called His 12 disciples and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease (Matthew 10:1 NKJV).
Jesus could’ve done all the miracles but chose not to. Instead, He empowered His disciples to work miracles. In the same way, trust that other people can help you! Reach out to someone and ask for help when you need it.
Above all, seek help from your Heavenly Father and trust that He will help you (Isaiah 41:10).
Schedule your rest days
The Bible recounts a busy ministry time for Jesus and His disciples that they didn’t even have time to eat. Though there was still a lot to be done, Jesus did not force themselves to keep going. He took the disciples to a quiet place to rest.
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31 NIV)
Jesus needed rest and so do you. So don’t stress that much! Schedule a time for rest and relaxation without feeling guilty. Go to your quiet place. Take days off and allow yourself to breathe, recharge, and rest in the presence of God.
Rest is sacred, so rest well and rest intentionally!
Are you stressed?
Call the CBN Asia Prayer Center at 8-737-0-700 and our trained prayer counselors are willing to comfort you through prayers.
If you are looking for a good docufilm to watch while you rest, we’ve got something for you! For your gift of Php 1000, you will receive exclusive online access to Whose Land Is it? – a two-part special examining the facts behind both the Jewish and Arab claims to Israel. Visit whoselandisit.cbnasia.org for more details.