Feeling stressed is all too common in the modern day. With the constant demands of work life, home life, and social life, we can quickly start feeling stressed. High amounts of stress over time can do much damage to our bodies and mental health. If you have been experiencing stress for a short or long period, you know how much it can wear you down and affect all areas of your life.
Stress also affects our relationship with Jesus. When we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, there can be times when we neglect reading the Bible and going to God in prayer. If you have noticed stress has affected you in this way, as well as it has affected your overall well-being, know that God wants you to come to Him. You can also reflect on Bible passages when you are feeling stressed. Here are five Bible verses to reflect on when you are stressed.
1. Matthew 6:34
One Bible verse to reflect on when you are stressed is Matthew 6:34,
“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
This is a Bible verse that always comes to mind when I am feeling overwhelmed with stress. I often get stressed about things that haven’t happened yet. I start stressing about an event or an appointment a week in advance, and then this causes me stress every day leading up to the event.
Maybe you have noticed the same to be true in your life. It is at these times that we need to remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34. We do not need to worry about tomorrow because today has enough troubles on its own. Just focus on today and take each day as it comes. Try to do this when you are feeling stressed. Don’t only listen to the words of Christ—you need also to apply His teachings to your life.
Focus on today and choose not to worry about the future. We have no control over the future, but God does. This should cause us to feel secure, safe, and peaceful. God is our loving Creator, and He has our future in His hands. Place your focus on today, and don’t stress about things that have not happened yet.
2. Matthew 11:28
A second Bible verse to reflect on when you are feeling stressed is Matthew 11:28,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
The Lord is telling us here that we need to come to Him, and He will give us rest. When we are stressed, we are weary and burdened. This doesn’t make us any less lovable to God. Rather, He sees us and wants us to come to Him with our downtrodden hearts.
The Lord will give us rest when we come to Him. Rest is something we desperately need and want when we are stressed. Go to the Lord with all of your stress, and He will give you rest. He will take up all of our burdens and carry them for us, including all of our stressors. God doesn’t want us to be stressed. He knows how much pain it causes us and the damage it can do to our lives.
All of us can go to God freely. There is no “limited access” when it comes to God. Anybody can go to the Lord and pour out their struggles to Him. The Lord hears every prayer from every soul, and He will give rest to those who ask. Ultimate rest, peace, and hope are found in Christ alone.
3. John 14:27
John 14:27 is a third Bible verse to reflect on when you are stressed. In this Bible verse, Jesus says,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27
These are beautiful words from the Lord. Jesus tells us that we do not need to let our hearts be troubled, nor do we need to be afraid. In the same way, Jesus tells us that He gives us His peace. It is not the same peace as the world gives. Rather, it is the peace that only comes from God.
Whenever you are feeling stressed, remind yourself of the peace of Jesus. If you are having a hard time accepting Jesus’ peace, go to Him in prayer. Ask Him to help you feel His peace and to have the rest that only comes from Him. You can also ask Him to help your heart not to be troubled and not to be afraid. The Lord will help His words come to life in your life. He wants to give you the peace that only He can give you.
4. 1 Peter 5:7
A fourth Bible verse to reflect on when you are stressed is 1 Peter 5:7,
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
As the Apostle Peter tells us in this verse, we need to cast all of our anxiety on Jesus because He cares for us. This is something that can make us feel safe and comforted. Through this verse, we know that God cares about all of our struggles, including anxiety and whatever is causing us stress. There is nothing in your life that happens that God does not care about.
Rather, God cares about every area of your life. No matter what you are feeling, God wants you to hand it over to Him. You can trust Him with all of your feelings, worries, and concerns. The Lord will give you peace and comfort through your struggles. Whenever you are feeling stressed, go to God in prayer and cast all of your worries, concerns, and stressors onto the Lord. He will carry this burden for you and give you the rest you need.
5. Exodus 14:14
A fifth Bible verse to reflect on when you are stressed is Exodus 14:14. This passage from the Old Testament says,
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
While this Bible verse is directly referring to Moses’s speech to the Israelites, we can also apply it to our own lives. God will fight our battles for us—all we need to do is to be still. This demonstrates our trust in the Lord. It can be easier just to take matters into our own hands, but it is more beneficial to wait on the Lord.
The Lord will fight for us. There is no reason to be afraid. Stress can make us feel hopeless as well as it can make us go into a hyper-focused mode. Instead of trying to fight on our own or losing our way to hopelessness, we need to allow God to fight for us. God is our beloved Creator, and He will lead us to victory. Whatever struggle you are facing today, all you need to do is to trust God and be still.
Stress is hard to overcome, but the Lord will be standing beside us through every stressful situation. Go to God with all of these feelings and stressors. The Lord wants you to come to Him, and He will give you comfort. Don’t fight this battle alone. If you let God, He will fight for you.
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