I backed out of my driveway, passionately recounting a stressful moment of the day to my hubby when—BAM!—I hit one of our trees. The moment it happened, I realized the car’s safety feature had been blaring “beep, beep, beep,” to help me avoid the impending crash, but I was too engrossed in my story to pay attention.
Warning signals can’t be ignored without consequences.
A lack of joy, a heightened sense of fear, a restless mind, an exhausted body, or a defeated spirit, are the Holy Spirit’s “beep, beep, beep” in our lives. And we, like me, can become so distracted by the story of our life (health issues, kid issues, marriage issues, financial issues, family issues) that we push the warning signals to the recesses of our minds.
But if we ignore the signals too long a crash is inevitable.
Not a physical crash; a spiritual crash, emotional crash, or a relational crash.
Recently I came up with a list of things that add unnecessary stress to life; things that diminish our joy, increase our anxiety, keep our heads in a constant state of spin, and deplete our energy.
See if you recognize any of these stressors in your life:
- Habitual Worry
- Procrastination
- No Margin
- Unresolved Conflict
- Constantly Checking Your Phone
- People Pleasing
- Lack of Sleep or Rest
- Clutter
- Unhealthy Boundaries
- Comparison
- Debt
- Guilt
- Unrealistic Expectations on Self or Others
- Sin
- Constant Work and No Play
- Internalized Feelings
Of course, some stress is inevitable. This is real life we’re living, after all. But I’m convinced that too many of us walk around half living not because of circumstances outside our control, but because we’re not attending to circumstances within our control.
We ignore the “beeps” when we should be paying attention to them.
In John 14 Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would convict us (beep), guide us (beep), and remind us of truth (beep).
The key to spiritual and personal growth is to listen to the Holy Spirit and not live so distracted that we can’t hear what He’s trying to tell us.
God doesn’t want his kids to crash.
God doesn’t want you to crash.
But the enemy does.
The day I wrote down the list of things that add unnecessary stress to our lives I also came up with a list of things that reduce our stress:
- Nature
- Laughter
- Time in God’s Word
- Willingness to Adapt or “Go With the Flow”
- Releasing a Grip on Things (or People) We Can’t Control
- Prayer
- Gratitude/Thankfulness
- Fresh Air
- Realistic Expectations
- Asking for Help
- Life-giving Relationships
- Movement and Exercise
- Water
- Praise
- Choosing to Be Intentionally Kind
- A Safe, Wise, Godly Person to Talk To
- Completing an Unfished Task
- Forgiveness
- A Four Second Hug or Human Touch
You may have your own list. In fact, I’m sure you could add to mine. But here’s the point: pick one thing that’s adding unnecessary stress to your life and deal with it. Just one. Don’t get overwhelmed.
Then choose one thing that reduces stress, and do it.
And please, share what you’ve chosen in the comment section. I’d love to cheer you on!
Xo,
Donna
PS. Let’s connect on social media! On Instagram you’ll find me at @donnaajones.
PSS. If relational conflict is adding stress to your life (whether it’s with a spouse, child, extended family member, friend, co-worker, or fellow Christian) do yourself a huge favor and get a copy of my latest book, Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life: a Biblical Guide to Communicating Thoughts, Feelings, and Opinions with Grace, Truth, and Zero Regret. You can find it everywhere books are sold.
This Month on the Podcast
Wow! If you haven’t listened to the “That’s Just What I Needed” podcast, what are you waiting for? I’m receiving messages from people all over the United States letting me know how the podcast is, in fact, just what they needed. You can listen on Apple Podcasts (if you have an iPhone you already have the podcast app, just type in That’s Just What I Needed in the search bar), Spotify Podcasts, or Life Audio,
Here’s what’s been happening this month:
- Habits that Secretly Steal Your Joy (and How to Stop Them)
- Are You Accidentally Sabotaging Your Own Peace and Joy?
- How One Woman’s “Yes” Sparked Healing and Hope with Britney Higgs
- Waiting Well: How to Embrace God’s Perfect Timing with Rebeca George
- Should I or Shouldn’t I? When Faith Meets Duty and Desire with Heidi White
