Anderson Hills

On a weekly basis, your “work” is a big part of your life. It can also be a major cause of stress. God created us with a need for responsibility and for work to be enjoyable, not difficult. But sin entered the world consequently changing the work experience. To go from stress to rest in our work, we need the right work perspective. Work is necessary and important, but work is not everything. We cannot fall into the trap of letting what we do become our identity, nor can we allow work to interfere with God’s command to rest. God worked six days, and then rested on the Sabbath. In doing so, He built a rhythm into the fabric of creation and we need to do the same.

On a weekly basis, your “work” is a big part of your life. It can also be a major cause of stress. God created us with a need for responsibility and for work to be enjoyable, not difficult. But sin entered the world consequently changing the work experience. To go from stress to rest in our work, we need the right work perspective. Work is necessary and important, but work is not everything. We cannot fall into the trap of letting what we do become our identity, nor can we allow work to interfere with God’s command to rest. God worked six days, and then rested on the Sabbath. In doing so, He built a rhythm into the fabric of creation and we need to do the same.

We can’t escape the fact that money is a source of stress in our lives. With the economy, inflation, career concerns and debt, it’s no wonder two out of three Americans feel anxious about their finances. Whether you have a little or a lot by our societal standards, you must learn to manage money and handle financial pressure. Money cannot be the source of our hope and trust. Following God’s principles for handling your finances will help you go from stress to rest. Peace about your finances starts with getting on the right track. God has ways to help you.

We can’t escape the fact that money is a source of stress in our lives. With the economy, inflation, career concerns and debt, it’s no wonder two out of three Americans feel anxious about their finances. Whether you have a little or a lot by our societal standards, you must learn to manage money and handle financial pressure. Money cannot be the source of our hope and trust. Following God’s principles for handling your finances will help you go from stress to rest. Peace about your finances starts with getting on the right track. God has ways to help you.

To reduce stress in our relationships, we must make relational changes. It’s easy to point the finger at the other person and expect them to change. Trying to fix another person only adds to anxiety. But moving from stress to rest in relationships begins with ME. In most relationship issues, we personally contribute to the problem, so we always begin with looking at our own hearts. We reset our expectations of the relationship. We minimize our egos and put others before ourselves. We seek to grow in empathy toward others. We ask God what He desires to love others well.

To reduce stress in our relationships, we must make relational changes. It’s easy to point the finger at the other person and expect them to change. Trying to fix another person only adds to anxiety. But moving from stress to rest in relationships begins with ME. In most relationship issues, we personally contribute to the problem, so we always begin with looking at our own hearts. We reset our expectations of the relationship. We minimize our egos and put others before ourselves. We seek to grow in empathy toward others. We ask God what He desires to love others well.

Every Christian, often with noble motives, has taken up stress-producing burdens that Jesus never asked us to carry, and we have had to learn to lay them down. In fact, the Christian life could be described as continually laying down unnecessary burdens at Christ’s feet, and daily seeking fresh mercy, relief, and rest in His presence. The truth is that God can use stress for our good and His glory. God doesn’t always eliminate our burdens, but often uses stress to draw us to Himself—to give us focus, to correct us, and to strengthen our faith.

Every Christian, often with noble motives, has taken up stress-producing burdens that Jesus never asked us to carry, and we have had to learn to lay them down. In fact, the Christian life could be described as continually laying down unnecessary burdens at Christ’s feet, and daily seeking fresh mercy, relief, and rest in His presence. The truth is that God can use stress for our good and His glory. God doesn’t always eliminate our burdens, but often uses stress to draw us to Himself—to give us focus, to correct us, and to strengthen our faith.

A man, described as the “rich young man”, asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus called him to sell his possessions and give to the poor so that he might have treasure in heaven and then to follow Him. Sadly, the man was unwilling to part with his riches to obtain eternal life and the rewards of following Jesus. You cannot grow as a disciple without paying a price. Peter testified that he and his comrades had given up much to commit to Jesus, and he asked Jesus, “What’s in it for us? What’s the payoff for our willingness to be committed disciples?” Jesus told them that all who make significant sacrifices for the sake of the gospel will be rewarded in this time and in the age to come.

A man, described as the “rich young man”, asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus called him to sell his possessions and give to the poor so that he might have treasure in heaven and then to follow Him. Sadly, the man was unwilling to part with his riches to obtain eternal life and the rewards of following Jesus. You cannot grow as a disciple without paying a price. Peter testified that he and his comrades had given up much to commit to Jesus, and he asked Jesus, “What’s in it for us? What’s the payoff for our willingness to be committed disciples?” Jesus told them that all who make significant sacrifices for the sake of the gospel will be rewarded in this time and in the age to come.