How Do I Deal With Stress?
Mark 4:35-41
ILLUSTRATION
One Year I was driving a group of students from Tulsa, OK to Monarch, CO. As we journeyed through the night we came to a series of highway intersections. The leader of the trip was asleep
but had given specific instructions as to the highway we should take. We took our exit and rolled into the interstate.
As the sun came up about 6 hours later the leader woke up and called to me over our radios. He said, “Shouldn’t we be headed west?” “Yes”, I replied. To which he said, “Then why is the sun
coming up in our faces?”
Yes, that is right. We had driven 6 hours East, in the wrong direction! To say the least, this created a stressful situation!
INTRODUCTION
Today I want to talk about stress. Now you have heard me say that I do not like to preach something that has not been “cooked”. I like it to be simmering in my heart for a while before I share it.
When Alba learned that I was speaking on stress today, she said, “I don’t think you have cooked this one long enough!”
What she was saying is that stress is an issue with me and I have not learned how to conquer it. So today I am preaching to myself and I invite you to listen along with me!
PRAYER
HOW DO I STRUGGLE WITH STRESS?
When I get stressed out several things happen:
1. I get short tempered. Really short. Ugly short.
2. I get overwhelmed. I feel incompetent. Project paralysis set in.
3. I get depressed. What’s the use. I will never get out.
4. I get cynical. Not fair. Why me? It will be this way forever.
In other words, I am not very much fun to live with, not fun to work with, and I am not very good for the Kingdom of God.
I’m sure you have heard many definitions for stress. I like this definition: Stress is the overwhelming desire to choke holy snot out of someone! Here is another one: Stress is the addition of load until something breaks!
HOW DO WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH THIS?
How would you define stress? Do you ever have problem with stress? I think all of us do at some point. It may affect us different ways, but there are some similarities.
1. Stress causes physical problems: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, all the way to constipation. Of course, it is that mysterious ailment that all doctors blame for what is
wrong with you that they can’t figure out!
2. Stress causes psychological problems.: anxiety, mood swings, feelings of distress. It can affect the way you think, reason, react, and respond.
3. Stress causes personal problems: relationships suffer, eating disorders can develop, and sleep patterns are directly affected.
WHAT ARE SOME CAUSES?
1. People
2. Lack of control
3. Lack of time
4. Lack of rest
5. Lack of money
HOW DO WE TRY TO COPE?
1. We try harder.
2. We self-medicate.
3. We blame.
4. We quit; sometimes emotionally; sometimes relationally sometimes physically through suicide.
LET’S SEE HOW JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES DEALT WITH STRESS
Jesus Calms the Storm
Mark 4:35-40 (NLT) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind
(although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!”
Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
LOOK AT FIVE THINGS JESUS DID TO DEAL WITH STRESS.
1. Jesus got away from the crowd.
2. Jesus took a nap.
3. Jesus addressed the problem.
4. Jesus accessed God’s power by faith.
5. Jesus encouraged others to do the same things
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT THIS?
1. Get away from the noise. Establish a quiet time as an essential in your life.
2. Get some rest. Practice the Sabbath and put margins in your life.
3. Address the issues. Deal with the “Why”; Why are you stressed?
4. Access God’s power by faith. He has a plan!
5. Push people to be independent of you. This frees them and you!
HOW CAN WE ALL LIVE THIS OUT TOGETHER?
1. We will be healthier.
2. We will get along better with our families.
3. We can help remove causes of unrest around us.
4. We can see God’s power at work around us.
5. We will become a better testimony of what God can do!
INVITATION
First, a promise from God…
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (tested; tried) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Then, a call from God…
Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
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