What if all of the stress you have right now is a good thing? Or what if at the very least it is preparing you for something greater?
We often look at stressful situations as God being angry with us or we have somehow lost “favor” with God. Sometimes we even think our stress proves that God doesn’t care about us or isn’t paying attention. But what if that stress is actually God’s blessing?
Maybe you aren’t interpreting your stress in the right light. I want to help you reframe the way you look at the stress you are experiencing.
What if the level of our stress is proof God believes in you and your potential more than you do? What if stress is a sign that God loves you and has great plans for you?
Sounds a bit crazy. I know. Let me explain. The other day one of my children dropped their ice cream cone. No big deal right? Wrong. It was a huge deal to them.
They responded the way you would imagine an adult responding to their entire life savings being wiped out or losing their best friend. My child was upset and disappointed. The solution to fixing the problem was simple and inexpensive…from my vantage point.
Why would I (and you) have a different perspective to that situation than a child?
Simple. You have increased your capacity to handle stressful situations like that. Over time you matured and came to realize there are a lot more important things to get worked up over than an ice cream cone.
What are the things that have you really stressed out and worked up so much you can’t sleep and it’s consuming your thoughts? What if to someone with a higher capacity those situations that have you worked up aren’t as big as you are making them out to be? Just as you have increased your capacity to see the loss of an ice cream cone as no big deal…they have grown to see your stressful situation as manageable.
It’s one of the reasons why you need to hang around people who think bigger than you do. They can give you perspective and help increase your capacity.
When I was going to be a parent for the first time the whole process was stressful. There was so much I didn’t know. I had no clue what to do during the delivery (not much I found out)…Just be a cheerleader.
Once the birth experience came and went it was an admission into a whole new set of stresses…how do I change a diaper…does what’s in this diaper look normal…how do I put the car seat in…when will they ever sleep like a normal human…I’m sooo tired. We interviewed everyone who had a child and we read lots of books.
When God blessed us with a second child it was no big deal. The third child I delivered him myself…just kidding! But my capacity had increased. Now I smile at first-time parents who are so stressed out and worried about every little thing.
Sometimes we can get so consumed by the stress we miss the best moments of the journey.
WARNING SIGNS
One of the warning signs my body gives me when I’m reaching my stress capacity is my left eye starts to twitch. Weird I know, but it only happens when I’m reaching my capacity. I bet you have one too.
My eye has been twitching recently as I’m working on some big projects personally and with the church I lead. These opportunities are really pushing me to develop more capacity.
I used to complain about the stress, but recently it has been helpful for me to reframe the stress in light of training. The only way I increase my physical capacity is to increase my weights. The same applies to any other area you need to increase capacity…emotionally…mentally…spiritually.
What if God is just helping you increase your capacity in this area that is currently stressing you out? What if God believes in you so much and His plan for you in the future that he increased your weight not to punish you, but to prepare you for your destiny?
One of the greatest compliments God or anyone else can give you is to entrust you with more responsibility than you currently have capacity for. Why? Because they know you can grow into it.
The blessing of reaching your stress limit is that God has bigger plans for you than what you can currently handle. He is increasing your capacity for where He wants to use you in the future. One day you’ll look back on the stress of today as manageable…maybe as manageable as dropping your ice cream cone or having a child.
Don’t resist the training, persist in what you’re gaining. Embrace this stress as confidence God has in your future potential. He is getting you ready for it right now by increasing your capacity.
