| Biblical Examples of Stress |
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| Articles Of Hope For - Stress Management |
| Written by Sharon Merhalski |
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I encourage you to lay aside the mask of, “Oh, everything is fine.” After months of researching volumes of stress information I want to give you valuable information which I hope you will pass on to others. First, let me begin by reminding us of two men in the Bible who suffered from stress. (Some of the following was loaned from Teddi Neevel’s article “Dancing with Depression”.) Job suffered from stress and anger and frustration was the outcome: Job 23:1-4: “Then Job answered and said, Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments (chastisement; correction, rebuke, reproof. Strong’s Concordance for the word ‘arguments.’)” Job was going to rebuke and chasten God for His condition. He did ‘get a handle’ on his anger and in verse 23 Job resigned to God’s Sovereignty, “Job 23:10-14a “ But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me:”. Now, the Apostle Paul also suffered from stress. Paul had a chronic medical condition and a constant battle with Satan and his band of demons that used the religious leaders and church people to cause trouble. The following scriptures are from a time when Paul had been slandered in the Church at Corinth. He had written the church and sent the letter with Titus. II Corinthians 2:12-13 “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.” And II Corinthians 7:5-7 “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.” Paul suffered from disappointment. Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” Paul arrived at Troas and expected Titus to meet him. Paul probably played the scene over in his mind. He wanted an answer. Paul wanted closure to the situation. Paul chose the time, place, person, and way of closure but it wasn't God's plan. When closure is your focus, you will hit a wall resulting in your being unavailable to be used by God. Paul was so disappointed that Titus didn't meet him in Troas he walked away from God's open door of service. Paul suffered discouragement…the most devastating tool of Satan. “II Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” When Paul walked away from God's door of service he found no rest for his spirit. What Paul found instead was mental un-rest, bodily fatigue, fear, folly and frustration. Paul suffered dis-function. “II Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” Paul is referring back to his side trip from Troas to Macedonia in this passage. Fightings “without” indicates that life had become a continual conflict. Rather like walking around with a chip on your shoulder just waiting for someone to knock it off. Fears “within” indicate imaginary battles and paranoid delusions. Reality had become un-recognizable. Paul experienced depression. Proverbs 18:14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? Our hurts usually result in explosions of indignation; when the fuel of our anger is consumed implosion occurs. Implosion puts a person into ‘shut down’ mode. Where we crawl into a dark spot and close the lid. Where does stress cross over the line of being manageable and become an illness to our spirits and our bodies? Unless there is a sudden trauma, no one just wakes up depressed one morning. Disappointment~Discouragement~Dis-function~Depression is the natural progression but we can get off that train anywhere along the line…by surrendering our situation to God with a broken and contrite heart like Job did in the verses quoted above. Depression gives up. Brokenness gives in. God will deliver us…in His time. II Corinthians 7:6 “ Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;” “Nevertheless God.” That certainly says it all. Our only source of deliverance is God. Psalm 134:3 “The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.” The term "out of Zion" indicates without the use of human hands. God is the only true comforter. God can touch you from heaven without changing anything on earth. God’s desire is for us is not a spirit of fear but of a sound mind. When we conform our will to God’s will He will give us the desires of our heart. When our will is in agreement with God’s will so are our desires. Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Share us with your friends:          .text:''):(d.getSelection?d.getSelection():'');void(keyit=window.open('http://my.poco.cn/fav/storeIt.php?t='+escape(d.title)+'&u='+escape(d.location.href)+'&c='+escape(t)+'&img=http://www.h-strong.com/blog/logo.gif','keyit','scrollbars=no,width=475,height=575,status=no,resizable=yes'));keyit.focus();){kind=logo}          Quote this article on your site To create link towards this article on your website, copy and paste the text below in your page. Preview :
Biblical Examples of Stress Wednesday, 08 April 2009 I encourage you to lay aside the mask of, “Oh, everything is fine.” After months of researching volumes of stress information I want to give you valuable information which I hope you will pass on to others. First, let me begin by reminding... © 2012 - Titus 2 Men And Women Powered by QuoteThis © 2008 |
