You Are God's Temple: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

Honor God by Taking Care of His Temple: Dealing with stress

Everybody gets stressed--debt, grades, layoffs, family arguing, crime. Everybody suffers loss--friends, income, health, even hope itself. Think of somebody in your home. How does that person get rid of stress? How do you deal with stress?

You’re a sinner, so you have probably developed some pretty hurtful ways to blow off steam. Do you yell? Blame other people? Get quietly depressed and beat yourself up? Get bitter? Get drunk? Or find various ways to run away?

All of the above sad coping mechanisms assume that you’re all alone--that nobody cares and nobody is there to help you. I know somebody who always cares, who is always there for you. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22). He’s big enough to take it. He’s loving enough to welcome it.

What is upsetting you right now? Visualize putting all of that stress into a gunnysack. Now throw it on God. Right now. I mean it--yes, you. Do it right now.