‘Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.’ Job 22:21 NIV
Today we don’t just have regular stress, we’ve got cyber stress. Emails multiply like rabbits. Turn your mobile phone off for even a couple of hours, and when you turn it back on, it has gained ten kilos from the influx of recent voice mails.
Then we have hyper stress. Go to the supermarket and see how much small talk you get from the cashier whose speed and efficiency is being tracked by computer as he or she electronically scans your groceries, calls out your total, and digitally sweeps you out the door. In a five-year study of 3,000 salaried and hourly employees, 88% said they work ‘very hard’. 68% said they worked ‘very fast’. 60% said they ‘still don’t get all their work done’. And 71% said they felt ‘used up’.
Even church leaders aren’t immune. Almost half eventually resign, and when asked why, 80% mentioned the negative effect of pastoral ministry on their family lives. So what’s the solution to our stress? Peace! And where can you find peace?
The Bible tells us, ‘Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.’ Here’s how it works: when you know that God loves and accepts you unconditionally, it sets you free to do the same for yourself. As a result, you’re no longer driven by a need for acceptance, acquisition, and achievement. Yes, when you live by the principles clearly laid down in the Bible, you can have peace!
SoulFood: Ps 118:19–29, Matt 21:1–16
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©