Does stress weight us down? The answer is yes even though we may not realize it. The longer we allow stress to be in our lives, the worse it is going to be.
Stress can bother an individual in many ways. It can be physical, emotional, or mental. It can be caused by many different occurrences or changes in our lifestyle.
I remember a good example given about stress that we hold on to in our lives. A young, confident lady doing a seminar on stress management walked into a room carrying a glass of water that was half full. Most of the people in the room thought she would ask if the glass was half empty or half full?
To everyone’s surprise her only question was, “how much do you think this glass of water weighs?” Most of the class was stunned but blurted out different answers. Some said 20 ounces, others replied with different weights. The presenter then told them that it depended on how long she held it.
She said, “if I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.”
She then said, “in each case that it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
We can be affected in many ways when we allow ourselves to be burdened with unnecessary feelings or stress. This can create many different problems for us such as headaches, high blood pressure, muscle pain, trouble sleeping, moodiness, anxiety, irritability, lack of motivation, sadness, or panic attacks plus other problems. For me, I have trouble sometimes letting go of a situation that really bothers me. When this happens, I seek the Lord’s guidance and ask for His leadership in what I am facing or dealing with. Two of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:67; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
As with the glass of water, you must put your stress and problems down before holding them again. When we become refreshed, we can carry them again or realize that life is short and holding on to burdensome problems is a needless thing we need to do.
Over my many years of life I have found that the Bible has answers for any of my problems. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, you too can have the satisfaction and understanding that all of life’s problems and fixes can be found in the Bible.
Prayer: Lord I give all the praise and glory for this life you have allowed me to have. I pray that I live it in a way that is pleasing to you. Thank you for loving me even though I don’t deserve it. Amen.
