THINK ABOUT IT

STRESS MANAGEMENT

About how heavy is a 16 oz. glass of water in a paper cup? One way to answer this would be to do a little math and say a little more than 1 pound (since a gallon of water weighs about 8 1/3 pounds and that 16 oz. is 1/8th of a gallon.. you come up with 1 pound, ½ an ounce plus the cup). But the truth is, the real weight of the water doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If you hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If you hold it for an hour, you'll have an ache in your arm. If you try to hold it by yourself for a day, you are most likely going to drop that cup. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it becomes.

And that's the way it is with stress in our lives. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

There are only two solutions to a problem like this. First solution- put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. Sometimes we need to take time off to relax and refocus ourselves. In the Bible we see God making a big deal about taking the Sabbath off and resting. One of the reasons for this is because we need a break from time to time. We need to take a break from our burdens so they won’t seem so heavy.

The other solution to the problem is to get someone to help us carry that burden. Sometimes it is not possible to put our burdens down. In the Exodus 17:10-13 we find the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning (vs. 11). So how does Moses deal with this burden? Verse 12 says that when his hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Also, he had his close friends, Aaron and Hur, hold his hands up—one on each side. And of course, by sunset, Joshua won the battle. Moses depended on that rock and his friends to help him get through it. When I have tons of things going on, things people are counting on me to get done, I may not be able to take a break. But I can ask for help.

So what burdens are you carrying? Are you just overwhelmed by a busy schedule? You may need to look at all you're doing and see which ones you can put down. Or at the very least, don’t take on any new activities until you have time to get rested. Maybe you need to schedule some time to relax and talk about all that is going on. Try scheduling a Sabbath day of rest- a day when you simply relax and give thanks to God. It could also be the burden you are carrying has to do with a struggle with sin that is too tough to put down. You may need to call someone to help you with it.

Life really is too short and as a Christian we are called to live a life of peace, not stress. So be careful not to let that glass of water wear you down.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

His… Daryl Miller

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