[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Dealing with stress

By Oke Chinye

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Meditation verse:

“Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”  (Mathew 11:28).

Today is World Mental Health Day, so let’s talk about stress. Stress is an adverse  reaction that we have when excessive and sustained pressures or other types of  demands are placed on us either at work or outside work. It is not an illness, but a natural reaction to excessive pressure. You become stressed when you  perceive that you lack the resources, whether physical, psychological, or  financial to cope with the demands of your life. Certainly, you would experience  a certain level of pressure in the cause of your daily existence, but this should  not be interpreted as stress. Up to a certain level, feeling pressured can keep  you on your toes or motivate you to meet deadlines. However, when the  pressure becomes excessive, it leads to stress, which if present for a long period  of time, can lead to mental and physical illness.

The earliest signs of stress are changes in your mood, behaviour, or level of  productivity. It could be a decline in performance, loss of motivation to perform  tasks, moodiness, restlessness, irritability, or a lack of interest in your  appearance or general affairs. Physical symptoms also emerge, and these  include stomach upsets, tension headaches, backache, skin irritations, high  blood pressure and heart disease.

Why not do a stress check-up today to see if you are in danger of a mental or  physical breakdown, by taking a holistic look at your life. How well are you  coping with the physical and emotional demands of your job and life in general?  Are you working to the exclusion of any rest? Are you happy or constantly  worried? Are you overly anxious about any situation or do you feel under  excessive pressure in any area of your life? If you think you are, talk to God about  your concerns right now and then seek professional help. The bible advises you  to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with  thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God  which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through  Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). You have a great High Priest who is touched with the  feeling of your infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, come boldly to His throne  of grace today and cast your cares upon Him, for He cares deeply for you.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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