Avoiding Stress

​So often we struggle with the daily decisions of life.  The Bible provides us with answers for most of life’s biggest problems.  For example, the Bible tells us how husbands should love their wives, how wives should treat and relate to their husbands, that children should honor their parents, that we should not steal, cheat or lie, but the Bible does not tell us who we should marry, what career path we should pursue, when and how to discipline our children or which church to attend.  But this does not mean the Bible is completely silent in these matters.  In Proverbs 3:5 we read: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”  So often we think we need to figure everything out.  But we are told in this verse is that we need to trust in God with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding.  Verse 6 goes on to say, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  In other words, if we put God first in everything, if our heart’s greatest desire is to please God and honor him and live in obedience to his word, God will make our path straight.  He will make it clear to us which direction we should go in.  The writer then tells us “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”  So often when we stress over things we have no control over, it can begin to take physical toll on our bodies.  We can feel tired and depressed, moody and irritable.  Recently I came down with a severe case of shingles.  It happened during a time when I was under an enormous amount of stress.  I was worried about many things that I really had no control over, but I worried and stressed about them as if I did have control over them.  Later I discovered that the single most common cause of shingles is stress.  I sometimes wish Jesus had said in Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for you might come down with shingles.’  But he didn’t.  What he said was, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  And that’s really all he needed to say.  Or, as Proverbs tells us, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”  Trust in God and not in your own wisdom and you will feel better both spiritually and physically.