One thing that can build over Christmas and New Year's is stress. Stress ought to be a four letter word. Search the internet and you will find dozens and dozens of aritcles on how to manage stress. Learning how to manage stress is like learning how to manage a teen at home. There is no four step process or quick learn steps. Each of us have situations that are unique, and what may stress one person, may not stress another. You never really know what somone is going through because it is impossible to walk a mile in another person's shoes.
We talk about pride in today's society as if it were a good thing. We are proud of this and proud of that. As I study the bible I have found very few references of pride ever being a good thing. Often it is our pride that causes us to experience so much stress. Here are just a few words from the Bible about pride so you can see what I mean...
The pride of your heart has deceived you...Obadiah 1:3
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall...Prov. 16:8
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom...Prov. 11:2
Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor...Prov. 29:3
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice...Prov. 13:10
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. ...Psalms 10:4
One of the best ways to 'manage' stress is to illiminate as many things as we can that causes stress. People come on facebook so often to be proud of this and proud of that, it can put pressure on you to find something to be proud of as well. When we use pride as a motivator we are not moving in the plan in which God designed for us we are only putting more stress on ourselves. Pride comes before a fall.
What is God's design for us? What should be our motivation. God designed us to love as he loves. The things we do through this time of year should be done in love, not pride. Somehow we get under the bondage that we think that we have to please everyone around us. Trying to please people around us will lead to an over abundance of stress! You have heard the old saying, "You can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself." That saying would be wise if it actually worked. If you please no one other than yourself, in the end you won't be pleased at all, but miserable and selfish. So many people pull away from others during this time of year because they are tired of trying to please everyone. On the other hand, some people kill themselves this time of year trying to please everyone and everybody around them.
Let all that you do be done in love. I Corinthians 6:14
Let love be your motivation and not pride. We want to be proud of this and proud of that because we feel like this is expected of us. Don't fall into that kind of stress trap, it just isn't worth it. When I first began to study the Bible I was shocked that pride was talked about as if it were such a bad and sinful thing. I had strove for pride all my life, and was really proud that I had done so. But, as I continued my studies I began to realize that the pride of life is what leads many people to an early grave. We kill ourselves trying to keep up with everything that our pride leads us to do. I have found that stress should be a four letter word...REST. In all the 'running' that we do during this time of year, often we forget the most important thing of all---LOVE.
