April is Stress Awareness Month, and what better way to reflect on the various stressors in our lives than with a few encouraging verses from the Bible? At this point in 2022, everyone has faced battles, trials, loss, and stress like never before. Beautiful, the time of His return is drawing near, and like never before we have to cling to the Word of God. I love the word because it is so pure and real. It’s honest. There are no filters. It just says it how it is. I’m grateful for this. At this point in my life, I don’t even want a nice Bible, I want one that looks like it’s been through the woes of life. One that has tear stains on it, and dog-eared pages. The Bible is meant to be lived out and used as a weapon against our enemies. If you’ve picked up this blog post, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve created a 5 Day Plan just for you.
You’ve probably been to the point where you can’t get out of bed and all you want to do is sleep the day away. Maybe you have lost your job or maybe a loved one has passed away unexpectedly or maybe you’re just tired of being tired – I’ve walked through each of these. In moments like these, there is only One who can bring comfort and peace; Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace.
John 16:33 (NLT)
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Beautiful, how often do we beat ourselves up because we are not able to withstand the pressures of this world? We must understand that acceptance of the pressures and stressors of our lives is essential to understanding any relief that we can find. Jesus tells us, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33). In other words, He is not sugar-coating what we will experience as Christians. We may feel like we are not doing enough or that we are failing God because we feel burdened by our circumstances.
In John 16:33, Jesus is sharing a powerful truth with us. He’s telling us, ahead of time, that this world, in lamens terms, is no joke. Trials and sorrows are GOING to come. Stress is going to come. Depression is going to come. Fear is going to come. Knowing this, Jesus says, don’t even worry about it. I already know that the powers of this world are coming after you and I’ve already overcome the world. Gorgeous girl, don’t be afraid to say that you are having a hard time, hard times were promised. You are not alone and there is nothing wrong with you. Trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 shares sound instructions for living our lives. It’s explaining to us that there is no need to worry about anything though there is much to worry about. Instead, pray about everything. For the longest time, I thought only certain things were worthy of prayer. A sick friend, a financial crisis, etc. Time and time again God is teaching me that He cares about all of me. He cares about how I feel during my day, how I ache for certain dreams, and even how I’m going to lose it if my son isn’t potty trained soon…everything means everything.
Stress awareness month gives us a routine opportunity to fill our cups with truth and biblical tactics for battling the stress of life. As we invite God into every part of our lives and as we remain connected to Jesus, not just close, we will see God working peace into every situation no matter what the reality of the situation may be, we can persevere in peace. We will not be ashamed when we trust in Him.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Every time I come across this verse, I’m reminded of my sweet granny. She called me one day out of the blue saying that it was on her heart to give me this verse. I’ve clung to it ever since. I speak it over myself and my family as an affirmation and a promise from God on how He has made us. We were not made to bow down to stress or fear, but we were made in His image and therefore we have power. I have authority. I have the love of Christ flowing to and through me to show compassion in this dying world, and I have self-discipline. Other translations say self-control or a sound mind. Beautiful, you have the wonderful gift of being in control of yourself. You have authority over your mind, your body, your life, you better use it.
You can do this. With God. I know it’s easier said than done, but you are enough. Jesus is enough. He has equipped you with everything necessary to accomplish what He has called you to do. So stand up and be strong in Him! Show the world that you are made in His image and because of that, nothing can stop you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
This is a season in which I’m learning to trust the Lord for everything and anything. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. I find myself having to surrender my worries and anxiety more and more and it has been a good thing. It has allowed me to look at my tendency to worry and see how much I rely on myself. God wants us to give our stress, our anxiety, and worries to Him. He is the only one able to withstand them. Too often, we say we are giving something to God when in reality, we sit them down while we pray and pick them right back up as we stand.
Something that is helping me hand over my worries and cares is visualization and journaling. Sometimes I write out the worries in my heart and my prayers and my brain tends to accept not replaying scenarios over and over after I write it all out. Other times, I visualize myself with a box and in that box, one by one, I put in the worries and anxieties, and hand them over to God. Once the box has left my hands, I have to trust God at His word to handle it for me. It may not be how or when I want, but as I connect with my Father in His word, through prayer and worship, I know He is working it all together for my good. Perhaps stress awareness month is the perfect time for you to practice this exercise.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
I’ve always been a fairly successful person, things always seem to work out for me. It can become too easy and familiar to trust in my knowledge because of this. I’m grateful for this new journey of blogging and cultivating community because it’s so much bigger than me. What it’s requiring from me in terms of discipline, knowledge, and understanding is breathtaking. I know that there is no way I can do what I am called to do without the hand of God at work.
So, I often check myself. I ask myself why I am doing what I’m doing. I ask if it aligns with the will of my Father, and I let it go from there. Knowing that the Father’s heart for all of us is to know and be known by Him. However He chooses to use me for that purpose is good and perfect.
This year’s Stress Awareness Month will be a chance for everyone to remember that we are living in uncertain times… or maybe, in trying times. For some, it might be a time to reflect and consider how they can live beyond the challenge of uncertainty. Each of us is going through different seasons and different challenges, but I know that God’s Word applies to every one of us. I’ve created a 5 Day Plan to help you put these scriptures into action in your own life. My prayer is that God would use these verses to draw you closer to Him.
What’s your favorite Bible verse for combating stress? Comment below!
XOXO, JD