Is being shipwrecked stressful?

                                                             Is being shipwrecked stressful?

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure. . . . But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. . . . — 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a great day and start to your week.  I was thinking about what I was going to write about all week and let me say that it was a pretty stressful week for me.  Naturally, all that stress leaked over into stressing over what I was going to write about, and once I remembered one of the reasons I write this little blog, I was disappointed in myself.  One of the reasons I write these chats to you is so I can destress at the end of a long week.  What happened?  I loosely remembered that there is a person in the bible that really had some serious reasons to be stressed.  I really hope that I’m correct in assuming that most of you have never been shipwrecked, or been nearly whipped to death, or had a group of assassins after our blood (Acts 21:37-38), or been lowered over a city wall in a basket at night to escape your pursuers. I think it's safe to say that Paul was under a little stress. 

I’m not saying that we live stressless lives. Stress has a way of twisting us in a bunch of directions, making us act in ways that those closest to us wouldn't recognize, and making us more vulnerable than usual to whatever tempts us. We find ourselves snapping at people, losing patience when we need it most, or becoming depressed.  On a side note, I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is pretty stressed today going against Brady and the Buccaneers.  I digress, Ultimately stress; like a bad storm, blows us off our course in life and causes us to focus only on the items that caused the stress in the first place.  Those items only cause stress, they don't deserve your time. 

Stress has adverse effects on many things in our lives especially our relationship with others. If we are not careful, then those stresses will destroy those relationships.  If you have an understanding of what it means to rely on God, then you know that relying on Him helps us manage o
ur stress.  Yes, those who believe in God and are saved by Christ’s sacrifice still have stress, but we are now aware of really the only entity that can truly help us.  If you do not know God then you are relying on you or others to relieve the stresses and that usually causes more stress.  Though people have good intentions to help relieve the stress, none have a complete understanding of who you are deep into our souls.  God does. 

I hope; and pray, that you all rely on God for the wisdom and strength to deal with your stresses. All too often we put trust in only ourselves or others and forget that God is the only One that we can truly count on to help us relieve our stresses.  Stress will always be there but so will God and like Paul realized, God is always there for you.  

Take care, 

J