Does The News Have You Stressed Out?

 No matter what anyone tells you, none of us are hardwired for stress. It doesn't matter how much of Jesus you have, if you don't know what stress is and how to say no to it then you will face the consequences of it.

We are certainly tough and we can get through a lot of stuff but it doesn't mean we get through undamaged. Some of us say, "Well, I have Jesus", and yet we don't even know what that means or what to do with it. Many people, as much as they love Jesus, have never learned to surrender things to him. Even though he directly taught us to not worry, we worry. So understand this:

Stress can rewire our brain and cause illness in our body, without even mentioning what it does to our emotions. It will overwhelm our systems so that we can't even make simple decisions. Sure, we can make it through and survive small amounts of stress but even then it has effects on us. However, we should never try to live through prolonged amounts of stress, just shrugging our shoulders at it.

We do not want to learn how to manage stress because even managing it is only helping us to cope with it short term. We need to learn how to face things without provoking stress, and if it does get provoked, how to send it packing. The solution has a name and that name is Jesus. When we are relationship with him, a daily trusting relationship of dependence, we learn how to surrender everything so we can keep on keeping on. Why do you think he promised never to leave us? We were never intended to do any of this on our own. But there is more than just surrender.

We are in partnership with Jesus. He does his part and we do ours. Our part is to understand how our bodies work. Just like we learn what foods are best to keep us healthy, we learn what attitudes and actions help keep us stress free. Sometimes we live as if like takes no effort and that is not what Jesus said. Certainly, we do not need to strive but we were designed for work. Life takes work.

 

The first thing you should learn about yourself is what provokes stress in you. When you learn this you can avoid it. If you can't avoid it then you know enough to surrender it as it begins. But you can also take actions so you can shed the stress before it can take root. Let's consider a few things that can cause stress in this pandemic and some things to shed it:

1. Too much news. Limit your news intake to a couple of times a day.
2. Dwelling on or fixating on the problem. We need to occupy ourselves with a balance of things and also how to surrender things to Jesus.
3. Fear. We will get past this pandemic just as we have gotten past every other mountain in our past. Do what you need to do to protect yourself (stay distant, wash your hands, wear your mask) and then ... live life to the fullest, or at least as full as the protocols will allow. Live it with joy, peace, laughter, and trust.
4. Don't keep reminding yourself of what you can't do. Accept where we are at this point and consider what we can do instead of focusing on what we can't.
5. Don't worry about other people. You do you and don't worry about the neighbours. Distance yourself from people who don't take this seriously and be friendly with those who do, but you just take care of you and yours.
6. Be kind. It is amazing how therapeutic it is to do kind things for other people.
7. Be kind to yourself. You can't help other people if you are not looking after yourself. Take those bubble baths. Have that glass of wine. Take that hour to read a good book. Go for a long walk. Do some exercising. 

It's good to be aware of the big picture but don't focus on it. Focus on the small daily steps in your life. Focus on what is for supper tonight, what you need to pick up at the store, whether you should vacuum today or tomorrow, helping the kids with their homework, calling to check on a friend. Sing. Dance. Pray. Worship. Laugh. Then laugh some more.There is a lot of life to live every day.

The news will eventually chase us down, it's impossible to get away from it. But it does not need to occupy our day, our thoughts, or our emotions. It is what it is and we trust Jesus. You worry and stress won't help. You have very little impact on the news except for prayer, so don't stress about it. Take a deep breath, thank Jesus and then decide on supper.

What The Rain Does To Me

 I was out walking my dog a couple of nights ago when I was surprised by rain. It wasn’t in the forecast and it was too dark to see the type of clouds overhead so I did not venture out expecting it. 

At first it was like “Ugh” because it was not a warm night and I had not brought a jacket. But I realized I actually didn’t mind it. In fact, I was surprised that I was enjoying it. There was a strange sense of groundedness that it gave. So I went with that feeling and decided to explore the explanation.

Lately, things have seemed a bit chaotic, out of control. The pandemic has made everything a little more complicated and there is that subconscious stress that I keep talking about. We are in control of our waking conscious thinking but we are not always aware or in control of what is beneath the surface. This may become more evident as we get back to the routine of school, realizing that this routine is very different from what we have known in the past.

Let’s face it, if we have any routines none of them are what they used to be. This causes more stress than you may be aware of. It gives a false sense of having no control.

Then there is the rain.

There are things we can control and there are things we cannot. I can control when I go to sleep but I can’t control tomorrow’s weather. I can control what I eat but I can’t control my Prime Minister’s decisions. I can control what I watch but I can’t control the content of the news. I can control the thoughts I dwell on but I can’t control what my neighbour says and does.

