Do you ever feel like you’re stretched too thin? Has over-commitment become a way of life for you? Do you find yourself irritable, impatient, angry, or full of stress because other people, maybe even God, seem to be standing in the way of your agenda? Could your frustration and stress come from two common problems?
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day.” This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post and a list of all the Bible readings so you can check them off as you go. You’ll also find the daily posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both these Soul Survival posts and the YouTube videos. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here.
Today’s Readings:
Numbers 1 & 2
Psalm 29.7-11
Proverbs 10.26-29
Mark 7.14-37
When You’re Stretched Too Thin
Numbers 1 & 2:
A God of Order
Well, we’re into a new month and another new book of the Bible.
And as I read these two chapters I couldn’t help thinking that God is a God of order. He specified who was to lead each tribe, where each tribe was to camp, and even the order in which they were to break camp when they moved. He gave “the who, the where, and the how” of it all. And we know from other passages that He also told them “when.”
In Mark 6 when Jesus fed the 5,000, He had them sit down in an orderly way:
… He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties (Mk. 6.39-40).
Like most of you, I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want or think I should be doing. And when you add to it those things that are outside of my control and those things I do because of other people’s expectations, it can easily lead to stress in my life.
It’s easy to forget that God has ordered our lives, too, and He doesn’t give us impossible responsibilities. Neither does He want us overwhelmed, resentful, or full of stress.
So, Why So Much Stress?
Often the problems come as a result of our failure to seek God’s plans. We take on things He hasn’t called us to do and end up over-committed and trying to do them in our own strength and self-sufficiency.
Elizabeth George in one of her books said something that has always stuck with me. It’s so simple, but so profound, “No decision made without prayer.” I would add, once you have made the decision, continue to seek God for “the who, the where, the how, and the when” of it all.
Note: the title of the book has apparently changed and I’m not sure of the new title.
But is there something else that can help us reduce the level of unbiblical stress in our lives?
Take a Sabbatical
A lack of prayer isn’t the only problem rampant today.
We all need time to rest and recharge. God saw rest as so important, He listed the Sabbath as one of the “Big 10” (Ex. 20.8-11). Taking Sabbath time acknowledges our dependence on Him and the fact that everything is His (including our time).
Some of you are thinking, “Oh sure, Donna! I’m already stretched too thin! What makes you think I can run off for a sabbatical?”
Maybe you can’t go to a cabin in the mountains for a month, a week, or even a day, but how about a short prayer sabbatical? Sit outside with your kids or go to a park during your lunch hour. Take your Bible and a journal. Read a short passage of Scripture and write down your thoughts. Then write out a prayer asking God for His wisdom and help.
Take a coffee break. The government mandates certain breaks for people in the workforce. But those of us who make our own schedules need them, too. Sit down (without guilt), put your feet up, and sip a cup of coffee or tea. Don’t mindlessly turn on the TV. Instead, just relax. Give yourself some time to think or listen to a good Christian podcast.
Take a nap. I have a hard time with this one, too. But for many (including me), even a 15-20 minute power nap can make all the difference. If you have small children, you need to take advantage of their naptime and sometimes that means napping, too. Or at least, resting. Put your feet up. Find a cozy chair. Get your favorite beverage. Read your Bible, pray, or listen to something that will encourage your spiritual growth.
Is There an Even Bigger Problem than Our Stress?
As if over-commitment and stress aren’t enough, other issues arise from our lack of prayer and our unwillingness to slow down, rest, and focus on God.
I hope I’m not alone, but when I don’t pray I too often try to solve problems the way that seems right to me. I would never say, “Lord, I don’t need Your help and wisdom.” In fact, I can spend so much time thinking about a problem or trying to fix things that I feel like I’ve prayed about it when I haven’t. It’s only when things get worse that I stop and realize just how much pride and self-sufficiency still reside in my heart.
When we don’t pray, we start to wonder why God and other people aren’t doing their parts (ever been there?).
And when we refuse needed rest, it’s easy to feel justified with our impatience, self-pity, and bad attitudes.
Let’s decide to be more faithful to God in prayer. He’s the only One who can change those things that need changing, help us understand what He’s called us to do, and enable us to do it well. Let’s join Elizabeth in her commitment, to “no decision made without prayer” and to faithfully pray about the who, where, how, and when.
Let’s, also, decide to take time to rest and recharge, physically and spiritually, and to acknowledge our limitations and our dependence on Him. He alone is the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-sufficient, ever-present God of the universe who has ordered our lives and everything else.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 29.7-11:
Peace in Place of Stress
The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace (v. 11).
What a great promise! But as with many of the promises of God, if we want peace in place of our stress, we must seek His wisdom and obey His counsel.
Proverbs 10.26-29:
Grace When We Fail
The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity (v. 29).
When we do things His way we will find strength. The upright are not those who are perfect, but those who are walking in “grace obedience”—obeying to the best of our understanding, relying on Him, and turning to God for His forgiveness and grace when we fail.
Mark 7.14-37:
Your Thoughts Run Your Life!
What we put into our hearts, meditate on, and allow to come out of our hearts through our words and actions determine the course of our lives (Mark 7.14-16, 20-23).
In the Bible, the heart and mind are synonymous. I think Proverbs 4.23 in the New Century Version says it well, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.”
Wow! Chew on that for a while!
If you would like to read more on this subject, I’ve written more on it here:
“Do Wrong Thoughts Run Your Life?”
Closing Thoughts:
Are you stressed because you have failed to seek God in some areas? What do you need to take to Him in prayer instead of trying to handle yourself?
Are you allowing sufficient time in your life to meditate on God’s truths and to get needed rest and refreshment?
What are you putting into your heart and what do you spend your time thinking about?
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For Further Study:
If stressed and anxious describes you, you might want to check out this series on dealing with anxiety.
Introduction: Winning the Battle over Anxiety
Worship & God’s Kingdom: Winning the Battle over Anxiety Part 2
Prayer, Put-Offs & Put-Ons: Winning the Battle over Anxiety Part 3
Fear Versus Love: Winning the Battle over Anxiety Part 4
Trust in the Lord: Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Part 5
Rest & Remember: Winning the Battle over Anxiety Part 6
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about the adultery test, the sovereignty of God, the fact that we have only two real choices, the seriousness of complaining, the fact that hell is real and time is short, and how the sins of our parents and grandparents affect us.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss them.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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