There is a town outside of Syracuse, Skaneateles, that has declared itself a stress free zone. If a person looks stressed out we are told that they are given a voucher to relax at a local coffee shop. If the traffic warden comes by your car and you are discovered to have run out of time on the parking meter, he or she will deposit a quarter on your behalf and then leave a printed envelope with a note: "Your time had expired so I put another quarter in the meter for you. If you would donate a quarter or more to help us help others in the same situation, please feel free to do so."

It is fun to imagine what a stress-free zone would be like in our personal world. When the photo-copier breaks down in the office, a competent serviceman in uniform instantly appears and says, "I'll handle that." Motorists would gladly wait their turn at intersections and blow kisses rather than spout curses. Kids would think cleaning the house great fun, and yard work would have the personal thrill of downhill skiing. IRS would stand for Internal Refreshment Service and project deadlines would always be dubbed 'lifelines' because each goal would be attained through sufficient life resources of time, talent and energy.

Stress can be helpful or harmful. Stress is helpful when it forces us to grow and be exercised to the degree that we fulfill our God-given potential. Handling resistance helps us to develop moral character and physical strength; inner fortitude as well as muscle mass. Spiritually and psychologically we develop the life on the inside to be equal to or greater than the pressures and challenges on the outside. Stress is harmful however when there is inadequate life and strength on the inside to meet external pressures. When there is no inner resilience we easily give way to defeat.

God's plan of salvation involves both redemption and restoration. Redemption deals with the sin barrier that caused the original forfeiture of life from the human race, spiritual death. Because the justice of God is wholly satisfied with the offering of Christ's sinless life (represented by the shedding of His blood) the divine life which was forfeited through Adam's disobedience is restored to our humanity when we personally trust in Christ and His saving work.

The presence, power, peace and provisions of Christ living His life in us are sufficient to meet the external demands that face us. He enables us to resist and overcome the world (the old order), the flesh (the old nature) and the devil (the old serpent). We can be in the midst of stressful situations and still be in a stress-free zone by abiding in Christ. In Him we have been given all that pertains to life and godliness (2Peter 1:3)! We can never have more, and we need never have less! In this world we shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for the Lord Jesus has (and does) overcome the world (John 16:33). "I am crucified with Christ - (that is what I deserved under the law), nevertheless I live (that is what I received by grace), yet it is not I (the old nature installed on the throne) but Christ (His very life in me!) and the life I now live in the body, I live by the faith of the Son of God (who consistently called God into action by humbling himself in His humanity in order to make way for divine activity) who loved me and gave Himself for me" (not only to be my sin-bearer by His death, but my burden bearer by His indwelling Life). (Galatians 2:20).

"Greater is He who is in you than He that is in the world!" (John 4:4).

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." (Psalm 37:5 NASB).

Jesus is the only real stress-buster that this world will ever know. He alone can free us from the condemnation of the law, and the stress of the world, the flesh and the devil.

Let Him handle your stress. We were never designed to live out of fellowship with Him. Live according to His design by appropriating the fullness of the Spirit by faith. He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him.

Living in a stressful world, but abiding in a stress-free zone,