The Stressless LifeSample

Day Two: Anxious Living—What Is Stress?

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33, Luke 12:25–26, I Peter 5:6-7

When we start to feel like what’s being demanded of us is more than our resources can cover, that’s when we become stressed, anxious, or worried. Below is a true-to-life definition I came up with:

Stress: Fearful concern experienced when life’s demands seem greater than my ability to meet them.

It’s important to understand that stress doesn’t cause itself. Instead, what brings about stress are the various stressors we encounter in our lives. We could say it this way: stressors are what we face, while stress is what we feel. Stressors put demands on us that threaten to overwhelm our resources and can cause us to feel fear and worry and anxiety. They can be expected or unexpected.

Yet, the apostle Peter writes this: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Don’t be surprised when you encounter a stressor as this is common to all.

What distinguishes us as followers of Jesus isn’t the absence of stressors in our lives; instead, our distinction is the unshakable presence of God’s indescribable peace amid these realities.

So here are the big questions you need to wrestle with for a minute: When you encounter difficult circumstances, do you experience stress or peace? When the pressures of life start to squeeze you, what comes out? Anxiety and worry and fear? Or is it, to use Paul’s terminology from Philippians 4:7, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension”? Indescribable peace.

That’s the unshakable promise you’ve been offered. That’s the life I want you to live. You don’t have to be crushed anymore. You don’t have to feel squeezed anymore. Yes, stressors will always be in your life—there will be people, problems, and circumstances that are difficult or troubling or way too much to handle.

But stressors don’t have to lead to stress. My goal is to help you work through some of the biggest issues causing stress in your life and more. This isn’t some magic bullet to make all your problems go away. That’s not possible! Instead, our days ahead are filled with practical instruction and spiritual inspiration for moving away from anxiety and jumping feetfirst into the kind of abundant, stress-free living that is only available through Christ.

When have you experienced God’s indescribable peace in your life? What current situations in your life seem greater than your ability to handle? Tell God what feels too much.