Deal with the stress in your life

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 NKJV

Is life overwhelming you? You’re not alone. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in history, got so stressed out with the responsibilities he was carrying that he wanted to die. You say, “Surely that wasn’t God’s will for him.” You’re right. But it’s not enough to know God’s will; you’ve got to do things God’s way. Moses was working from early morning until late at night, six days a week, with no vacations and no time off. He was eating on the run, planning appointments, meeting deadlines, and seeing everybody who wanted to see him. And the people close to Moses were either too busy to notice or too needy themselves to care that he was suffering from burnout. But his father-in-law Jethro noticed it and said, “The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away…this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:17-18). Fortunately, Moses found the answer. And it was in two parts: (1) Delegate the work to qualified people and trust them to do it. The essence of good leadership is not about trying to do everything yourself but getting it done through others. Or as nineteenth-century evangelist D.L. Moody said, “Instead of trying to do the work of ten people, get ten people to do the work.” (2) Draw on God’s strength rather than your own. God told Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” The word rest means “inner peace, well-being, security, and confidence.” And God’s will is for you to live that way.

Bible in a year: 1 King 8-9 and Acts 4:23-37