What Jesus Said About Stress

I don’t need to take much time in this book to try to convince you that we are living in stressful times. There are many sources of stress in our lives; everything that is going on in society, within our government, and the economy, not to mention all that goes on in our personal lives. The effect of all this stress is manifested in so many ways— broken marriages, substance abuse, erupting emotions, and hellish health. Everyone experiences stress. I used to think there was something wrong with me for having it, but then I did a study on what Jesus said about stress. It was a game-changer for me.
 
While I cannot imagine Jesus walking around, wringing His shaking hands, all “stressed-out” not knowing what to do, He did have a lot of stress in His life. If you see any of the old movies about Him, He is usually portrayed as a joyless person, haggard, and nerve strained, easily angered, and exasperated. This is one reason why I don’t like most movies about Jesus. This is not how I imagine Him, but still we are told in Scripture that He experienced lots of stress. He was often pulled in different directions, both by needs and nettling. Perhaps the lowest point in His life was the time when He was under so much pressure that His perspiration turned to blood. Talk about stress!
 
Surprisingly, Jesus had quite a bit to say about stress, but if you do a word search for it in the King James Version, you won’t find it there. It is hidden in the words tribulation and trouble. It is also a key component in the idea of trials. Jesus said that we should expect tribulation in the world and that it would only increase as the end draws nearer. He also made a direct correlation between stress and our physical well-being. The goal of this study is not to suggest that we live stress-free lives, as I don’t think that is possible. I certainly don’t live that way, but I think it is reasonable to be able reduce the amount of stress we are under and make it more manageable.
 
What I hope you find in this book is some biblical things and practical things that can help you now to manage stress better before it hurts the things we cherish most in life.