The teacher was giving a lecture to his students on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, “How heavy do you think this glass of water is?” The students’ answers ranged from 20gm to 500gm.
The teacher responded, “It does not matter what is the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is OK. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. What I need to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again.”
“Likewise, if we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, because the burdens become increasingly heavier. “We need to put down our burdens periodically, so that we can be refreshed and able to carry on.”
“So, before returning home each night, put down whatever burdens of work you carry. Do not carry them back home. You can pick them up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you now have on your shoulders, let them down for a moment. Pick them up again later when you have rested. Rest and relax. Life is short, enjoy it.”
There is biblical wisdom in what the teacher said regarding how to manage the stresses of life. God admonishes us to “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”(Psalm 46:10).
Earlier in verses one through three, the psalmist declared that “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
This is not always easy to do. We live in a terribly busy and noisy world. Deafened by noise, blinded by advertisements, and burdened by uncertainties and expectations, we have difficulty hearing one another’s heart cries, as well as the difficulty in hearing the deep sighs of our own stress-filled soul. And, most often, we have difficulty hearing God’s reassuring love and directive voice.
Yes, the psalmist lived in a much simpler time than ours, yet even he had to deal with the stresses of life. However, he found the answer to stress management in his relationship with God. In his Psalm 23, he gives us a picture of God looking at the needs of his children, and seeing them stressed, tense, and tired, leads them to the place of rest and refreshment. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3).
And then in verse five, the psalmist says to the Lord, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” I know of no better remedy for stress relief. Do you?
You probably have read and prayed “The Prayer of St. Francis.” I have the following adaptation of that prayer in my file. To my knowledge the author remains unknown. I recommend this prayer to you for those times you are feeling stressed in life by a burden that is increasingly growing heavier.
Lord God, make me an instrument of Your healing;
When I am weak and in pain, help me to rest;
When I am anxious, help me to wait;
When I am fearful, help me to trust;
When I am lonely, help me to love;
When I place You apart from me,
Help me to know You are near.
Healing God, grant me not so much to demand everything from myself as to let others help me;
Grant me not so much to seek escape, as to face myself and learn the depths of Your love.
For it is in being uncertain and not in control, that we find true faith;
In knowing the limits of mind and body and ministry, that we find wholeness of spirit;
In passing through death that we find life that lasts forever.
In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Healer, we offer this prayer. … Amen.
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Surely and truly, the Lord Jesus invites us to find in him the ultimate remedy for stress relief. I will meet you there, my friend, at the feet of Jesus.
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 16, 2022
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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