Dealing With Stress God's Way

Hey ladies, I hope you are enjoying the lovely start of fall 2016! October is here and I am sitting here in my family room with the window open and listening to the trees blowing in the breeze outside. I love that sound and I love fall! 

My family has been going through so many transitions this past year so blogging has had to take a back seat. You know how it goes I'm sure. Seasons. I truly don't know how other mom bloggers can just keep blogging through renovations and life mayhem but my hat is off to them. I guess just different personalities have different strengths. 

For me it takes me time to adjust to transitions and changes and upheaval. I'm an introvert so I'm energized by quiet solitude which allows me to process life and what is happening around me. 

So I thought I'd talk a little about stress.

With all the things that I juggle — my home, my family, finances, schedules, church commitments, education, housekeeping, errands, shopping, meal preparations, housekeeping, hospitality — sometimes it can pile up on me and stress me out. Sometimes it feels like I'm hurrying all the time just to keep up. 

Hurrying has become such the American way which is kind of sad. Once in a while is ok, but hurrying as a lifestyle just increases stress levels. And we know that stress is a killer. It causes anxiety, sleep disturbance, fear and worry. But scientific research is finding it a leading contributor of disease and death. 

God has made himself perfectly clear in Scripture that we are NOT to be full of worry and stress. Since stress and anxiety start in the mind, that is where we have to fight the battle. So we have to  renew our minds.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

So what is Jesus' yoke that we need to take upon us? A yoke is a coupling traditionally used to keep two plow animals working and walking in unison. So when we take Jesus' yoke upon us, we are literally coupling ourselves to him. And that makes it very easy to walk with him. And when we are yoked with the Prince of Peace, the burden is light — not heavy and stressful!

Our attitude determines how we act and interact with everyone — our husband, children, neighbors, friends and community. Attitude truly affects everyone in our life.  And worry is like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain. Which is pretty ridiculous.

There are a LOT of wives and mothers who are completely stressed out right now. They may not always act like it, they won't always admit it. But something tells me they are freaking out inside. When we let the peace of God rule and reign in our hearts, we are a walking testimony not only of God's grace but his POWER. Hopefully that will provide us with the opportunity to share the love and transforming power of Jesus Christ with the stressed out around us. 

 Jesus invites us to yoke up with his light and easy burdens. When we are yoked with the Prince of Peace so we can't really be "full of care" iff we are trusting God, can we? Renew the mind.

God's word gives us so much to think about. When we meditate on it and walk with him, His peace truly does pass understanding. It washes over us. 

The result is a steady and a clear mind and a happier home. Some verses to meditate on:


Philippians 4:6-7, says Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  

1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Luke 6:48 - He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

Psalms 34:17-19 - The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.   

1 Corinthians 14:1-40 - Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.   

Psalms 119:71 - It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

So the next time stress, worry and anxiety comes knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, it's for you"! 

Have a blessed day :) 

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