Science tells us that stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand.It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood.
These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength.
The Word of God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully created. Anyone that has ever looked at a biology book or watched as the body fought to heal itself of wounds, can see that this is true. We also know from the Word of God that we are created from the the dust of the ground...which is chemically loaded. And that Life is in the blood. [Ps. 139:14; Gen.2:7; Lev. 17:11]
To argue with the scientific facts concerning the chemical releases into the blood would be foolish. However, there are still many things that the Word releases and reveals to us that science has not yet discovered or marketed.
Although science has it's place in the earth and it has been valuable to many, there is still a greater truth that science keeps proving over and over, "the truth of God's ways."
Psalms 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
The days that we are living are often called 'high stress times' ... but our times are no more stressed than those of the Apostle Paul. He were beaten and left for dead in the street, bit by a poison viper, shipwrecked, left in prison with bleeding strips down his back? Not to mention his missionary journeys, and the cares of the oversight of new church plants.
Stress is said, to be caused by:
- fears and worries over loved ones
- being in dangerous settings
- noise, crowds, pressures
- heavy work loads
Paul dealt with all of these things, and yet ran his race and finished it with joy.
- He lived his life on a higher plain.
- He lived God's way.
- He refused to be a candidate for stress.
Instead he chose a higher position, and took the seat of prayer.
Paul was a man given to prayer. [I Thess. 5:17; II Tim. 1:3; Ro. 1:9; Acts 12:5]
- He prayed without ceasing (walking in an attitude of prayer at all times). Any time something came up that wanted to bring stress into his life ... he prayed.
- He knew how to cast his cares (worries), things that concerned him, over on the Lord.
- He understood how to release his fears to love who cast out those ugly culprits.
And when things became to large for his understanding; when his own natural words and intellect failed him ... he yield his natural man over to the Holy Spirit within him and allow Him to take over. [Romans chapter 8]
No stress living is found in God.
A life given to prayer and obedience to God, is a live filled with joy, pleasure and all manner of prosperity. It is stress free living. However, a life given to prayer and obedience in a disciplined life.
When things are gett ing overwhelming, step out and pray.
When fears rush in, speak the Word of God in prayer.
When worries and cares come to flood your mind, cast down those imaginations and take those thoughts captive to the truth of God's
Word in prayer confessions.
When the world you are in gets to loud, move out to the solitude of quite meditation (the prayer of silence and listening).
Walk with an attitude of prayer at all times and refuse allow stress to invade your life.
