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I’m so excited to kick off this online study with all of you who have signed up from around the world! This is a stressful time we live in, regardless of where we call home, and my prayer is that this study will take you on a journey to learning to truly embrace and feel the peace Jesus offers and learn to rest in trusting God with all circumstances of your life.
Peace does not come due to an absence of problems, but because of the Presence of a peaceful God in our heart. (click to tweet) If you have been looking for stress relief in all the wrong places, or you have to accept that overwhelming stress is just always going to be part of your life, I hope this study will serve beneficial for you and that God will do a mighty work in your heart. Remember, you have nothing to lose, but a new peaceful life to gain.
Each Monday for the next 6 weeks, I’ll share a devotion with you, a link to a brief video, and your reading assignments. So, without further adieu, here we go!Â
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 Does Jesus really understand what it means to be stressed?
I used to wonder about the answer to this question too, until I got desperate enough to ask Him myself.
For years, I was under the impression that the Bible was not a resource for handling stress, much less for finding stress management tips. However, although the word “stress” was not a commonly used term in biblical times, Jesus referred to stress consistently through synonyms which can be found in every Bible translation and on practically every page. Synonyms such as anxiety, worry, troubles, fears, burdens, anguish, dismay, strain, trials, tribulations and adversity, just to name a few.
He spoke of the heartache of anxieties, fears, frustrations and betrayal; the sadness of deceit, the pull of temptation, and the devastation of sin. He tells of difficult circumstances taking place in politics, churches, relationships, marriages, families, parenting, sexual sin, in communities and the world as a whole.
Despite the differences between biblical times and the 21st century, the presence of stress and our need for Jesus is the same. The lack of the term “stress” certainly did not keep Jesus from understanding a stressful life, or from promising the peace we would need to hear and apply in today’s busy, chaotic, stressful world.
It didn’t keep Him from voicing encouragement and reminding us of the hope that is available in Him that is applicable no matter what century we live in. Jesus knew we would be stressed, so He not only addressed it, He provided the solutions for dealing with it.
You see, throughout each chapter of the Bible, Jesus teaches us how to celebrate and enjoy life, despite life.
How to find joy, despite circumstances. How to overcome stress, despite the constant balancing act that we all experience. How to not only survive the storms of life, but how to stay afloat in the midst of them. From Genesis to Revelation, we can discover infinite suggestions for biblical stress relief, if only we seek them out, and recognize that He holds the answers we need.
Stress is not a sign of the times; it’s a sign of living. Always has been, and always will be. Our stressors may be different today than when Jesus walked the earth, but nonetheless, the overwhelming power that stress holds over our hearts is the same.
Maybe you have tried massages, pedicures, vacations, relaxation techniques, shopping therapy and listening to soft music to help you manage your stress. Maybe you have tried bubble baths, hot tubs, quiet reading, grown-up time outs, and studying stress management books and self-help websites. Or maybe you have even tried drugs or alcohol to help you cope with stressful situations in your life, but always find yourself facing the same problems the very next day.
Maybe you have tried every stress relief tactic known to mankind, to no avail. But have you really given Jesus a try?
All the stress management tactics in the world cannot hold a candle to the real and permanent stress relief that Jesus offers. His methods have withstood the test of time, used by generation after generation for thousands of years. He is the only tried, true and proven stress relief method that there has ever been, or ever will be.
If you have been searching for a peace and serenity that seems completely out of your reach, then just maybe you have simply been searching in all the wrong places.
Dear Jesus, I am drowning in stress, and I have tried everything to relieve it – except for You. Forgive me not trusting You enough to believe that You offer the peace I am searching for. Today, I invite You into my circumstances, and into my life, and ask for You to open my eyes to see the real truth and stress relief that my heart is aching for. In Your Holy Name, Prince of Peace, Amen.
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IF RECEIVING THIS POST IN EMAIL, CLICK HERE TO WATCH TODAY’S VIDEO
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THIS WEEK’S READING ASSIGNMENT IS CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO
17 Comments
Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.
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I just wanted to say that I’m excited about diving in to this study today! My stress comes from feeling like an inadequate mother, homeschooler, homemaker, and wife sometimes, so I can’t wait to start reading this book. Thank you for putting this study together. I can’t wait to see what God has to say to me!
Thanks Audra! So glad you’re participating! God bless 🙂
Audra, you are an amazing and fearfully made woman according to Psalm 139:14. I remember the days I contemplated home schooling. As you can see, I contemplated that journey. I hope that our journey together you will realize how much you are loved. Blessings Diana Rockwell
Hi, I am Diana Rockwell, Tracie’s co-leader. I have prayed the serenity prayer so many times. Food was my source of comfort for so many years. I am looking forward to soul searching, praying for you, laughing with you as we look into stress. We have on our side the most amazing stress buster, Jesus Christ. As the verse says, He gives us Peace, may we all be less stressed today. After all, Romans 8: 31-38 shares, if God is for us, who can be against us and that nothing even stress can separate us from the love of God. Blessings Diana
Love the video! I am so ready for this study. 🙂 Thank you so much. My stress changes from day to day, moment to moment. I am blessed to be God’s child and I am so thankful that He cares for me during every stressful moment and always.
