Are you at the breaking point right now? Do you feel that if you have one more pressure added to your life, you will break? Stress can be a monster, but stress can also be a motivator.

“It matters not how great the pressure is, only where the pressure lies. As long as the pressure does not come between me and my Savior, but presses me to Him, then the greater the pressure, the greater my dependence upon Him.”  – Hudson Taylor

Looking under the hood isn’t enough. You need to inspect the parts that have received excessive wear and tear. Are you worn and torn by stress? Have you analyzed your own condition? By taking a closer look at Paul’s many experiences, you can check out what circumstances are most likely to cause stress. If the pressures in your life are not being used to press you closer to the Lord, you may be on the way to a blowout!

The Four Stages of Stress

• Stage 1 – NO LIGHT
  Insufficient Stress: No motivation to move responsibly.
• Stage 2 – GREEN LIGHT
  Positive Stress: Motivation to move responsibly.
• Stage 3 – YELLOW LIGHT
  Negative Stress: Motivational warning signs to slow down movement.
• Stage 4 – RED LIGHT
  Burnout: Movement is stopped and repair is necessary.

What do you need to know and believe that will enable you to have success over stress?

• Wrong Belief:
  “My life is out of control. I feel helpless to cope with all this stress in my life.”
• Right Belief:
  God has allowed this stress in my life to bless my life and reveal my weaknesses. I am grateful for the pressures that have pressed me closer to Him and caused me to allow Christ to be my strength.