Twenty-Eight. "Something that Stresses Me Out."

Honestly? Life.

Yesterday I proclaimed aloud, "I can never relax, I always feel stressed about something."
My life is a never-ceasing battle of decisions between the right choice and the wrong one. I am constantly going, full-force, hoping and praying that my life is counting for something. There is no time to stop and relax and just hit the pause button on life. Time is like the energizer bunny, it keeps going....with  no one to stop it.

One day earlier this Spring, this idea hit me full force. I had been weeping over the idea that some of my close friends have turned their backs on Jesus. I was distraught about my battles with sin, and I had very little strength or energy to keep trying. My goal was spring break. We were going to Florida, it would be a perfect time to relax, and unwind, and not worry about the troubles of life.

Spring break was awesome, and for many people it is/was true break from reality, but the truth is that as Christians our reality follows us everywhere. Just because I was lying on a beach didn't mean that my mind wasn't concerned with my friends who need Jesus, and just because I was eating out every meal and spending wonderful hours with Daniel didn't mean that my sin nature just fled away, and I didn't face any temptation or give in to sinful reactions. Not to mention, it was easy to slack on my devotions, and not really pay attention in church.

Plus, when I got home reality hit harder than ever. I am an optimist most of the time, but I believe in the Bible, so therefore I believe that people who are not forgiven of their sins will not be in heaven. My easy, "trying to make everybody happy" nature has trouble with that idea, but my heart, which is lead by the Holy Spirit does not. It seemed like my walk with the Lord was worse for the wear after my trip. I couldn't glean anything from my devotions, and old fears and worries that hadn't haunted me for years, suddenly came back.

So, I think that only emphasizes the truth that the Christian life is a constant battle. There are no breaks, no pauses, no vacations from Christianity. It continues on even when we do not. If we stop, we go backwards. Therefore, the only way to truly bring glory to our Creator is to keep going, and keep going hard.

But (finally!) here is the good news! The words of Jesus, in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". Jesus knows we are weary! He knows that it is hard work, he knows that we press on, press on, press on, and he is there when we do! He is forever providing us with peace in our hearts, joy on our lips, and love in our arms. We have to turn and look to Him when we are down, and He will give us rest. It should be a no brainer to hand over the heavy burdens to the strongest being in the universe, but often we hang on far too long, causing the stress and anxiety to set in.

Essentially, I want to make it clear that I believe the Christian life is stressful in many ways, but I also believe that Jesus can take that stress away and replace it with perfect peace in Him. My fears, worries, and passions are nothing compared to the awesome power of God.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7