Stresses in life are many. You know you are too stressed if begin to talk to yourself, then disagree about the subject, get into a argument over it, lose, and refuse to speak to yourself for the rest of the night.
Okay, seriously, as Christians we often deal with the struggles of others as well as our own. We care. We give our time for the sake of others which takes time from us. Sometimes life seems like a race and we’re hurrying to cross the finish line. Stress is a part of our lives unless we learn how to keep it all in a healthy perspective.
The dangers of stresses are many. If we are not careful they distract us from our daily duties to our family, our loved ones, our friends, our job, our school and ourselves. Of course there is an advantage to stress, you never have to make your bed because you are always in it. Okay, just kidding. I don’t think there are many advantages to stress.
I would like to submit that life is not a race, there is no finish line to cross, it’s a marathon that we prepare for through applying the wisdom of Jesus. It’s a marathon…… as we pace ourselves and continually converse with Jesus asking for the supernatural strength to endure the next mile.
I believe that this is revealed in Luke 10:
Luke 10:38-42 (TNIV)
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself ? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed–or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus talks to Martha about this stress, she cries out to Him, and what is His answer? “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What was Mary doing? She “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”
Jesus IS our strength, applying HIS wisdom to our lives helps us to endure the next mile. It is important that as Christians we recognize that while we may think we are at the end of our rope…..we are not at the end of hope. Jesus has not abandoned us and He is always with us.
2 Corinthians 3:8-10 (TNIV)
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
May you run strong in the marathon of life. May you recognize that it is HIS footprints running alongside you each step of the way. May you be given strength through the trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who loves you and wants to run this marathon with you!
LOVE this!! So needed in today’s life! Thank you, Jan! God Bless!
Thank you Sharyn 🙂 God bless!