And in our fast-paced, jam-packed society it seems to be hitting more and more people of all ages.
The way we deal with stress is as different for each of us as the things that cause us to worry or have stress.
Some people drink to deal with it. 72% of high schoolers in a recent anonymous poll said they drink alcohol – mainly at parties - to relax and deal with stress.
Some people exercise. This is one of the best ways to deal with it, because experts agree that exercise is one of the best remedies for stress.
Some people’s response to stress is to run from it.
Earlier this month, a woman named Jennifer Wilbanks made national headlines, because she went missing days before her wedding.
Her fiancé called police and they began a Manhunt looking for her. She later called the police and said she was kidnapped, but had been released because of all the news coverage. Finally when they went to meet with her she admitted that she got cold feet and couldn’t handle the stress of her upcoming 600 person wedding, so she ran.
Some of the ways we deal with worry and stress are healthy and some are unhealthy. In fact, some of the ways people deal with their stress just add more stress to their lives!
I want to take an honest look at worry and stress today. We’re going to look at "How Jesus Taught Us To Handle Stress." We'll look at:
- Where it comes from
- How to avoid it
- What it does to us
- What’s the right way to handle it
Turn with me in your Bibles to Matt 6:19-34.
As you turn there let me remind you of something.
The subheadings, chapters and verse numbers in our Bibles were all added later to help people to use the Bible more easily.
We’re about to look at a well-known passage in the Bible. But, instead of starting at verse 25 - where a lot of people start teaching on this and where the subheading in some translations are - we’re going to start with verse 19.
Why?
I’ll show you. Look at verse 25. What’s it start with? “Therefore” or “So.”
That means it’s referring to the verses before it. If you look at the verses before it you will finally realize this whole discussion starts in verse 19 and that’s where we’re going to start!
One more thing before we see what Jesus says…
Many of the reasons WHY we worry, or experience stress from come from our own bad choices!
There are many days where we waste our time on things we don’t need to do and then we end up worrying or getting stressed out, because we don’t have time to do what we need to do.
There are many days where we waste our money on things we don’t need and then we end up worrying or being stressed out, because we don’t have money for what we need.
There are many times where we neglect or waste the relationships we have until one day we lose them.
I’m not trying to make us feel bad today.
I just want us to be honest with ourselves. I know that a lot of the stress that I deal with is from my own bad choices!
The truth is this…
*If we’re going to be able to keep from being worried and stressed, then we have to learn how to make better choices.
How To Prevent Worry And Stress
In this first section of verses we’re about to read, Jesus shows us what causes stress and how to make our lives more worry-resistant or stress-resistant.
Let’s look at just the first two verses: Matt. 6:19-20…
Hear the message below:
