Handling Stress With God’s Word When Pressure Hits All at Once
- meetgodattheedgeof
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Psalms 119:143-144
[143] As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. [144] Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.
Yesterday, as I came back from my lunch break, it felt like everything exploded.
When I clocked out, time for me slowed down—and the rest of the shop sped up. As I sat back down at my computer, I immediately saw an unusual amount of work waiting for me. So I got started. Then one tech came to me with a problem. Then another. Then another. Requests for updates kept coming, and before long it felt like there was a line of people waiting to tell me about problems—on top of everything else I was already trying to finish.
Instantly, I felt overwhelmed.
Everyone could see the amount of work I had, yet no one seemed to give it a second thought. As I stared at my computer screen, something hit me: these moments are the opportunities we always hear about—the ones that reveal who we are because of Jesus.
I could have been short. I wanted to be irritated. But because of Christ in me, I was able to be kind and still get my work done. Looking back, I can clearly see that response wasn’t me. That was God’s love flowing through me in spite of my flesh. That’s what handling stress with God’s Word looks like when it meets real life.
Often, stress shows up suddenly. What’s your first reaction? For many of us, it’s anger or frustration—and it usually gets aimed at the people around us. As we mature in our faith, the hope is that we begin to recognize these moments as opportunities to show that God’s way is different. It’s the opposite of what comes naturally.
Jesus always led with love and compassion.
When I think about Jesus healing people, scenes from The Chosen come to mind. I imagine lines of people stretching endlessly, impatience growing, needs piling up. Yet the Lord met each person with love and compassion. He was never distracted. That amazes me. While I’m handling one problem, I can’t help but think about the next one waiting in line. Not Jesus. He was fully present with every person, every time.
No matter the situation we’re in, Jesus has given us the perfect example of how to handle it.
When we begin seeing people instead of problems—recognizing them as children of God—it changes us. Compassion, love, and understanding rise up in ways that are beyond our natural ability. That’s the fruit of handling stress with God’s Word rather than reacting in our flesh.
Stressful situations are coming. There’s a good chance they’ll show up today. When the first one rears its ugly head, smile. Thank the Lord for the opportunity to show the world that you’re different—not because you’re strong, but because you’ve been redeemed by the grace of God.
Thank You, Father, for one more day. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
8] We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. [9] We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. [10] Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
