In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Which is easier to remember–the last time you had an afternoon off when nothing was really planned, or your most recent stress headache? Most likely you remember the headache.

Our bodies send physical “red flags” when we are under too much stress. Stress is physical and emotional weariness caused by overloading your system. Eighty percent of workers say they feel stress on the job; nearly half say they need help in learning to manage stress and 42% say their co-workers need help with stress[1]  Children and retirees are not immune to stress either.

Many of us work best under a certain amount of pressure. Confines and deadlines can propel and enhance good work. Never-ending pressure, however, is ruinous. The Greek word for trouble in John 16:33 is thlipsis, which includes the concept of stress. We know we will experience stress, but we need not be overcome by it.

C.S. Lewis wrote that “pain is God’s megaphone.”[2]  Yes, God designed our bodies to seek necessary refuge.   Prolonged stress-related pain should move us to make changes.  Feeling the pain?  Do you need a shift in your priorities, one that leads you more often to time with God? Be encouraged by Psalm 68:19: “Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.”

Resource reading:  John 16:1-15

 

[1] Smith, S. (2014, April 10). ‘Frazzled’ on the Job: More Than 80 Percent of American Workers Are Stressed Out. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21916505/frazzled-on-the-job-more-than-80-percent-of-american-workers-are-stressed-out

 

[2] Benson, C. (2017, February 01). Pain is God’s megaphone. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://bensonian.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/gods-megaphone/