Are you stressed out? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you are.
Most of us think the answer to our stress is more of something. If we had more money, more clients, more sales, more house, more influence, more friends, more vacation, more help…we would have less stress.
We think the answer to having less stress is having more so we desperately pray and ask God to bless us.
Here is what I want you to consider: If God answered your prayers for more (of whatever) it would cause you more stress…not less.
To Bless Is to Cause Stress
More never decreases stress, it always increases it. More customers, sales, friends, influence, all require MORE time, resources, and management. More of whatever always increases stress it never decreases it.
More is stressful for you because you’re at your capacity. You can’t handle more. You’ll view it as stressing and not a blessing.
If you were filling your glass with some sweet tea you would stop once you reached the top. Your glass reached its capacity. If you tried to put more in you would make a mess. Even if you wanted more of the sweet nectar you would have to wait until you had more capacity in your glass.
Normally more sweet tea is a good thing…unless you’re at your capacity.
We know it is true with physical containers but we forget we have a mental and emotional container as well. You can only fit so much in before you have a mess that spills over in other areas.
More is never less. More is always more.
More will cause more stress.
Maybe you are frustrated with God because of your current stress load. Maybe you are praying for a little help but God isn’t answering you. Could it be that what you are asking God for more of will cause a giant mess? Is it possible that God is being kind and not answering that request because you’re at your capacity?
To complicate things, when we relieve stress in one area it can cause more stress in another.
For example, your boss needs you to work more or to get an order or project finished. You get more money in return (relieves one stress) but less time at home (increases another stress).
Maybe more sales aren’t really a good thing if there’s no one who cares whether you come home. God can see how all of the scenarios play out and always has your best interest in mind when it comes to more.
That’s hard for us to grasp because we usually think we’re ready for more before God does.
Which makes me wonder…In our efforts to get ahead and get our kids ahead how much of our stress is self-induced?
Your stress is not evidence of an unloving God, but of your human limitations.
God is doing you a favor by not answering your request for more. Trust Him.
I know there are more good things God wants to give you but He can’t because you’re at your capacity.
You’ll probably have to let go of some good things in your schedule, even things you enjoy so you can have room for the best things.
Your problem is not that you are unorganized, undisciplined, or unmotivated. Your problem is a common one. You’re human. You have capacity limits.
The sooner you embrace those limits the less messes and stresses you’ll have.
It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time…” -Eccl. 4:6 (GN)
