John 14:1 — Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

So there went Thanksgiving. Here comes Christmas. Is this the start of the maximum stress season for you?
This week Myra and I have accidentally backed ourselves into a nearly impossible corner. We have a plumbing issue being fixed, we are replacing our internet and TV provider and we have updates planned for our Home Security (it’s already pretty good, but we’re extending to add goodies like flood protection). Oh, and we’re also revising our financial planning and estate planning. All this in the week that we have dress rehearsals and the first performance for the Living Christmas Trees.
We didn’t plan all this. Accidents and provider inefficiencies have caused everything to come to a head all at once. But it’s stressful … and Christmas is coming. So here’s my question for the day: “Should Christians get stressed, and if they do, what should they do about it?”
I’m not sure that Christians “should” get stressed –but I know that they do! We all have relationships. We all have health issues. Many of us have jobs. Many of us can’t magically balance income and outgoings. What I do know is that some stress is reasonable — even healthy — and some isn’t. It’s important to know which is which, and to have a plan for dealing with it.
I know that if you’re stressed you’re already waiting for “the answer” so here it is. I don’t have one. But I do have a couple of starting points that I try to return to when I’m stressed. First:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Usually the first two of those verses are quoted. Don’t expect to be in control … The second two verses are important too. Letting God do the planning is good for your health because it reduces the stress!
Second:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

These extremely well known and loved verses can be summarized: “Don’t worry. Be happy”! Worry is a prime cause of stress — and it’s been well defined as “paying interest beforehand on a bill that may never come due”. Did you know that researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that eight-five percent of what we worry about never happens? The study even found that 79% of us handle the 15% that does happen in ways that surprise us with our ability to deal with the issue! So don’t worry.
So nothing clever here then! Let God handle the planning and trust Him for the consequences. You’ll still have stress, but less of it and you’ll be better able to manage.
Have a stress free Christmas season!