Stress to max?

A few weeks, when I was driving the narrow turnpike lanes in less than ideal weather with heavy traffic, feeling the pressure of getting to the airport on time,  the muscles in my shoulders and neck tightened. My breathing grew more rapid than normal.  My body had kicked into the old ‘fight or flight’ syndrome.  Dr. Walter Cannon, a Harvard physiologist, first described this very real and nearly universal reaction to any perception that we are going to be harmed.  It is hard-wired into our brains. When a threat is perceived, our bodies get ready for action.  Our heart rate increases, muscles tense; all without conscious thought. We feel it as ‘stress.’   Unless we learn to regulate that response, we can suffer unnecessarily, even doing real damage to ourselves over time.

We can learn to moderate the response!  On that turnpike, when I sensed my stress, I turned off the switch. I simply slowed down, moved into the right lane, and consciously told myself that I had built some extra time into the travel so that I would be on-time for the flight.  Then, I slowed my breathing and relaxed the tense muscles.  I ‘submitted’ to my situation instead of trying to fight it.

One of the spiritual disciplines that help us to become mature, healthy Christ-followers is submission.  We tend to regard it only as a part of relationships, submitting ourselves to leaders or governmental authority, as the Word teaches. It is, however, a practice for life that allows us to know inner peace.  Many share the tragedy of my life – only learning this key discipline – after many years of ‘fighting’ with life and bringing on all kinds of unnecessary stress. Jesus teaches us to life in this day, to accept the day’s trials and blessings with the grace that God provides for it.   There is great wisdom for life here, given to us by the Perfect Man – “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:25-33, NLT)

The foundation of this kind of trust is faith in the Father and His ability to provide. When we make God too small or when we take life into our own hands, we no longer can submit to the day and live with peace. True submission brings contentment.  Paul, whose life was filled with days of trouble, says “I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (Philippians 4:11-12, NLT)

The key word in both of those passages is the word ‘need.’  Stress forms around what I want.  We seldom verbalize our desires, but we are often governed by them. Our lives formed around what we want, with our present situation never being enough.  I want more money. I want a better job. I want a different kind of house. I want to be loved more than I feel I am loved. I want to …  we are champions of wanting, aren’t we?   But, when our desires are allowed to rule us, when we push, fight, kick, and scream to make life work on our own terms, we do much damage to ourselves and others, to say nothing of the ruin of our Christian experience.  “But, Jerry,” you ask, “is it wrong to desire change, to want to make a difference?”  Not at all.  When we learn the discipline of submission, we are much more able to discern the difference between godly ambition – desiring the things of the Kingdom – and selfish ambition that enslaves us to our lusts and passions. 

Meditate on this passage for a few moments today.  Take note of the promise that God will give us the desires of our heart, but only when we have learned to be delighted with Him!  (The Hebrew word we translate as “delight” means to laugh, to be light, as young lovers are taken with each other’s presence!)   Oh that our hearts and minds would be captivated by God, giddy with joy that He would love us.

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop your anger! Turn from your rage!
Do not envy others— it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land." (Psalm 37:3-9, NLT)

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