Isn’t it amazing how our mighty God takes care of us?  When I reflect on how many times I have tried to lead my own life and make my own path, yet He has still continued to bless me and guide me in so many ways that I could never count or even realize.  I’ve always considered myself a fairly drama free person.  This past week, however, has rocked my word slightly.  After two days in a row of receiving panic phone calls that my immediate family members had been in two different car accidents, I found myself at a stress level that I had never experienced before.

Stress or anxiety for a Christian can look different; it comes down to one thing – lack of trust in God. It is true that a lack of faith in God results in unnecessary stress for the unbeliever.  However, Christians will not be without stress and are required, sometimes, to walk-in-faith through it.  James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kind.

I read something during this stressful time by Marnie Swedberg who is a leadership mentor to thousands of women across the country.  This talks about Jesus’ method of dealing with stress…yes, Jesus was stressed.

“Jesus Christ experienced stress. In fact, His state of psychological stress was so severe that it has since been written about in medical journals: Hematohidrosis is a condition in which the blood vessels around sweat glands dilate to the point of rupture, whereupon the blood flows into the sweat glands – coming out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat.

This is a physical phenomenon not frequently experienced, even in the most stressful circumstances. Yet, Jesus found Himself sweating blood on the evening before His crucifixion.

During this period of time, Jesus demonstrated for every Christian how God equips a saint to think about, walk through, and succeed when under necessary STRESS:

S – Scared to death of the
T – Time just ahead, yet
R – Resolving to
E – Exude grace while being willing to
S – Sacrifice our very life, if need be, to
S – Succeed in God’s goals for us.

Jesus was literally “overwhelmed with sorrow”, “full of anguish” and “falling face down” in prayer.

Next time you find yourself psychologically struggling, do what Jesus did:

P – Present your fears to God as honestly as you can
R – Relinquish yourself into His hands
A – Agree that He is Sovereign and ask for as much mercy as is possible given His goals
Y – Yield yourself fully to His choices for your future.”

How we cope with stressful situations speaks volumes to those around us. We are all going to experience stressful situations.  But, you will have the opportunities to minister to those around you as they watch you handle it by trusting Christ as you give it over to Him. Perhaps those opportunities will speak volumes to an unbeliever.  And, you will grow and feel spiritually equipped and ready to help others in their time of need for the sake of Christ.

As I presented my fears to God on behalf of my family members and relinquished them into His hands, I felt a weight lifted off me like never before.  God saw fit to take care of each of them and they are healing from their injuries.  But, even if that had not been His will, I’d like to believe that I would yield myself to His choices for their future.