If I could delete one word from my vocabulary, it would be “stress.” I like to think of it as the dirty “s” word. The word alone causes my head to ache, brows to wrinkle and body to tense. Has “I’m stressed” become a regular phrase in your life and ultimately a killjoy?
Well, you are not alone.
Stress isn’t a new phenomenon. Think about Jesus’ disciples in the boat during the storm. We often relate this story to fear, but I have recently found it also relates to stress. They were without a doubt afraid — also very stressed — so much so that they woke Jesus up. He immediately calmed the storm, and peace was restored.
A few weeks ago, I heard a friend say, “Look alive, Jesus is on the throne.” I laughed but didn’t think much of it — that is, until I got home, opened my computer and immediately became stressed out. I leaned back, closed my eyes and thought, “None of this anxiety matters in the grand scheme of things, so why am I so stressed?”
I walked around my room for a minute, laughed and yelled, “Jesus is on the throne.” Immediately, I felt a sense of peace rush of over me, and I could not help but smile. This “storm” of stress that I let take control over me is nothing, because my Lord is sitting on his heavenly throne watching over me.
Why do we let life’s troubles blind our real purpose here? We are here to bring glory to God in everything we do, even in how we handle stress. When I look back on a stressful time in my life, it almost seems pointless, and I feel ashamed for letting it consume my life for an extended period of time.
No matter what you are facing that is stressing you out, our God is bigger. He loves you, and he wants you to bring that stress to him. Let him give you the peace and patience you desire.
As the semester comes to an end and stress starts to rise, I encourage you to find a phrase that lifts your spirits, and as soon as that dirty “s” word starts sneaking up on you, say that phrase. Don’t give Satan the pleasure of bringing you down.
Now in a deep Southern accent, say it out loud: “Look alive, Jesus is on the throne.” What could be more important or noteworthy than that?
