My senior year in college, my roommate was a premed student. He was a senior and had just been accepted into medical school, where he would have to endure three more intense years.
Because he knew about stress all too well, he decided to do his senior research paper on the effect that it can have on our bodies. Here’s how he did it. He took two rats. One got plenty of rest, good nutrition and exercise. The other, he put under constant stress for hours at a time. At the end of the year, the second rat not only had an emotionally unpleasant life, but it also ended up physically diseased.
I know we’re talking about rats here, but the point of his experiment was to help humans understand the pitfalls of stress. His article was published in a number of medical journals that helped people see that stress handled poorly drastically hurts our quality of life.
The Bible claims that the best antidote to stress is resting in God’s leadership. It not only rids us of stress but it also opens the door for God to empower supernatural success in our lives. It’s a huge win-win!
There are many factors that contribute to our stressful lifestyles. Worry is a big one, and so is hurry. Other people can cause quite a bit of panic in our lives (can I get an amen?) Even other options can hinder us by making us feel like we constantly have to “keep up with the Joneses.”
That’s why God tells us in Isaiah 30:15 that “…In repentance and rest is your salvation and in quietness and trust is your strength…” There’s a quietness and strength that comes when we trust God enough to rest.
David understood this well. Psalm 23, which is arguably his most esteemed psalm, was written after one of the most taxing times in his life. In it, we find how he overcame stress and lived in the place of supernatural success.
God promises that when we cherish resting in His presence, we will lack nothing of worth in our lives!
He will bring us into better tomorrows first by establishing better focus regarding our todays. Then, He will fill us with peace and strength each day by “leading us into green pastures and beside quiet waters.”
Third, His rest brings nourishment to our soul. He makes life so much greater as we learn His better ways and live in His joy. Finally, He tells us we’ll face trying problems on the pathway He leads us down. But He promises to give us strength every step of the way so that we prevail.
Is your life filled with unhealthy stress? My prayer for you is that you will allow your loving Father to bless your life like only He can. You were born for SUPERNATURAL BLESSING!
