Seed Thoughts

March 2007

This month, I found myself finishing this column at the last minute, just before the deadline. You see, I prayerfully ask the Lord each month what would minister to the hearts of our readers, and often, I do not get the answer until the deadline is upon me. As you can imagine, writing a column right before it is due can create stress for the writer and the editorial staff. As the deadline was looming this month, I sensed the Lord impressing me to write about stress.

I know that I have dealt with this subject in past “Seed Thoughts” columns. However, it’s an important issue Christians face. Stress is running rampant in today’s world. In a recent survey, 89 percent of the respondents described experiencing “high levels of stress.” The American Medical Association states that stress is the cause of 80 percent of all human illness and disease, and at the very least, it has a detrimental effect on our health. Those are alarming statistics.

Of course, we know that stress is closely related to worry. The Bible has much to say about worry. Philippians 4:6 in The Amplified Bible says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” When dealing with stress, you must identify what is causing you to fret or have anxiety.

When I was in my 40s, I suddenly found that I was tired all the time. That was not normal for me—up until then, I had always been like the Energizer Bunny. I began to think perhaps the problem was my age. I had heard people say that as you get older, you have to slow down. For a short time, I thought that was the reason for my lack of energy. One day, my husband and I decided to get away for a few days for some much needed rest.

We enjoyed a hobby of riding four-wheelers, so we went to the sand dunes in western Oklahoma and rode our bikes. Nothing can be more exhausting than that kind of workout. However, I found I had an abundance of energy for recreation. I suddenly realized my age was not a factor in my being tired.

In my prayer time, I began to ask the Lord for the answer to my dilemma. Suddenly my answer came. At our ministry, I had assumed the oversight and management of several areas, which included the task of making major decisions. I realized I was uncomfortable making decisions. This new responsibility was causing me to feel stressed, and the physical result was a drastic decrease of my energy.

I immediately said to the Lord, “I’m going to eliminate this stress by claiming James 1:5 when I must make decisions.” I like the New Living Translation of this verse, which reads, “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” That was 20 years ago. I have not stressed out about decisions since then, and my energy has increased, not decreased.

Another cause of stress is facing unexpected interruptions to your schedule. Being a perfectionist, I would become stressed when things did not go according to the plan. Once again, I came to realize it was senseless to worry about something when you can do nothing about it.

A couple of months ago, my friend Lanell and I drove to Branson, Missouri, to take care of ministry business. We planned to be gone just one night, so I took very little luggage. I did not take my computer or any of my paperwork. We were on our way back to Tulsa when icy road conditions forced us to stop in Joplin, Missouri. We were stuck there for three days. I did not even have an ice scraper in my car, and I had worn shoes that were not appropriate for that icy weather.

I could have easily stressed out about that situation. Instead, I laughed and said, “Lord, I guess you have a real sense of humor. I suppose this is the only way you could get me to slow down and just pamper myself.” I spent those three days catching up on my sleep and relaxing.

I want to encourage you to rest in the Lord. Let Him work out the situations in your life. He will give you wisdom and strength to perform the tasks you encounter on a daily basis.