Overcoming Stress

In today’s world, it’s virtually impossible to avoid stress. Just about everyone is carrying some degree of it in their lives, and Christians are no exception. Stress comes in many different forms and is different for every person. It is an inevitable part of life, but how we deal with it is up to us. Whether our stress is a burden to us, or is manageable, will greatly depend on our focus.

Here are 10 ways to deal with stress:

Appreciate your purpose (Rom. 12:1-2): Live day-by-day remembering your purpose — who you are and whose you are. Stress is real. It weighs on our minds. But without Christ, our life has no purpose or depth.

Relax (Ex. 23:12): Take deep breaths. Sleep. Exercise. Eat right. Laugh. God knows that man needs to rest in order to refresh the body. After all, God created us. Getting no rest will catch up with you one day.

Ask for help: Swallow your pride. Asking for help is a good thing. You need prayers, encouragement, a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear? Ask for it.

Take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:5): One thing of which we can be guilty is worshiping our stress. Stressed out? Focus on the right things. If it’s not the end of the world, you can deal with it.

Set priorities (Eph. 5:15-16): Take care of the most important things first. Do we get stressed about the wrong things? There are some things not worth getting stressed out over.

Set limitations: Some of us carry stress around like it’s a badge of honor. You can’t do everything. Learn to say, “No.”

Stick to a routine: We are creatures of habit. When we’re stressed, we can easily get out of our regular routine.

Have a budget (I Tim. 6:10): And stick with that budget. Americans love to spend money, especially this time of the year. Be good stewards of your money.

Find solitude (Mark 1:35; Matt. 14:22-23): Jesus made time to be alone with God. There are many benefits to solitude, including getting to know God more intimately, it refuels us, it equips us to face tough days and it strips us of our pride.

Do not neglect your spiritual well-being: When the stress is mounting and you feel overwhelmed, it’s not the time to neglect your spiritual life.