Stress Is Like An Indicator Light

It's been a hard week. I won't share all the details, because it's not my story to share. However, I will share bits and pieces of my heart.

Stress. Where does it come from? I used to think it originated in the circumstances in a person's life, but this week the Lord has shown me that this is simply not true. Stress originates in the heart of man. It is the tension between what we desire and what actually happens in life.

In my car there is an indicator bell that starts ringing whenever the oil pressure drops. We have an oil leak, so this stupid bell, "ding, ding, dings," and I pray, pray, pray that the car will get us home. (It always does.) Well, like the indicator bell in my car, stress is our indicator that our hearts need to be turned towards the Lord.

Notice that the indicator bell in my car does not fix the oil leak. It just warns that there is a problem. Likewise, stress NEVER fixes the problems in our lives. It just warns us that there may be a problem with our hearts.

I've been pondering Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane this week. The Bible shows us a picture of Jesus, under stress, "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." (Luke 22:44)

Yet, Jesus never flees from the stress. He doesn't comfort eat. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't bury Himself in a novel. He doesn't try to manipulate his circumstances or spin ways of getting out from under the discomfort. What does he do?

"My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:38-39)

Not my will, Lord, but Yours.

Today I am thankful that God uses stress to give me opportunities to turn my heart towards Him. Rather than holding on to what I desire, I pray that I am quick to incline my heart to His, and follow.

With thanksgiving,

P.S.  Stress is a natural part of life in a fallen world. We willl face it. Period. For me, stress is an indicator light because when I begin to feel it, THAT moment is the moment that I must remind myself to agree with God. There is a bumpy road ahead, and by remembering God in that moment, I am better able to handle that rough patch in life. Peace always comes when I agree with the Father and I follow Him. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the rough patch is easier in anyway. The peace I begin to feel is more of an eternal kind.