Learning to React to Stress with Trust in God

Few of us can reliably react to stress with trust in God. How do you react when you're well-being is threatened?

When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?

When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?

When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?

How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?

When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!

Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.

"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.

I need a Sabbath rest!

Today is my Sabbath day to enjoy spending time with Jesus. Usually this means praying in silence and solitude for a few hours and then doing some writing or sharing in spiritual conversation with friends. I've been doing this weekly all year and it's been wonderful!

The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."

This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.

However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)

Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.

Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!