HighCallingBlogs.com and Robert Hruzek of MiddleZoneMusings.com are joining forces again to talk about what we’ve learned from stress. (The project is still open, just visit that link if you want to participate.)
Here’s what I’ve learned. I’m totally stressed out right now. Maybe there’s a lesson on the other side–at least that’s my hope.
Doing Too Much Causes Stress
And maybe you’re like me. You can see midlife coming, so you try to cram in all of your big dreams while you can. Write a novel about zombies. Write more and more poetry and submit it for rejection from your favorite lit mags. Write blogs and comments and social media stuff. Write another series of skits for my church.
And forget about what people want to read. I mean, who cares about the reader, right?
And forget about why I’m writing at all.
And forget about who I’m writing for and working for–the big editor in the sky.
Hang in there with me on this next part. It comes back around to stress.
Stress Causes Self Doubt
My pastor and I talked about some skits I wrote last night for a church event next month. He was wondering if the production we had planned was right for the church. I’ve wondered that myself. Some people have said, “God told me to be part of this production.” It’s hard to argue with statements like that.
And I asked him if that kind of comment made sense to him. “I don’t know about you,” I said, “but God doesn’t tell me stuff like that.”
This is a recurring puzzlement for me. Lots of Christians hear from God, and I don’t know what they mean when they say, “God spoke to me.” Too often, I don’t feel like God speaks to me at all. I mean, I have a Bible. I hear from Christian friends and pastors. But there aren’t any burning bushes in my backyard. There’s no handwriting on my wall. God and I don’t wrestle in the wilderness.
These are the kinds of thoughts and doubts I have when I’m totally stressed, you see.
Stress Makes Me Impatient
So this morning, I figured I should stop writing, writing, writing (and here I am writing) and spend some time in study. We’re teaching the seventh and eighth graders Experiencing God right now at our church, so I opened up the book and read yesterday’s lesson a day late.
Here is this week’s memory verse: “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Ouch.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hear these words of Jesus from John as some kind of condemnation that I do not belong to God. But rather that I need to stop doubting that I hear from God just because I’m stressed out. Instead, when I’m stressed out, I need to get to the root of my stress.
Doing Too Much Causes Stress
What? I already used that subheadline? Well, read it again. It’s important. Toward the end of this morning’s lesson, I underlined this sentence, “Don’t try to skip over the relationship to get on with doing.”
Ouch again.
When I skip relationships in order to do more stuff, geuss where that leads? Stress.
What have I learned from stress?
Slow down.
Do less.
Wait.
Listen.
Stop and smell the relationships.
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I sometimes wonder if the cause of pretty much ALL stress is getting things “out of sequence”, you know? God has His priorities, and we have ours, and too often, they don't – quite – match up very well – if at all. The result? Stress! Well, duh! (sound of slapping forehead)
On the other hand, the counterintuitive step, “slow down”, is the one that's hardest for most of us, though. And what's worse; it takes a step of faith to actually, you know, do it!
But oh, the rewards!
Yup.
Sorry. Don't have time to say more than that. Too stressed and busy.
There's also the aspect that seasons are busier than others. I've had a nice calm season for a while. Now I'm embarking on a crazy busy one, and to be honest, I'm not excited. But here I am. And I feel like for this season, I need to do this. Hopefully, it'll be short. Hopefully, I'll have calm in my schedule in about 3 or 4 months.
Hopefully.
Sounds to me like you've heard from God!
Whoa, dude. I'd appreciate it if you stopped getting inside my head!
Here's the most recent chapter to my story. My boss got promoted. Her boss looked out and say that I would be a good replacement. It would mean more responsibility, more money, more money and, if I didn't mention it, more money. Only one problem. I'd have to uproot my family and move, live my job instead of my life, and still possess and demonstrate the very qualities – kind, generous, helpful, smart – that brought me into the consideration set to begin with. I looked at it for all of 45 seconds and realized I couldn't do it. And then I had the strength of my convictions to actually say, “I can't do it.” I live my life. I want to keep on living it.
And you know what? The sun came up the next day. The kids kept going to school, having good days and bad days and wanting me to live it with them. And my wife smiled so sweetly and waited patiently for me to find my place.
Moral of the story: Have the courage to do what your heart, your conscience, and probably the Holy Spirit tells you to do. You will be happier on the other side. And it sounds exactly what the Spirit is telling you to do.
You're my hero Marcus! Tom
Whoa, dude. I'd appreciate it if you stopped getting inside my head!
Here's the most recent chapter to my story. My boss got promoted. Her boss looked out and say that I would be a good replacement. It would mean more responsibility, more money, more money and, if I didn't mention it, more money. Only one problem. I'd have to uproot my family and move, live my job instead of my life, and still possess and demonstrate the very qualities – kind, generous, helpful, smart – that brought me into the consideration set to begin with. I looked at it for all of 45 seconds and realized I couldn't do it. And then I had the strength of my convictions to actually say, “I can't do it.” I live my life. I want to keep on living it.
And you know what? The sun came up the next day. The kids kept going to school, having good days and bad days and wanting me to live it with them. And my wife smiled so sweetly and waited patiently for me to find my place.
Moral of the story: Have the courage to do what your heart, your conscience, and probably the Holy Spirit tells you to do. You will be happier on the other side. And it sounds exactly what the Spirit is telling you to do.
You're my hero Marcus! Tom
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