Stressed and struggling?

Each of us go through times in our lives when we need help mentally or spiritually. We get crushed under a heavy burden of stress mentally or we struggle spiritually to get an answer from heaven. The nights are long and restless while sleep eludes us. We can’t focus in the daylight because our mind is preoccupied with what we are facing.

Jesus was in such a place before he was crucified. He knew what was coming and what he would endure for us. The stress got to him so much that he sweat drops of blood. The mental pressure that he was under would cause anyone of us to buckle. He was stressed spiritually too. He was about to take on the sins of the world and fight a spiritual battle for the souls of mankind.

During this time, Jesus did 3 things that we can do when we are stressed or struggling.

1. He surrounded himself with friends

The night before his crucifixion, he had dinner with the disciples. The stress of knowing what was coming was all over him, but instead of running away, he surrounded himself with his support group. He knew the importance of friendship in a time of need. They couldn’t stop the crucifixion from happening, but they could be near him.

We tend to seclude ourselves when we need help the most. We break away from our friends and family and get caught up in the stress or struggle. We don’t want to involve anyone else because we don’t want to bother them. Don’t run away from the people who love you most. They are there to support you.

2. He asked others to pray

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said his soul was sad and deeply grieved so much so that he was dying of sorrow. In that moment, he turned to his friends and asked them to pray with him for an hour. He knew the power of having others pray for Him. If the Son of God wasn’t too afraid to ask others to pray for him, you shouldn’t be either.

The Bible tells us to share each others burdens. If others don’t know you are struggling, how will they know to pray for you? It will require you to be open and honest with someone else, but the relief of stress and the support in prayer more than make up for it. Let someone else pray for you and lift you up when you can’t even raise your head to heaven.

3. Someone carried his cross

On the way to Calvary, his body was so tired and worn down that He could not physically go any further under the weight of the cross. They had to get a man named Simon to carry the cross down the road and up the hill. Jesus didn’t have the physical strength to complete the mission, but that didn’t stop him. Another person stepped in to carry the load.

Physical weakness often comes with stress. We can’t be who we are called to be and we can’t do what we are called to do under the weight of stress. Allow someone else to come along and help you carry that load. Yes, it is your cross to bear, but that doesn’t mean that others can’t help you carry it.

Are you under a lot of stress right now? Are you struggling or fighting spiritually? Don’t be too prideful. Surround yourself with friends who can help you, pray with you and carry your cross. Do you know someone who is struggling or fighting? Go be the friend that God wants you to be. Pray for them and help them carry that weight.