Help for the Hurting STRESS RELIEF Avoiding Burnout and Finding Balance Session 3: Looking Upward and Outward: Finding Relief From Stress November 28st, 2017

Looking Beyond Ourselves

Looking Beyond Ourselves While we can, in our own strength and wisdom, do our best to deal with and manage stress on our own, we can still find ourselves in stressful situations that are overwhelming to us; we have been pushed to our limits already, and exiting the stressful situations to gain the needed rest and recovery may not be an option.

Looking Beyond Ourselves While we can, in our own strength and wisdom, do our best to deal with and manage stress on our own, we can still find ourselves in stressful situations that are overwhelming to us; we have been pushed to our limits already, and exiting the stressful situations to gain the needed rest and recovery may not be an option. It is in those situations that we need to realize we do not have to carry that stress load alone, and that we can and must look beyond ourselves to find the relief from stress we need.

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves -Pride – Not wanting to admit we are struggling and need help

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves -Pride – Not wanting to admit we are struggling and need help -Fear - of being rejected/mocked

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves -Pride – Not wanting to admit we are struggling and need help -Fear - of being rejected/mocked -Not wanting to be a burden to others

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves -Pride – Not wanting to admit we are struggling and need help -Fear - of being rejected/mocked -Not wanting to be a burden to others -Not knowing who to turn to for help

What Prevents us From Looking Beyond Ourselves -Pride – Not wanting to admit we are struggling and need help -Fear - of being rejected/mocked -Not wanting to be a burden to others -Not knowing who to turn to for help -Others?

Looking Upward

Looking Upward When our spirits are overwhelmed, there is always One that makes Himself available to us to give us the help we need.

Looking Upward When our spirits are overwhelmed, there is always One that makes Himself available to us to give us the help we need. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden in light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Looking Upward 1. God Offers Us the Rest We Need

Looking Upward 1. God Offers Us the Rest We Need In times of chronic stress, we need rest - not just physical rest but mental, emotional and spiritual rest as well. Often, when we are stressed out we cannot get the rest we need physically because we cannot get our minds and emotions to settle down.

Looking Upward 1. God Offers Us the Rest We Need In times of chronic stress, we need rest - not just physical rest but mental, emotional and spiritual rest as well. Often, when we are stressed out we cannot get the rest we need physically because we cannot get our minds and emotions to settle down. God calls us to come unto him, to find that rest our souls need.

Looking Upward As we enter into a relationship with him, and learn to go to him in prayer whenever we are overburdened, he brings peace to our hearts.

Looking Upward As we enter into a relationship with him, and learn to go to him in prayer whenever we are overburdened, he brings peace to our hearts. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7

“Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you” Looking Upward As we enter into a relationship with him, and learn to go to him in prayer whenever we are overburdened, he brings peace to our hearts. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7 “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you” 1 Peter 5:7

Looking Upward 2. God Offers Us the Strength We Need

Looking Upward 2. God Offers Us the Strength We Need Jesus calls us to take his yoke upon us, a yoke being a frame of wood placed over the shoulders of two oxen so that they can work in tandem to pull a load.

Looking Upward 2. God Offers Us the Strength We Need Jesus calls us to take his yoke upon us, a yoke being a frame of wood placed over the shoulders of two oxen so that they can work in tandem to pull a load. In the same way, when we take Jesus' yoke upon us; it is no longer us carrying our burden alone, but God shouldering the burden with us, and what before was overwhelming to us becomes manageable.

Looking Upward 3. God Offers Us the Balanced Life We Need

Looking Upward 3. God Offers Us the Balanced Life We Need -Our adversary the Devil seeks to overburden us to the point that we burnout, destroy our health and our relationships with others

Looking Upward 3. God Offers Us the Balanced Life We Need -Our adversary the Devil seeks to overburden us to the point that we burnout, destroy our health and our relationships with others -God knows what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), and can give us the wisdom of when to say no and the contentment to let those things go from our lives which unnecessarily overburden us.

Looking Outward

Looking Outward The key to getting relief from stress is to invest in relationships.

Looking Outward The key to getting relief from stress is to invest in relationships. God is the primary relationship we need to invest in, but there are also people God has placed in our lives to help us handle the pressures of life.

Looking Outward The key to getting relief from stress is to invest in relationships. God is the primary relationship we need to invest in, but there are also people God has placed in our lives to help us handle the pressures of life. Ironically, as we begin to be overwhelmed by stress, and insist on trying to manage it alone, we damage our relationships with others, thereby cutting us off from those who could help us. If we instead share our struggles to those who care about us, our relationships can become stronger and healthier.

Looking Outward There are more people than we think who would like to help us if we give them an opportunity to do so.

Looking Outward There are more people than we think who would like to help us if we give them an opportunity to do so. While we each have our burdens to bear in life, God challenges us to help bear each others burdens, so that none of us get to the point of being overwhelmed.

Looking Outward There are more people than we think who would like to help us if we give them an opportunity to do so. While we each have our burdens to bear in life, God challenges us to help bear each others burdens, so that none of us get to the point of being overwhelmed. There will always be negative people that will drain us, and while we should limit our time with such individuals we may not be able to completely avoid them. To counter their effect, it is therefore necessary to spend more time with positive people.

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress:

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress: - A Good Listener

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress: - A Good Listener -Compassionate

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress: - A Good Listener -Compassionate -Encouraging

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress: - A Good Listener -Compassionate -Encouraging -Trustworthy

Looking Outward Qualities to Look For in Those Who Could Help Us In Handling Stress: - A Good Listener -Compassionate -Encouraging -Trustworthy -Others?

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress:

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers -Family

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers -Family -Friends

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers -Family -Friends -Church Family

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers -Family -Friends -Church Family -Counselors

Looking Outward Groups or Individuals That Can Provide Us Support in Times of Stress: -Co-workers -Family -Friends -Church Family -Counselors -Others?

Conclusion

Conclusion We are not alone, and we don't need to struggle with stress on our own.

Conclusion We are not alone, and we don't need to struggle with stress on our own. Help can be found if we are willing to recognize our need and reach out to those who can help us.

Conclusion We are not alone, and we don't need to struggle with stress on our own. Help can be found if we are willing to recognize our need and reach out to those who can help us. God is real, and He is able to give us the help we need if we call on Him in faith.

Conclusion We are not alone, and we don't need to struggle with stress on our own. Help can be found if we are willing to recognize our need and reach out to those who can help us. God is real, and He is able to give us the help we need if we call on Him in faith. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10