And being a Christian committed to living a godly lifestyle, spreading the gospel, building a culture of life and, yes, battling the spiritual forces who would do us in can...well, create a little stress from time to time. Right?
The issue then becomes what do we do to stay on top of our circumstances when they start pressing in. 1) Pray for strength and wisdom. 2) Take God seriously and yourself less so. And 3) Use the vertigo caused by dizzying problems to better relish the security that is ours in heaven. As the old country hymn goes:
I’m just a passin’ through.
My treasure is laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
O Lord, You know I have no friend like You.
If heaven weren’t my home, O Lord, what would I do?
No, those angels beckon me from heaven’s open door.
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
And, after being renewed in spirit as you contemplate spending eternity in the serenity, beauty and glory of Christ's presence, Number 4 in my list of suggestions is to “press back!” In other words, just keep working. Whether we “feel” like it or not, whether it’s convenient or not, we have a responsibility to keep God’s priorities in view and, as faithfully as possible, to carry them out with perseverance, principle and even pizazz!
Don't fret. Heaven will provide a sweet and much welcome rest for us at the end of our journey. The Scriptures are clear and trustworthy on that point. But for now, we’ve still got some work to do.
And keeping busy is itself a pretty good way to beat stress.
And yes, if you've read them before, read 'em again. The times require it!