November 1st was “National Stress Awareness Day…” We are considering the prophet Elijah from 1 Kings 19.
- 1 Kings 19:9 – God asks Elijah – “What are you doing here?” God calls on Elijah to evaluate himself. We need to evaluate ourselves. Remember that I said that our stress comes from improper expectations?
- Does your boss / teachers / spouse have unrealistic expectations of you? What are you going to do about it? You’re going to talk to him/her. You are going to do the best you can with the knowledge and the ability you have. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” And he’s talking to slaves when he writes that and none of us are slaves. So our lives are surely easier than the people to whom Paul was talking. Work as for the Lord.
- But if the boss has unrealistic expectations of you and you’re doing the best you can? Then go talk to the boss and clarify his expectations and let him know you want to do better, you just need to know how to meet expectations. Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.” Do not assume! Do not assume! Do not assume you know what expectations are if they are not clear. Talk. Ask questions. Assure your boss that you want to meet his or her expectations, but you need to have a better understanding, if not better training, to meet those expectations.
- Elijah, of course, could not talk to Queen Jezebel. Some people cannot be reasoned with. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:18 – “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Notice Paul says – “If possible” and “so far as it depends on you…” There are some people, and the fault lies with them, with whom you can’t live in peace or can’t work for in peace. That’s when you put in your two weeks’ notice. But that’s a last resort; let’s not go there if we can help it.
- How do you deal with stress at work? Elijah talked to God. We touched on this earlier. Pray. Talk to God about it. Talk to God about your boss / teacher. Talk to God about your stress. Talk to God about your need to be better at your job.
Let’s look at Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In this context, “be anxious” is equivalent to “be stressed.” Paul says “be stressed over nothing.” How can you be stressed over nothing? By praying for “everything”! That’s Paul’s prescription for dealing with stress.
Let’s go back to Elijah…
- In verse 15, God tells Elijah to go to work… finding help. The help would be in the persons of Hazael, king of Aram, Jehu, king of Israel, and Elisha, a fellow prophet who would serve Elijah and then take over Elijah’s prophesying responsibilities. Find help. Where will you find help? A co-worker? A friend? Someone from church? Use your resources. Are you trying to do more or are you expected to do more than what your resources will allow? Seek for more resources.
Paul Holland
