Every day I see the bustle of people, hear the stress in their voices, and feel their fears. I guess you could call me a “feeler.”Are you that way? When you enter a room does it sometimes affect your mood? God created us to help one another, to be connected in ways beyond the physical. If you are a feeler like me, what you are feeling often is coming from other people and not you. And people are stressed out!
I was filling out papers in a doctor’s office the other day and I was shocked when I entered a big fat zero on a scale from 0 –10 for every question about my stress levels. Zero! No stress. It’s true. How did I get to this place? Well, I think it all stems down to understanding who I am; why I was created; Who I belong to; and how much I am loved.
Psalm 106:20 says “They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.” The writer referred to the rebellion of the children of Israel who, forgetting all that God did for them and His goodness –turned to worship something other than the One who loved them. I think my former stress is somehow explained in this verse.
I was created to carry God’s Glory – but I exchanged that glory to focus on what I could see and feel – jobs, money, worry, fear, stress. I proudly used to say “If I don’t worry, who will?” I tried to carry the responsibility of the world on my shoulders. It was a lonely place. My scores in those days were 8 – 10 when I filled out forms. I was sick a lot. And I was stuck.
How did I get to zero? When I was at my lowest, God kindly reminded me of who I was and how much He loved me. It is the best love story. If you are in a place like I was, ask Him to help you. He showed me how to take back my glory. I’m not going to let it go again.
