Distress, worry or anxiety, are common experiences that people live during our lives.
Today, I would like to present a biblical perspective on how to deal with distress.
Maybe you’re going through a time when you feel distressed but want to be better and wonder what to do.
Let me propose an alternative.
To introduce the topic, I invite you to read a short fragment from the Bible.
Then we will reflect together on it.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul addresses the issue of the anguish these people were suffering from the external pressures they received due to their faith.
The apostle presents them, and us, with two pieces of advice for overcoming distress with God’s help.
Pray for your distress.
The first piece of advice he gives them, to not be distressed by anything, is to pray for their distress.
Human emotions are a gift from God, and although we were not created in order to experience distress, the condition of our world and our own lives make this an inescapable experience.
The Bible does not propose to ignore emotions and pretend that they are not there, nor does it propose that we allow ourselves to be controlled by them.
However, we will always find an alternative improvement, praying our emotions.
Telling God how we feel is a wonderful experience filled with relief and healing for the self.
An opportunity to come to the one who loved us so much that he gave himself for us.
To come to the one who understands us, the one who knows us better than anyone else, and accepts us as we are, and to tell him what happens to us and what afflicts us.
God does not want us to live life carrying alone the emotional weight of sin, he has already carried it on the cross.
Thanks to that, we have the opportunity to give it to him and rest.
To face the distress, give yourself the opportunity to pray your anguish.
Tell God as a loving father what you feel, what happens to you, why it happens to you.
Tell him what you want, what you need and tell him that you trust that He will work on your behalf, in the best way.
That will give you a refreshing peace, give your life rest.
Be grateful.
The second thing the apostle Paul presents, as a treatment for distress, is that we be grateful.
He says, let us pray “with thanksgiving.”
While it is possible that at times many things are wrong in our lives, there will always be things to be grateful for.
If we put our eyes on the black dot on the sheet of paper, instead of looking at everything white on it, our mind will turn negative.
We will mistreat ourselves by generating unnecessary toxic pressure on ourselves.
Instead, let us give ourselves the opportunity to seek out the good in our lives, and thank God for it.
Also in faith, let us thank God for the answer to our prayer related to our distress.
The biblical promise, with which I myself have been blessed, is that if we do this, God’s peace will keep our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.
We will no longer have to bear the weight of our worries, but God will carry them for us, and we can be free and live by trusting in Him.
I hope these words are a blessing to your life.
And what do you think? Have you felt distressed lately? Share it in the comments.
