The Bane of My Existence: Stress, PT 1 (Philippians 4:6-7)

In this commentary on Christian living focusing on college life, I want to explore the Bible for practical “take-home” messages that we can hold on to, even in our times of distress. I want to take a look at how a Christian should look at S-T-R-E-S-S. It plays a prominent role in the lives of most everyone above age 13, and believe it or not, I believe it has its proper place in your life, unless you let it get out of hand. In a later article, I’ll discuss Christian methods to cope with stress.
If you feel like stress is dominating your life, I want you to use quantify your stress. So I might say, “Joe Fong, on a scale from 1-10, how stressed are you this week?” Obviously the response to that question can vary, but it’s important to note that labeling your stress level with a number offers us a means by which we can gauge our stress level. Remember, stress kept your ancestors alive! But doctors will tell you too that stress can literally kill you too. But tag your stress level with a number 1-10. Is it 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11+?
Why is this so important? Well I believe that whole-heartedly that God Almighty is in omnipotent control of the universe and we ought to trust Him, but the leading the Christian life does not imply a stress-free day. I believe stress has its benefits in the Christian walk. Call me crazy, but stress is a measuring stick by which we can determine our level of trust in God. It's a good litmus test for us to use to see if we are drifting away from God’s love for us; are we are trying to “do things our way and not His way”? A statement I reference frequently, Christians have made Christianity a crisis religion; we treat God as if He is an emergency hotline for use "after business hours" or "in case of fire". This couldn’t be any more incorrect, as we should seek the face of God for all things and offer Him our utmost praise, as Philippians 4:6-7 says,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I believe that stress is God’s wake-up call in our lives. Stress is God’s way of reminding us that we are insufficient to handle the rigors of a secular, Pagan world that does not honor our Holy God. It is His reminder to us that we are fallen, but that only in trusting Him, we may stand victorious.
Stress is important in the Christian life also because it reveals to us when we have forgotten or ignored God’s powerful promises. Let me run down a few of the names of God mentioned throughout scripture.
JEHOVAH-JIREH -"The Lord will Provide."
JEHOVAH-ROPHE- "The Lord Who Heals"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM- "The Lord Our Peace"
EL SHADDAI- "God All Sufficient."
JEHOVAH-ROHI- "The Lord Our Shepherd"
Let us remember that almighty God demonstrates His own love for us daily. Next time, we’ll talk about Christian ways to deal with stress.