Did you notice something there? I can control myself but I can’t control you. I can control myself but I can’t control the world. I can control myself but I cannot control the politics. I can control myself but I can’t control the weather. The only thing I have any authority to control is myself.

So that is what the rain is doing to me, grounding me in the reality of my Father’s creation. There is nothing I can do to stop the rain. The rain is something my Father put into motion. There is nothing I can do to stop the sun from rising in the morning. This too is something my Father put into motion. There is nothing I can do to stop him from loving me, from being with me, from desiring me, from believing in me. This is something he put in motion when he said “Let there be light” and he has not looked back since and the proof of it is found on the cross.

This world might look like it is out of control but none of it comes as a surprise to my Father. He was aware before I was born and he planted things in my path that I will need in every step of my journey. He knew it all and he planned for it. But I must exercise control over me, take my eyes off the problem and discover the solution he planted before I was born and that he has made available to me now. He doesn’t make it easy but he does make it simple. I just need to look for the things of the Kingdom.

In every dark moment, I am to turn from the darkness and find that gold nugget, that glimmer of light. All good things are from above so in the dark we look for the good things, the positives and there we will find him and our encouragement. We will find the treasures, the hope, the joy, the things to celebrate and lift up.

Face it, anyone can see the dark. It does not take any discernment to see the negative, the hopeless, the decay, the loss. It takes a heart determined to seek our Father and the things of the Kingdom to discern what the darkness tries to hide : hope! Let those who have ears to hear, hear. Let those who have eyes to see, see.

So this is what the rain does for me, it reminds me that the things I do not have the authority to control are in the hands of my Father. He’s in charge and I am glad he is. So I will control what is mine to control, and I will use that to chase after the things of the Kingdom, even, or maybe especially, in the dark.

Handling The Stress Of Failure

Have you ever been in a leadership position? If you have then you know that being a leader is not all fun, glory and power. The leader is not some boss who sits back and tells other people what to do. The boss facilitates the success of others so he too becomes a success. When it all goes wrong there is no one else to blame but the boss, because even if the failure was by people under him, he is still to blame because he did not support, encourage and equip as he should have. A good boss feels and takes on the failures of those for whom he is responsible.

The interesting thing is how good bosses handle failure. A great example of a somewhat brilliant leader is David, even before he was king. The part I want us to consider is when David was in exile in Palestine with his mighty men. To get away from the deranged king Saul they had sought refuge in their enemy's camp. One day, while they had been away from their settlement, the army of another enemy had come in, destroyed their town and left with their women and children. This came as a complete shock to this group who had never experienced defeat.

David was the leader so their sorrow and frustration were focused on him. He was under pressure and he could feel it, at the same time he is trying to deal with his own loss. So does he resign? Does he walk away? Does he become so stressed that he is of no use? Does he make foolish decisions? Does he shrug his shoulders and accept the loss? Let's pick it up here:

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6)

David did the only thing he knew how to do, he sought strength in his relationship with Yahweh. Not only did he seek strength but he sought counsel as well. He inquired of the LORD what he should do and he received this instruction:

“Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” (v. 8)

David rallied his men and they went after the army that had come against them. They went into the enemy's camp and took back what was theirs. David went into the battle, against a large enemy with only 400 men and he destroyed the enemy, except for 400 who escaped on camels. This was not because David was a brilliant leader but because he was an obedient servant of Yahweh.

The thing that David did right as a leader is the same thing we are instructed to do every day, leader or not: We are to strengthen ourselves in our relationship with Jesus and be obedient to his instructions. The thing is not to quit. There are no lessons but defeat in quitting. It looked like David and his men were defeated but thankfully those mighty men were following a man who was following the LORD. David did not accept defeat and sought out the will of his God.

There is nothing too big for Yahweh. There is no obstacle that he cannot remove. There is no enemy he cannot defeat. There is nothing he cannot do. What is impossible for man is an easy matter for the Creator of all things. We cannot afford to forget who we serve. David went from a fugitive hiding in the enemy's camp to king over Yahweh's nation. What looks like defeat to you today is a trivial matter compared to the plans of our LORD. We have to show ourselves trustworthy with the small things, including defeats, in order to move on to the greater things.

These two things you should never forget. No matter what you are facing, no matter the stress and pressure, never quit. Instead, do these two things: strengthen yourself in your relationship with Jesus and seek his counsel. Trust the LORD in all things and he will see you through.