DEALING WITH STRESS

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Meditation verse:

“Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mathew 11:28).

It’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work and we are focusing on Stress. Stress is an adverse reaction that we have when excessive and sustained pressures or other types of demands are placed on us either at work or outside work. It is not an illness, but a natural reaction to excessive pressure. You become stressed when you perceive that you lack the resources, whether physical, psychological, or financial to cope with the demands of your life. Certainly, you would experience a certain level of pressure in the cause of your daily existence, but this should not be interpreted as stress. Up to a certain level, feeling pressured can keep you on your toes or motivate you to meet deadlines. However, when the pressure becomes excessive, it leads to stress.

The earliest signs of stress are changes in your mood, behaviour, or level of productivity. It could be a decline in performance, loss of motivation to perform tasks, moodiness, restlessness, irritability, or a lack of interest in your appearance or general affairs. Physical symptoms also emerge, and these include stomach upsets, tension headaches, backache, skin irritations, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Why not do a stress check-up today to see if you are in danger of a mental or physical breakdown, by taking a holistic look at your life. How well are you coping with the physical and emotional demands of your job and life in general? Are you working to the exclusion of any rest? Are you happy or constantly worried? Do you enjoy your work? Are you overly anxious about any situation or do you feel under excessive pressure in any area of your life? If you think you are, talk to God about your concerns right now and then seek professional help. The bible advises you to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). You have a great High Priest who is touched with the feeling of your infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, come boldly to His throne of grace today and cast your cares upon Him, for He cares deeply for you.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Oke Chinye.
Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart?

He says in Mathew 11:28, “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He longs to give you rest."

Would you like to do so now? Here’s a prayer you can say:
Dear Jesus, I believe that You died to save me from all my sins. Today, I invite you into my heart and I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive all my sins and help me to live my life for You.

If you prayed this prayer, send me an email at rockteachingministry@gmail.com

I would love to pray with you personally and send you a copy of my book; ‘Living the Life’ to encourage you as you begin your new life in Christ.