We face a lot of demands in our lives. Demands at work. Demands in our family. Demands by society. It can feel as if we have to be perfect, or close to it. We experience a lot of pressure. We experience a lot of stress.
Stress is both a physiological and psychological response to pressure. Your heart beats faster. You breathe more rapidly. Your hands start to sweat. Prolonged stress can do damage to you. Prolonged stress can kill you.
One way to reduce stress in your life is to learn to let some things go. Some blessings can become burdens. We live in an age of abundance that easily becomes an age of excess. Our kids have too many activities. We take in too much information. We have too much and we do too much. Reduce the stress by learning to let some things go.
Another way to reduce stress is to find the life that fits you. Spend your time on the things that give you energy, not the things that drain you. Focus on the things for which God designed you. The life that fits well will reduce your stress.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. In our sermon this Sunday we will be talking about the pressure of perfection.