Have you ever been tense in your shoulders and it feels like knots going up across your head and causes a headache? That's stress. Physical stress could be caused from sitting at a desk all day or driving a car through rush hour traffic.
Emotional stress is caused by everything going on around you. If you have physical and emotional stress in your life, you could be like that lady on TV and you just want to yell, "Calgon, take me away!"
The dictionary defines stress as: "overexerting, to struggle, to make a desperate effort to press, tense." In other words, you've done all that you can possibly do, you are stretched to the limit.
I want you to take this simple stress test at home on your own. Take the word "stress" and make something out of every letter of that word. Do it in the negative, and then do it in the positive. Here's what I came up with:
Stretched to the limits. Do you ever feel like you are just stretched to the limits? You're like a rubber band, and you can't do any more. You feel like you're at your breaking point.
Time thief. A survey done in the 1960's asked, "What is your biggest need?" The answer was "Money." A survey repeated in the 1990's revealed that the biggest need was "Time." People everywhere are saying there's not enough time in day to get your work done. Have you ever seen an hourglass.
You know how an hourglass is shaped like a funnel, and then it opens into a larger container? When you get to the last few thousands of particles of sand in that hourglass, it speeds up. Well, we're closing out this time and so as we're narrowing down, time is speeding up and it's getting faster and faster, and that's why you don't have enough time in the day. That causes stress.
Responsibilities. I just believe today people do too much. We've overexerted ourselves with taking on too much. So maybe you need to pray about cutting out some of the responsibilities that you've taken on. I'm not saying they're not good things or worthwhile things, but you have to pray and find out if you've taken on too many projects.
Emotions. Your soul is made up of your mind, your will, your thinking faculties, and your emotions. So many people have strongholds in their minds that have been built over a period of time by negative thoughts. When you're stressed out," it can cause your emotions to lose control. The smallest challenge can bring you to tears.
Speaking doubt and unbelief. When we are under stress, we have a tendency to speak things that are contrary to God's Word. We have to control the words of our mouth and the thoughts that are in us. Just because you're under stress doesn't mean you throw all your Bible lessons out the window.
Satan. You can just make two lists on paper. Draw a line right down the middle, and anything bad happening to you comes from Satan, and anything good happening to you comes from the Lord.
John 10:10 says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." One of the great, big, gigantic snares Satan tries to put in our path is offenses and unforgiveness, getting upset, having hurt feelings, and always going around upset with somebody over something. That causes stress.
Now, let's see how we can turn all that negative stress into something positive:
Secret Place. Psalm 27:5 says, "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; and he shall set me up upon a rock."
In the time of trouble, there is a place that you can run to, and it is under the shadow of His wings. If you don't have the money to pay your bills on time, then you get yourself behind those closed doors in your prayer closet, and you allow the anointing of God to begin to multiply in your life. God will begin to give you sources and extra income and job increases in your life to cause you to be able to come out on top. Go to the secret place and get away with God.
Thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:4: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
We're to bring every thought that doesn't line up with God's Word into captivity. You have to capture those thoughts. You have to harness them. I'm telling you, God will work in your behalf.
Resist the devil. James 4:7, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Resist means to withstand, to oppose, to strive against, set against. And how do you resist the devil? With the written Word of God. You resist the devil with "It is written." He is a spirit, and you fight him with spiritual weapons. Quote the Word of God.
Expose the devil. Proverbs 6:30 says, "Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; But if he is found out, he must restore seven times what he stole; he must give the whole substance of his house; if necessary; to meet his fine."
Satan is a thief. He will try to steal everything from you. He'll try to steal your work, your family, your relationships, your health, your finances, your time and your peace. When things have been stolen from you, then you get it back in Jesus' name.
Sing unto the Lord. "And now shall mine head he lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord" (Ps. 27:6).
From the dictionary, sing means to render a melody vocally, to celebrate in verse or song. So when we sing unto the Lord, what are we doing? We're celebrating our victory. We're celebrating our triumph. We're celebrating the Spirit of Victory is in our home no matter what.
Shout it out Psalm 5:11: "But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits." Shout means to cry out loud; to yell; a loud burst of voice; to defeat.
When you go through the S.T.R.E.S.S. in stress and you get to the last S, shout unto the Lord because you've defeated your enemy.
I have given you some keys that will help you to live an overcoming, victorious life. You don't have to be stressed out, stretched to the limit. You have a secret place of the Most High God that you can run to, and He will cause you to overcome this stress, this overwhelming time in your life. Not only that, you can go through this challenge with a smile on your face, your head held high and joy in your heart. God is on your side.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.