The secret to facing stress
Your stress response gives you the energy to perform at peak performance. Whether you feel stressed or stimulated depends upon the ratio of demands versus control that are put upon you. So how do you get control?
1. Limit your focus to the concerns of the day.
Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
2. Continually remind yourself of the supernatural nature of the Christian life. You don’t have to face each day with the limitations of your resources.
Paul tells us that with God for us, no one can stand against us (see Romans 8:31). Remember the story of Elisha’s servant, who learned that God’s invisible angels surrounding him and his master outnumbered the foes coming against them (see 2 Kings 6:13-17).
3. When things in life don’t go smoothly, remind yourself this is normal. Peter urges us not to think the “fiery trials” which we face in life are catastrophes. He speaks of them as though they were a normal part of life, not something strange (see 1 Peter 4:12,13)
Invite someone to take a closer look at Christ and his church.
