Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This month I would like to focus on stress resilience. Since putting this on my heart, the Lord has also allowed my own stress to be ramped up. With Nate’s imminent departure, I’ve taken on oversight of POM and the gov-rep work, which now includes covering the POM center for the next two weeks. Add to that my regular Director role and support responsibilities at Lapilo, the margin feels thin. I’m walking this road too. The principles I’ll be sharing are ones I’m actively having to live out.
Title: Reframing Stress for Strength
Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:8–9; 11:23–28
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:10 — “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Scripture Insight:
Paul lived with chronic stress—mobs, beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment (2 Cor. 11:23–28). Yet he wrote, “I delight in weaknesses… for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). He didn’t deny hardship—he reframed it.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, Paul models resilience:
- Hard pressed… but not crushed
- Perplexed… but not in despair
- Persecuted… but not abandoned
- Struck down… but not destroyed
His secret? He focused on his identity in Christ, maintained perspective, and fixed his thoughts on what is true and good (2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:1–2; Phil. 4:8).
Stress isn’t named in Scripture, but trials, hardship, and suffering are—and God promises to use them to grow us (James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 2 Cor 12:10). We need to reframe stress not as something to avoid, but as part of God’s growth plan.
Application:
- Acknowledge your stress, but don’t be defined by it.
- Reframe it as a tool for growth.
- Fix your thoughts on Christ and what is good.
- Embrace stress as the doorway to God’s strength.
Prayer:
Lord, when I feel overwhelmed, help me reframe my stress through Your truth. Teach me to delight in stress, knowing that Your strength is made perfect when I utlize it in the midst.
Reflection Questions:
- What stressor are you facing that needs reframing?
- How might God be using it to grow your faith?
- What truth can you cling to today?