Welcome back, friend! So, tell me. Do you basically *never* get stressed out?
Mmhmm, riiiight. Put your hand down.
I think just doing everyday tasks while living life can be stressful. Stress is bound to show up from time to time.
Today I’m sharing a tip that will act like a springboard to take you out of stressful moments.
If you had a “stress pressure” cuff like you have a blood pressure cuff, you might find you have “high stress pressure.” Some days, stress levels just go through the roof. Right?
Sometimes sleep and time with God get replaced or short-changed while trying to accomplish what you need to do that is unique to your life season. Add family or relationship problems, too much on the calendar, and maybe even some sniffles, and you are “in the red.”
I may or may not know this from experience.
An Example of One of My Stressful Moments
God recently laid it on my heart to take a blog and social media breather that started a few days ago and will go for probably several more. Not that I would disappear completely but scale way back.
Now God directed me to do this in the past, and it’s not much easier this time around. At first, I gave mental assent.
God, You are so right! I need this right now!
Then I talked myself out of it, listing all the reasons why it shouldn’t happen:
I keep reading about making a schedule for posting online as a blogger. How can I build the habit if I’m being inconsistent? My people need to know I’m with them! What if they think I’m off my rocker? I’m going to “get behind!” What if the social media channel algorithms bump me out of view? I. Can’t. Breathe.
(Anyone have an inhaler?)
I can relate to one of those Thanksgiving Day comics with a negotiating turkey. He’s trying to get out of it but dying is inevitable.
I have to take up my cross daily even with social media. God knows what I need, and I think it’s to lower my stress levels. 😉
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 ESV
A Springboard for Stressful Moments
But there’s a verse I’ve read a million times that I am looking at through a new lens. I think being thankful is a balm for anxiety. Check out this verse:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ESV
The counsel is not to be anxious, but in all that you are dealing with to pray, letting your requests be made known to God. When I was looking at this verse recently, those two words “with thanksgiving” stood out to me. Why is that little prepositional phrase so important?
- Being thankful helps you remember your Source. Almost every verse in the Bible that says to give thanks follows with wording that tells you who to give thanks to: God. It shifts your focus from what you are thankful for to who you are thankful to. Being thankful for things and people is good, but connecting that same thankfulness to the Giver is even better! 🙂
- Being thankful has a way of reminding you that God has taken care of you before, and if He’s taken care of you before, He’s going to do it again! That makes me breathe a sigh of relief. All you need to do is ask, and thank Him for the answers in faith.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7 NASB
A Reliable Springboard
God doesn’t want you to be twisted up in stress like a tangled mess of string. Let thankfulness be a springboard to take you out of anxious moments.
I’ll do that too. I’ll be thankful to God, who is the Source of this ministry, and remember that He’s going to take care of it. And everything else in my life!
Doing this for any start of stress blows my tension away, and all that remains is a gentle breeze of peace. That’s a good practice whether or not it’s a stressful day!
What do you do to avoid or alleviate anxiety when it looks like you’re starting to get “high stress” pressure?
God doesn’t want you to be twisted up in stress but shows you how to springboard out of it! #ThrivingInChristHappy Thanksgiving, U.S.A. friends!
*Turkey photo used with permission via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Photo was altered with text overlay. **This post may be linked up.
Thanks for this call to thanksgiving! And do enjoy your break! I’m stepping back for the next week as well. Family, battery charging, sleep, etc.
Blessings to you!
You’re welcome, Michele! Enjoy your break, as well! 🙂
Great post Kelly! Shared on Twitter and Pinterest.
Oh, thank you so much, Kelly! I appreciate that!
Enjoy your break. May you come back refreshed and renewed for the next season! Blessings!
Good to see you here again, Liz! Thanks for the blessings! I pray you’re doing well. 🙂
Hey Kelly! I loved this… “Being thankful helps us remember our Source.” oh boy does it ever. And it helps me keep my focus on the Who instead of the What. So glad we met through Sherry! And glad to be your neighbour over at the #RaRaLinkup! xxoo
Hey, Christine! So glad to see you here, friend! I am so glad to have met you, as well, and I have been thinking of you often. I hope to hop over and say hi soon! 🙂
Oh yes, Kelly. I am right there too. In fact, God has been speaking to my spirit about changes I need to make in this very arena of my life. There are steps I am taking in obedience but it feels like Ietting go of good things. I guess the lesson is, even if it is good it doesn’t mean it is beneficial for me and my family right? (where’s that verse Paul talks about lol..) My default is always to put other first but I subconsciously do it at the expense of those closest to me sometimes. I have to remind myself I can’t do it all. I appreciate this timely word, friend. I think I may even need to save it for another day, a sort of sticky note reminder for this mama! Praying God directs you onto HIS paths. I know He will. Be blessed friend!
Meg, I’m glad that God is speaking to your spirit and you are making the changes He’s laying on your heart. I know it isn’t easy, but He’s causing you to thrive! I’m praying for you as you are finding balance where He wants. Thank you for your prayers, too. You’re a blessing, sweet friend!
Thanks girl! Have a great day and season. God is good!!
I love this post Kelly and enjoy your time away. Glad to read you are listening to God’s leading. I pray God will refresh your spirit and rejuvenate your mind. It is easy for us a times to reason away what God is calling us to do. Your words of inspiration will be missed. I look forward to your return. Continued blessings to you and yours.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and linking up! Enjoy your break.
Kelly,
This is my favorite line in your post:
‘It shifts our focus from what we are thankful for to who we are thankful to.”
I think it sounds like a lot of us in Blogging need a break. Praying you’re refreshed as you rest my friend 🙂
Love ya,
Sherry
xoxo
I just took a step back as well. I got into so many good things, that I was getting overwhelmed. I’m not giving up, just slowing down to remember what it’s all about.
I’ve never thought about stress and thankfulness together, but you are so right! We need to look to the Giver and not just what He gives. Have a restful break! Thanks for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.
Hi Kelly, I love that verse so much! And thank you for your fantastic tip to take us out of stressful moments. Very timely during the holiday season! 🙂 Enjoy your break (much deserved after all your hard work on the Walking With God series)!
Aww, thanks so much, Alyson! 😊