“The Lord calmed me down and cheered me up!”

Scripture:

Psalm 94:17-19 If GOD hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it. (18) The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," your love, GOD, took hold and held me fast. (19) When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Observation:

Before a violin can produce music, stress must be put on the strings. But pull them too tightly and they'll snap. The same's true of you. Enough stress gets the juices flowing and helps you do what needs to be done, but beyond that you snap. Someone joked, "You know you're on overload when you've no time to cook a TV dinner, the cat's on tranquilisers and family reunions have to be mediated by law enforcement!" Seriously, before it gets to that point, do the following things:

Application:

(1) Ask for help: During Hurricane Katrina eight dolphins were swept out of their aquarium into the sea, but because they stuck together they were rescued. If one had tried to go it alone he'd have perished. When you're alone too much, you lose perspective. If the enemy can isolate you, he can influence you. God designed His family to stay connected. Or as Paul says, "So that all the members care for each other" (I Corinthians 12:25 NLT).


(2) Get real with God: Under stress the surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming, and unless you unburden your soul before God you'll explode at the wrong people. The Psalmist addresses this: "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22 NIV). "Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8 NKJV).

It's no mere coincidence that many of the Psalms start out with the Psalmist crying out to God for help, and end up with him rejoicing because he vented his pent-up frustrations.

I'm awake all night. (Psalm 77:4 TM)


You can't escape stress, but you can learn to cope with it by taking control of your life in small but important ways.

(3) Think about someone other than yourself. David was so frazzled that he was awake all night. Ever been there? That's when you need to "Let… praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down" (Philippians 4:6 TM).

Elijah was depressed and suicidal when God showed him how to help himself. How? By leaving the cave he was hiding in, and going out and ministering to others. Focusing on something other than yourself gives you perspective. Paul says, the "God of all healing counsel… comes alongside… when we go through hard times… and… brings us alongside someone else… going through hard times so… we can be there for that person… as God was there for us" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TM).


Do you need help? Reach out to others. It's in connecting that we are made whole!

(4) Don't get bitter. Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond to it. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, "Nothing creates more deep-seated anxiety, than the false assumption that life should be free from anxieties." When somebody you trust betrays or disappoints you, or you're struggling financially after tithing faithfully for years, it's easy to feel hard-done-by. But "Don't… become bitter" (Hebrews 12:15 CEV); it destroys relationships and cuts you off from God's presence. The answer is learning to "thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you… to live" (I Thessalonians 5:18 TM).

(5) God's still looking out for you. When things look bad, remind yourself that God's bigger than your problem. "Don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Don't get worked up. (Matthew 6:34 TM)

(6) Don't think about quitting! Every time you reach the breaking point it's a test. You have before you a series of choices that will add up to either quitting, or persevering through to victory. Paul was flogged, thrown in jail, shipwrecked and run out of town. But he refused to give in to circumstances and in the end he was able to say, "I have fought the good fight… finished the race and… remained faithful" (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT).

(7) If it doesn't have your name on it, don't pick it up! Stress comes from micro-managing others and assuming responsibilities that aren't yours. Establish healthy boundaries. If you're not sure what's appropriate, ask God to show you how much to get involved in the lives of friends and family.

(8) Your breaking point can be the start of a breakthrough. Ever heard the expression 'hitting the wall'? Runners use it when they're exhausted and feel like giving up. But seasoned athletes know if they push through the pain they'll get their second wind and experience a 'runner's high' that'll carry them over the finish line. So keep going - by God's grace you'll make it!

Prayer:

"Lord, thank you that I can come to you with all of my struggles and stresses! Many times I have allowed myself to get worked up with fear and anxiety. When I call out to you, you calm me down and cheer me up. Thank you for that. I choose today to walk in Your peace. In Jesus name, amen!"

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty