I read of an Indian guru who will sell you “inner peace” for about $300. His brand of self-controlled breathing and meditation is all the rage among India’s stress-worn business people and millions of others worldwide. Fortunately, it can be learned in one weekend and requires just 30 minutes of practice each day to keep the good vibes coming.
Sure, taking a few deep breaths may help lower our blood pressure, but stress relief for our souls comes from God. We need Him to show us the way to peace.
David pointed this out in his famous psalm when he wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need” (23:1). This thought is simple, but it floors me every time I read it. When I feel the pressure build and my thoughts begin to rotate like a whirlwind, I remember that “His peace will guard [our] hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:7). He is all we need.
Because He is sufficient, God is more than able to “[guide us] along right paths, bringing honor to His name” (Psalm 23:3). The real antidote for stress is to overcome it with His power—to honor Him!
Maybe you’re thinking, That’s just great, but my mailbox is overflowing with bills and I can’t sleep. There’s chaos at our house 24/7. When David was stressed, he wrote, “I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me” (v.4). God’s guidance is a close, protective leadership meant to “restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation” (1 Peter 5:10).
Whether you work in an office or a factory or with a busy 2-year-old, stress is unavoidable. Fortunately, God can help us manage it, and His brand of inner peace is not for sale. He just wants to show us the way.
More:
• Psalm 4:8
• John 14:27
• 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Next:
How have you attempted to relieve the stress in your life? Why does God want us to overcome stress His way?
PSRegina on August 16, 2009 at 7:43 am
Thank you for this reminder. I am also convicted that all too often I rely on natural remedies to rest and caffeine to get me going when I should be resting in God’s peace and be motivated by The Word.
May God continually work in me, that I may Fully Rely On God.
mikan14 on August 16, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Today, my hands seem full.. busy as it looks like, but it is an opportunity to do the works God gave to me, to be fully used by Him for His glory. though I really feel so burdened and stressed, still I claim that God’s promise in 2 Cor. 12:9..He is more than I could ever have ^_^