Stress has no place...

Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. And God's peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it.

~Philippians 4:6-7


Stress management is a spiritual discipline that begins with diligent preparation in every area of life - mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. We must be ready to deal with stress before we are required to deal with stress. Dealing with stress is an ongoing, daily battle that will not end - this side of Heaven. In order to win that battle, we must be prepared. While there is no single secret to handling stress, God's Word is filled with many truths that can enable and empower us to deal with stress in a healthy, productive and God-honoring way.

Sometimes the most familiar passages of scripture are also the most overlooked. Psalm 23 is one of those passages. I often find myself rushing to this psalm for peace and comfort in the aftermath of a stressful situation or for guidance and shelter from the storm that I see barreling straight for the unprepared shores of my life. However, I have also discovered that Psalm 23 is a powerful tool for dealing with stress on an everyday basis.

If you are like me, I tend to handle the major calamities in life better than the mundane, ordinary but definitely stress-inducing issues of daily living. A study of Psalm 23 has led me to believe that it is often the small pebble in my shoe, rather than the massive boulder on my path, that causes the greatest stress in my life. The awesome thing is that God is there daily to help me with these issues if I just ask.

He promises to be my shepherd, to lead and guide me, to provide my every need, to protect me from my enemies, to fill my heart with peace, and to stand between me and my greatest fears. God delivered a profound message when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us each and every day. Jesus could have come to us in many ways but He chose to interrupt the ordinary with the extraordinary! Jesus could rightfully have been born in a palace. He was, after all, a King. Yet His life on earth began in a manger - a smelly, dusty, dirty and definitely common barn. The simplicity of His birth is one of His most precious gifts to us and a constant reminder that He really does care about everything that touches our lives - no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. God wants to be involved in the simple, ordinary happenings of each day.

While I cannot imagine my world without the presence and power of Jesus Christ, I am often guilty of living as if He does not exist. The result is a stress-filled life. A trial comes and I try to handle it on my own. Loneliness empties my heart and instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw into the darkness where stress is waiting to fill that emptiness with anxiety and fear. Still, God is faithful. His peace is a soothing balm that leads me once again to the manger and away from stress. He steps into my life and changes everything. When He comes, stress is stripped away, tranquility given in its place.

When I find myself wishing I could have been there that holy night when Jesus was born, He gently reminds me that I had my own manger experience, when God became a personal reality in my life. I have my own holy moments each and every day as I reach out to Him and He is there, right in the middle of my common, ordinary and often smelly circumstances.

Stress has no place in a heart that kneels before the manger. Stress is powerless in a life that continually seeks God and chooses to surrender to His love and care - like the sheep surrender to the love and care of their Shepherd. Psalm 23 describes the intimate, personal and trusting relationship between sheep and shepherd, between child and father, and is not only a beautiful portrait of God's complete and faithful provision, but an arsenal of stress-busting truths and principles that, when embraced and applied, will empower and equip us to live a life of peace and victory. How awesome is that?!