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Managing Our Stress

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”¹

I read how a lecturer was giving a lecture to his students about how to manage their stress. He held a glass of water up and asked the students, “How heavy do you think the glass of water is?”

The students’ answers ranged from 20g to 500g.

"It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, it is OK.

If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance.

It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier."

"What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again."²

Life is stressful. We are often going to face challenging circumstances that overwhelm us. These burdens, however, were never meant for us to carry alone. God wants to take these burdens from us so that we can breathe and continue moving forward. We cannot build relationships with others and show God’s love if we are always stressed out! I constantly find myself talking to God about my day. Many of these conversations involve me telling him about difficult situations I am facing. I do this because I know that the longer I try to face these challenges on my own, the more stressed I will become. And the more stressed I become, the less effective I will be in completing the work I have before me.

Take a moment today to lay your burdens down at God’s feet. Then instead of focusing on those stressors, thank Him for his friendship and for always being with you.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for your constant presence in my life. Thank you for your deep love and care for me. I know that I can rest because you hold my life in your hands. Help me trust you and live in gratitude. In Jesus’ name, amen.

1. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT).

2. www.sermoncentral.com

Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.