The Weekly Word – Can God relieve my stress?

By the Rev. Daniel Larson, Cross Lutheran Church

A salesman once attended a seminar presentation called “All Stressed Up and Nowhere to Blow!” He wanted to attend because the title described how he was feeling at the time.

Haven’t we all felt the same way: “all stressed up”? Stress puts the squeeze on all of us at one time or another, and it is natural for us to look for some relief. When we think about having a more practical relationship with God, we may begin to ask, “Can God possibly relieve my stress?”

Some 2,000 years ago, the people of Palestine must have felt much like we do as they went out to listen to a new preacher named Jesus.

Our all-knowing Lord gave them a wonderful answer to relieve their stress in His Sermon on the Mount. It was Matthew who recorded some of Christ’s comments that day.

Jesus told the people, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? (Matthew 6:25).

To those who were stressed about grocery money, Jesus pointed out that God doesn’t let the birds go hungry. To those who were stressed out about their hairstyle, appearance, and wardrobe, Jesus pointed out that God doesn’t let the flowers down when it comes to how they look.

His point was made when He asked them: “Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Of course we are! The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). All of us are included in that promise. You and I are loved by God. And God showed us how much He loves us by removing the greatest stress on our lives: our sin. All of our transgressions were placed upon His Son who took them away by His death on the cross. And by His resurrection, Christ sealed eternal life for us with God, giving us great relief and peace of heart and soul.

Do you see? God has the perfect antidote to relieve our stress. He wraps His loving arms around us and says, “I love you! I forgive you! I want you to be with me!”

Those promises from our gracious God relieve the stresses we have over finances, health, job pressures, or anything.

Stress relief is as close as God’s promises to us in Christ, which are written for us in the Bible.

In our gatherings at Cross Lutheran Church, we look closer at God’s promises and rejoice in them. You are cordially invited to come and worship with us at Cross and receive some genuine stress relief for your life.