Thanks Melissa! Glad to have you with us. 🙂
I am really looking forward to this study. Today I had to have a blood draw for my diabetes but also found out that they were screening for cancer. I have already had cancer twice in my life. The last just a little over a year ago. I had breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy.
I know that God is with me and He will be with me this time also. But still was a shock to know that I had to have the screening. I still don’t have my book to do this weeks lesson and hope it will be here soon.
I know God had me sign up for this at this time. I’m thinking positive that I don’t have it, but if I do, I know that God and this study will get me through the stress that I will be dealing with.
Thank you so much Tracie for doing this study at this time.
Carole
Carole,
My prayers are with you. God does have his plans and reasons and I’m glad that he put this study in your path at this time.
I understand where you’re coming from.. both personal experience (self and family) and professional as well. I’m a medically retired Nurse Practitioner with a lot of experience in both Diabetes and Cancer. If there’s anything I can do to help please don’t hesitate to ask (I’m sure there must be some way I can get contact info to you? Tracie? Diane?).
Hang In There…
Susanne
Susanne
Thank you Susanne, I appreciate your prayers and help. At this time, I still don’t know anything. The doctor hasn’t gotten back with me yet.
Am a little behind in the study, my book came in just yesterday. Will have a lot of catching up to do.
Thanks again for your prayers and offer of help. I just may take you up on that.
Carole
I have a new position at an elementary school (after working in a high school for a couple of years) and dealing with a different kind of stress. It is more work and although I am enjoying it (so far), I want to maintain a balance in my life. I often start things but never complete them because I get overwhelmed. I am excited to begin this study to learn how to have stress-less living.
PS….I wasn’t able to buy my book in time for this study. I won’t be able to buy it until the end of the month. I will be behind the first 2 chapters but I will try to catch up once I buy my book. I definitely want to start and finish this study,
I hope to get closer to God after this study. Thank you so much for hosting the SLL Study. I know it’s going to help me greatly. My family went through a great storm 5 months ago and we’re barely recovering from it. I just want to surrender all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns regarding financial securities to Jesus. At the same time I understand there’s a reason to why this is happening to us, but for whatever reason is that I want to go God’s way instead of my way, and I want to be able to impart what I learn here and encourage other women in the future.
It’s very important to have prayer and Bible reading time daily, especially in the morning. Then the day is started out right!
Thank you for putting this study together. I am a mother of 3 with my youngest a senior in high school. Soon to be an empty nester and nervous about this new stage. I tend to worry about everything! I would like to be able to trust in God so I don’t feel so stressed out. I recently am having health issues due to the stress I am carrying.
I look forward to learning how to let God into my life and trusting in him.
I’m sorry that I’m late to the party… happened upon information about the study late Monday, ordered my book early AM Tuesday, read as much of it as was provided (free sample.. Kindle!) and thankfully it arrived today!
Mother of a special needs young adult (almost 20), another “special” child (16), I am disabled due to back and neck injury/chronic nerve damage/chronic pain, and burdened with trying to “co-parent” my children with a man who will not participate except to object,,, For many years I said I needed to be an Octopus, so that I could have 8 arms, at least enough to handle all of the different challenges and demands that I was dealing with all at once… I still have only 2 but Oh, how they have been strengthened and supported by the Jesus’s presence in my life (3 years in March!!!) and married for 8 1/2 years to my Best Friend whose example and love helped me find my way to Christ! My motto used to be “Fall down 7 times, get up 8….”, it is now “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
All this to say, that while my faith is strong, my love for God unwavering… this study could not have started at a better time! Despite all of the strengths my husband and I are buckling under the unrelenting weight….. and I pray that through this study I will learn how to truly “Let Go and Let God”…..
God Bless You Tracie for this book and study, and all of you who have commented whose shoulders bear so much more weight than mine.
Your Sister in Christ,
Susanne J.
Los Angeles, California
Hello Everyone! My name is Natalie and I am from Newtown, PA. I am a 28 year old single mother of two boys. Taydan (6) and Lincoln (15 months). I am excited for this new study, I really learned A LOT from Your Life Still Counts and I know I will go back and do that study again once we finish this one because we can always learn something new. The stress of being a single mom I would say is one of the main things I deal with and the stress of dealing with a few relationships in my life that I rather not have to deal with. Also, I wasn’t sure what God was calling me to do with my life until the last study of Your Life Still Counts and now that I know I think the stress of what God is calling me to do is something I also need to address. God has called me to open a Christian recovery house for pregnant women and women with children and because of how BIG that is I get stressed out about how is little old me going to be able to do that. I have LOVED chapter 1 and 2 already and am really excited about learning how to find the peace of God in my life regardless of the situations that will take place in my life over the course of my lifetime! Thank you Tracie for doing this and I look forward to hanging out with you all for the next 6 weeks!!! Hugs!!!