Recently, I have been under a lot of stress as I push myself to finish my Architecture Design Thesis project on time. It has not been an easy journey and I often ask the Lord why I find it so difficult to accomplish something that many of my other peers are able to do without much difficulty.
I felt the Lord leading me to Philippians 4:4-7.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
One of the things that I realised about myself when I am under this kind of stress is that I tend to be very irritable. Call me on the phone and you will understand what I mean. I sound distant, I sound irritated, I sound like the whole world owes me peace and quiet. I bark at my mum when I need lunch and even try to make her feel guilty about my gastric when I feel she is taking too long. I flare up when she wants to use the computer to check her email cos I feel that each second and minute on the computer (where I do most of my work) is precious to me. Any disturbance whatsoever deserves to be given the harshest treatment and thrown out. Yup, that is mean under stress and pressure.
As I read Philippians, I am convicted of my most ungodly behaviour and attitude. Paul writes that we should rejoice in the Lord always! And particularly during times when we are anxious. He tells to let our gentleness be evident to all - meaning to show forth and demonstrate the character of God even in such challenging times. How can we do that? For some of us, and I am very much in this category of people, it is almost an impossible task! Why even bother you say? Here is the crucial part. Do not be anxious about anything. Do not be overwhelmed by the pressures that are surrounding you, Paul writes! Why? Because if we do, we are very close to backsliding! Paul says to depend on the Lord by praying and bringing your requests before the Lord in thanksgiving. Why? So that our minds and hearts will be guarded!
I learnt this personally recently. I did something I should not have. On hindsight, I felt it was something that I would not have done normally if I had been walking right with God. Having been corrected by my pastor, I realised that I had not guard my heart and mind during this period of stress. Instead of bringing my requests to God, I had decided to handle it my own way by worrying and allowing myself to give in and be overwhelmed by anxiousness and self pity.
Read the verses again. You will realise that the Lord understands our struggles. He has a way out for us. Peace which transcends all understanding. Isn't that beautiful? A peace that goes beyond human understanding. When all else seems to be going wrong, the Lord says, I offer you my peace. Let it guard your heart and your mind so that you will not sin in your anxiousness. Bring your issues to me. Come in thanksgiving because I am God who is still sovereign over all and I am using hardship to mould you to be more Chirst-like.
Are you in a similar situation? Hold on to God. Pray even more intensively. Let Him bring you peace. Learn to rejoice in Him. And be assured as written in vs 4. The Lord is near. Amen.
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