The simple truth about stress!

"My grace is sufficient for you, 

My power is made perfect in your weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 

so that Christ's power may rest on me".

2 Corinthians 12:9

I feel like I need to share this verse with you all.

I know I am not the only person in the world who is type A and stresses over every last detail of anything.

My fiance says if I ever stop worrying for one second I'll die... 

or maybe I've stopped worrying because I have died!

This is nothing new for me, it seems I've always been this way...

however, lately (maybe the past 6 months or so) my anxiety seems to consume me.

Every minute of every day.

I lay awake for hours every night... thinking... of anything and everything:

what will happen tomorrow

what I need to do to prepare for tomorrow

what might happen tomorrow

what happened today, yesterday, last week

what could have happened today, yesterday, last week

about having everything just perfect

about job interviews

about approaching deadlines

about people's first impressions of me

and on and on and on.

This is not a healthy habit, and this has been something I have been praying about for a long time.

We've all heard these verses before:

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:27

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own".

Matthew 6:34

I've read these a thousand times, underlined them in my bible, highlighted them, prayed about them...

but I'm sad to admit that I still continue to worry, and things have gotten worse;

even sadder still, I now know the reason why God hasn't answered my "prayers"

Yes, I have prayed for God to give me peace and take away my incessant worrying...

but I know I didn't actually mean it. 

not 100%

As much as I stress out, I still couldn't let go of everything.

I love my calendar; I live by it.

I love planning ahead; I constantly strive for it.

I love being in control; I thrive by it.

I didn't think I could turn over ALL of that to God.
how foolish.

this isn't the way God calls us to live, because:

1. Worrying and stress cause mental and physical illness and exhaustion. I know I experience this almost every day; headaches, stomach aches, indigestion, nausea....all from stressing and worrying of menial details of life.
2. Worrying means a lack of trust in God. God created the earth we live on. He knows the number if the starts and He is the one who taught them how to shine. He created the birds of the air and provides for them each and every day. He loves us even more than the earth and the stars and the birds ... so how much more do you think He has in store for us? and how much more can He and will He provide for us?

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?   

Matthew 6:30 (NLT)

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

 Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

 

 I hope this gives you a different perspective. 

I have already seen a difference in my level of stress and anxiety.

As you continue through your day, keep in mind the purpose we have on this earth.

To be in it not of it.

Suddenly, the fact that I'm sitting in traffic or that my schedule isn't going as planned doesn't seem so terrible after all. All of these things we enjoy are EXTRAS. Let's focus our time on things that will last for eternity... souls. This earth and everything in it is temporary... why spend another minute worrying about temporary things?!