How Stressed Out Are You?
Psalm 25:12,13a "Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being..."
One of my goals as a counselor is helping my clients remain as functional as possible as they address the painful emotional issues in their lives. Sometimes this can be difficult for some people depending on several factors. One crucial factor in this is their current stress levels and how they manage it. It is essential to become more self-aware of the impact of stress in our lives, because we are not always realistic about how many responsibilities we can take on. Most importantly, prolonged stress in our lives will lead to burnout!
One verse that has been important to me in regards to my own self-awareness is Romans 12:3, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." Notice that Paul uses the term "sober judgment" to describe having a proper perspective of yourself, instead of "more highly" of yourself, which is rooted in the flesh, pride, and self-sufficiency.
Recently a good friend of mine introduced me to the "Human Function Curve" in a helpful diagram. Here are some helpful questions to better evaluate yourself.
Where are you at on the function curve?
Where does God want you to be on the function curve?
What can you do to move towards God's best for your life in this regard?
What are you trying to control that you need to turn over to God?
Are you self medicating to address your stress?
What is the trajectory of your life? Is the path towards 'self,' or is it 'other-minded'?