When Stress Isn’t What It Seems

I felt myself getting irritated.  Yes, the bill was only $16 but it was unexpected and I didn’t think it should have been charged.  It wasn’t the amount of the bill that had me upset and starting to feel stressed. I could handle $16 but it was the principle of the thing...or so I thought. 

I’ve discovered some symptoms I have when feeling stressed can really sneak up on me and it takes me a while to realize that I have allowed myself to become stressed.  They include getting short with others, finding other people irritating, feeling taken advantage of, tasks that would not usually be an issue seem large and daunting, and a lack of energy.

I’m getting better at becoming aware of these symptoms and recognizing that I have an issue to address.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?

So, when I recognized that I was getting disproportionately upset over this $16 bill I had to talk to God about this.  When it comes to having stress over finances, you might think the issue that needs to be solved is making more money or having fewer expenses.  But I recognized that my real problem was rooted in a lack mentality.  

If you haven't heard my story, I came from a background of years and years of financial lack.  We had gone bankrupt, we had lost our home, we had lost cars and we were harassed by debt collectors.  It was scary, heartbreaking and embarrassing.  

God taught us how to get out of that financial situation and has brought us to a place where we no longer need to wonder which bills we can afford to pay this month or if our car will be picked up today for repossession.  

I'd invite you to download a FREE copy of 50 Kingdom Principles to Bust Free From the Stress of Finances here.  It's a 20+ page booklet I created to share some of what God taught me.

Satan loves to keep attacking in the same area of your life.  If he hits it enough times, perhaps he can get you to break completely.  So, he keeps pounding you over and over in this one area. Just when you think you have gotten past it, he hits you again.  It’s much like a wound that has started to scab over but he keeps ripping the scab off and it never heals.  

I had grown a lot in the area of finances and was making some progress when a couple of years ago I faced another financial challenge yet again.  But during that time, God told me if I would push through in faith with this one just a few days longer, I would be through this challenge once and for all.  Let me share with you a section from my journal about this.

“I cried tears of fear as this is huge faith and tears of goodbye to this
problem that has plagued me all my adult life and tears of gratitude
to be done, rescued and restored.”

I pressed through and God provided abundantly.  Finances haven’t been a problem ever since. And they still weren’t as I recognized my stress over this $16 bill.  But that lack mentality was trying to creep back in. The awesome thing is as soon as you can identify it, you can take it to God and get rid of it.  

One of the seven redemptive names of God is Jehovah Jireh.  This means the Lord will provide or Jehovah will see it or Jehovah will be seen.  Redemptive names are names of God that tell us about His character. The definition of redeemed is “gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.”  I love that! God has redeemed us. He has regained possession of us (yes, we are His treasured possession) by making a payment for us.  

Jesus paid the price for us to be redeemed from lack.  You find lack as a part of the curse in Deuteronomy 28 and we have been redeemed from the curse.  Jesus paid the price so we could have the blessing, not the curse. (Galatians 3:13)

Those seven redemptive names (and there are more) tell us we were redeemed from lack, sickness, failure, worry, confusion, condemnation, and fear.  These things no longer should be in a believer’s life because Jesus paid the cost for them. Your bill is paid in full and you are released from slavery to these things.  You are free!

But every once in awhile Satan likes to try to lie to me and tell me I have lack in my life and this is why I must waste an hour of my time getting upset and trying to defend myself on why I don’t owe a $16 bill.  But it’s a lie.  And as soon as I recognize it as such and remind myself I have been redeemed from lack I get to walk free and light.  

Remember Jehovah Jireh means the Lord will provide or Jehovah will see it or Jehovah will be seen.  You could say that Jehovah will see to it. He’ll take care of it. And when He does, He will be seen for His goodness and kindness.

Psalm 34:6, “The poor man cried, and the Lord heard,
and saved him out of all his troubles.”  

Philippians 4:19, "And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your
every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Maybe your stress isn’t over financial lack today.  But there are lots of other ways lack rears its ugly head in our lives: lack of health, lack of wisdom, lack of trust, etc. 

So, today I want to encourage you to recognize stress as a symptom of a spiritual problem.  When you feel stress, stop and ask God what the root issue is.  It may not be obvious...it may not be the $16 charge but a lack mentality trying to return.  Things that you have had victory over before may try to return but each time they do it gets easier to have faith over it.

Taking the mask off the real issue will help you to bust through your stress.  I told myself, "I recognize that I am battling with a lack mentality here.  I've been redeemed from the curse and lack is under the curse.  My God shall supply all my needs and I don't need to allow a lack mentality to steal my joy any longer.  Thank you, God, for liberally supplying all I need."  Then I simply walk away...light and free!