A Time to Refresh

Are You Stressed?

The bottom line is that we all get stressed. Everyone – adults, teens, and even children – experiences stress. Stress can be beneficial. It can help people develop the skills they need to deal with life. Stress is not helpful when it prevents a person from taking care of themselves or their family.

What is stress? CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) defines as, “a reaction to a situation where a person feels threatened or anxious. Stress can be positive or negative. The symptoms may be physical or emotional.”

What about you? Are you stressed?

The stress contributing factors may vary by each individual, meaning everyone will have different reasons why we are stressed. However, there must be a common stressor, what everyone has almost same exposure to it. Out country, the United States of America. 

In November of 2017, the American Psychological Association(APA) did a survey called, “Stress in America”  and they published the results in a document, “The State of Our Nation.” It says, “Money and work have consistently topped the list of stressors” for more than a decade. However, in 2017, after APA added a list of additional stressors, the survey revealed a common source of significant stress: “The Future of Our Nation.” So these are items that may contribute to the cause of stress:

A significant majority of adults from both political parties say they feel stress about the future of our nation, and a majority of adults (59%) said they consider that this is the lowest point in our nation’s history that they can remember. The survey asked about how people manage their stress.

How about you? How do you manage your stress? 

Are Christians immune to Stress?

The answer is “No.” Even pastors are not immune to it. One research indicates that one out of four pastors are considering leaving ministry because of stress from ministry.

When Christians are exposed to stress with pressure of doing ministry, if it is not really taken care of, people face a situation called, “Burnout”. The research says there are four different areas where people feel burnout.

If Christians can be stressed and resulting in burnout, what would be the strategy of the devil to hinder the work of God?

A Prophet Yesterday, A Burnout Prophet Today (1 Kings 17-19)

Prophet Elijah was filled with the Spirit, and said to King Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (17:1)

He was not afraid of anything. He was inspired and motivated by the Spirit, boldly proclaiming the message. Three and a half years later, Elijah met with king Ahab, and Elijah suggests a gathering on the top of Mount Carmel. In front of everyone, including King Ahab, Elijah proves that Elijah’s God is the true God who provides everything! The fire came down and the rain had come.

There are no other prophets in the history of Israel, who had this dramatic victory. No rumor is necessary. Everything happened before everyone and nobody can say anything different. Everyone saw it with their own eyes.

However, the wife of the King Ahab, Jezebel, heard that Elijah had dramatic victory over her priests and prophets, she was furious, and sent a threatening message to Elijah. “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” (1 King 19:2) Basically, she said I will kill you. Elijah knew what it meant and he ran for his life immediately.

Elijah must have been expecting some revival and reformation after his dramatic victory a day before. A fire came down from heaven! Standing before the king and all others itself must have been stressful work. He ran before the chariot of the king in the rain. He must have been physically drained. Elijah was physically drained, emotionally disappointed, and felt a life threatened abusive message from the queen.

So he got up, ran for his life, and he ran to Beersheba. He left his servant there, and went into the wilderness about a day’s distance. On the map, we can approximate the distance he ran, it must be about 200+ miles from Mount Carmel. There, he sat down under the broom tree, and he prayed that he might die there. Elijah said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) He was physically drained, emotionally disturbed, he felt lonely, spiritually in crises, and now he was suicidal.

It happened to the prophet of God. He was doing God’s work. But he was struggling.

I have been pushing and preaching about the importance of “doing” for the Lord. However, if there is anyone who felt like you have done so much and felt like there is nothing to give, emotionally drained, spiritually in need, mentally stressed and of course, physically challenged, I want to offer my apologies. I am so sorry if you felt that you are not taken care of. In the Bible, and in reality, it happens. It is important to take care of ourselves.

Now God is in the situation that one of his prophets, maybe the best one, is asking Him to take his life. What’s God’s response?

The Journey is Too Great For you

Elijah fell asleep under the tree. He felt there was nothing left for him. I don’t know if sleeping in the middle of nowhere in the wilderness is safe or not, but that must not be the best place to sleep. The wilderness has been described as a place with scorpions and serpents. Here, the prophet Elijah gave up everything, and he was sleeping.

God did not forget him. God sent an angel. The angel came and the angel touched Elijah. The angel did not say anything political, any updates, any message from God. The angel simply says, “Arise, and eat.” (19:5) Elijah got up, he saw a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel did not say anything, but let him take his rest. The angel came back a second time, and touched him once again. The angel said this time, “arise and eat. Because the journey is too great for you.” (19:7)

This gave Elijah strength, and he was able to make his trip to Horeb, the mountain of God. From this burnout status, God gave him strength and led him to come to the presence of God. God invites this burnout prophet Elijah to come into His presence.

Our journey is great and it is burdensome. On top of our daily life, we add the work of God on top of it. If we do not know how to take care of ourselves, there is a great danger for us to get burnout. However, God knows our journey is great. God knows our journey is burdensome. When the prophet Elijah had that moment, God provides the needs, and asks him to come to God’s presence.

It’s ok if you feel tired from doing God’s work. It’s ok if you are exhausted. Even so it is ok to complain to God because of your frustration. God did not forsake Elijah, and God will not forsake you.

Managing Stress

CDC suggests healthy ways to cope with Stress as follows,

Paul’s Strategy

Paul was a more than full time pastor. The stuff that he experienced was just beyond what I can explain. He ended up in prison and he wrote letters to churches. And here are some advice he gave to churches. I think it makes sense and it will be helpful for us.

Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Other advise Paul gives is this,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5

David’s Confession

David must have been stressed so much in his life as he dealt with situations. But he wrote this wonderful Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;

For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.

A Time to Refresh

Are you tired? Are you feeling burnout? Are you feeling tired from doing God’s work? It’s ok. This is a time to refresh, truly going back to the presence of God, feeling His presence in your life. Ask for peace. Ask for rest. This is my prayer that your heart will be filled with the refreshing Spirit at this moment.