Evan Reid

Stress pulls me away from God because it shifts my focus onto my problems and away from The Counselor. Oh so many times have I let my mind wander onto the “what ifs” “shoulda/coulda/woulda” of my daily life. Do I stop and reposition my attention? My pastor says “Whatever captures your attention captures you!” Lord, capture my attention, even in my distress! Let my stresses point me back to you. Stress also has the power to draw us closer to God. I liken it to a son running to their father when they are scared during a thunderstorm. When the stress of life comes, how quickly do I say “I trust You, Abba!”? Sometimes, it’s not as quick as it should be. Speaking as a man, I’ve often had a false notion that I need to solve the problem because “that’s what men are supposed to do.” On the contrary! I should turn solely to the One who brings me peace and comfort. Have I given my stress points to God fully? I am trying. I’ve been told that I am a pretty peaceful man. I would like to think that when stress comes I deal with it, but in reality I go to external comforts (food, sleep, isolation, lusts of the flesh, etc) Why is it that I find more comfort in things that harm me? This has been a constant battle for me—owning up to the stress and letting Love in when I feel unlovable. As I type this, I am asking God to hold my stresses, to wash me in His precious blood, cleanse me with the water of His Word, breathe His life-giving breath into my spirit. Stress must bow at the name of Jesus. I am asking God to help me focus my stress upon His shoulders, not mine. As someone taught me, stress and emotions make wonderful servants and horrible masters. I refuse to be ruled by stress; I choose to lay it all at His feet. “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.” ❤️❤️❤️ AMEN & AMEN

This was a wonderful question to consider. I often have the same thought before leading worship at my local church. My constant prayer is “clean my hands and purify my heart that I may ascend the mountain of the Lord”