Stress - Experience The Scriptures

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

This verse is referenced when someone is dealing with a lot of stress… so much that it has became a point of belief that God will not give you… more than you can handle.

If this is true, and Christians have this safety net… how is it that every suicide I have every worked…had a Bible on the night stand and one on the coffee table?

1.What is stress?

Researchers define stress as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on our body or mind.

Between 2008 and 2009, the suicide rate in the United States rose by 2.4%, with a reported 36,909 suicide deaths, (100.8 per day) (14.4% were 14-24 years old) according to a report by the CDC. In 2008, 13.4% of individuals who committed suicide experienced job and financial problems, a report by the CDC revealed in August 2011. Furthermore, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, an emergency crisis hotline, revealed that the volume of calls they received between 2010 and 2011 increased by 14%.

The Truth is that God never made that promise.. Instead desiring that Christians seek to cast their burdens to Him… to avoid the inevitable.

2. Identifying and dealing with Stress.

Practical Application. Have volunteer put on a shirt. Then take volunteers to act as different forms of stress. Boss, spouse, kids, car, church.

Have the volunteers dip the palms of their hands into colors of paint, then touch the shirt to represent stress or burdens that we bear.

After, have the volunteers show their hands, representing the stress they often place on others and bear the burden of themselves.

When we get home and take the shirt off, do we wash it or just hang it up then put it back on and go back to work or school the next day? Adding to the burden.

The Longer you don’t deal with the stress the more difficult it becomes to wash out. It will eventually stain.

When a shirt gets stained you… It become unusable. It has to be dry cleaned, cleansed.

Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Sometimes in order for a person to properly deal with the stress he needs to be SAVED!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

You gotta get a new shirt…

2nd Practical application. Recognizing your stress load.

Have a child pick up a weight… is it heavy? Have an Adult carry the same load.. While the adult may have less trouble bearing the load.. It will eventually become a weight too great to bear..

One of the things that people often don’t realize is that when the burden or stress becomes too great… that it may not be that the burden increased… as much as the weight of the burden wore them down.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Have some one come up and help bear the Burden.

Recognizing that some one needs help is as important as recognizing that you need help

But Beware.. It was not their burden to bear.. Don’t expect them to pay for the consequences for your actions!

3. So now we know about the info on stress, Now what?

How do I defeat Stress: ———-turn to:

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

So what is the truth.

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.