Stress Me Not

"And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice..." (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Has it occurred to you how high powered, super stimulus our U.S. culture has become? Think about it! Everything is "better tasting," "faster connection," "lower price," "fuller sound," the list goes on and on. We have amusement parks packed with super-powered "thrill rides" intended to scare the socks off of your feet. We have new "energy" drinks to give you a boost at the end of the day. Billboards litter the side of the road, enticing your eyes with flashing colors and images, telling you how you can have a more fulfilling, exciting life! I started thinking, "Were we created for that? Do we have within our mental and physical capacity to always live 'on the go'?"

With my illness, I have to be extremely cautious with the amount of "stimuli" I allow into my environment. Reason? My adrenal glands, the organs that give us our "boosts" or our "fight or flight" hormones (called adrenaline) that enable us to handle any type of stress, excitement, or even slight changes to our "normals," have been severely weakened. Result? Even the slightest alteration to my otherwise "stable" environment (I have been confined to my home for the time being by doctor's orders and as a precaution) can have exhausting consequences on my physical state. For example, this afternoon, I watched a fun, exciting, intense "thriller" of an action film that I had been wanting to see. Little did I realize that, throughout the film, I was tensing my body as I became engrossed in the battle of good verses evil, lovers' feuds, fantastic explosions, daring rescues...oh the adventure, the suspense, the thrill! After the film, I noticed an unnerving jolt of energy surging through my muscles...I knew all to well that this jolt would be short-lived. Sure enough, about an hour later, this surge of adrenaline had run its course and left me physically "wasted," shaky and too weak to hold up my head without support. You might say that my body had "burned out" from excitement. It's morosely humorous, in a way.

I started asking the Lord about this, and posed the same questions I mention at the beginning of this article, and He impressed upon me a remarkable revelation-we were not created for stimulation. Our minds, emotions, and bodies are designed with a "reserve" of adrenaline only for specific occasions, ie. "fighting" or "fleeing;" not 24/7. We are supposed to be calm, at peace, sensitive to His Spirit in all ways. (ref. Phil. 4:6-7) When we rest in Him, we learn patience and wisdom-not reacting, but acting in accordance with His lead.

Then He showed me something else. Satan's tactic is to "over-stimulate" us to the point that we a) burn out, becoming so weak and exhausted that we do not have the strength to fight, or b) become so desensitized that we are no longer capable of hearing God's voice in order to discern a proper course of action. If we are weary, we will be ineffective in our warfare against the enemy in our lives. If we are constantly "on edge," ready to pounce on the next "deal," the next "thrill," we will react out of impulse, either in the market or in relationships, which can lead to all sorts of havoc and regret after the transaction, or emotional outburst, has been made.

In the passage above, Elijah had "burned out" of his ministry and was miserably waiting for death in a remote cave, when the Lord approached him. The Lord called forth wind to blow Elijah away; He sent fire to fascinate his eyes, and an earthquake to rattle his senses. But it wasn't until after all of the stimuli had ended, that the Lord spoke to His beloved servant in a "still small voice." What do you think that says about God? What do you think that says about His thoughts towards our culture? I am so appreciative of God's wisdom and foresight, to see the world we would live in today and bless us with the wisdom and revelation of this illustration! God is calling to us, but we must be silent before Him (ref. Hab. 2:20), strain to listen for His whisper (ref. Isa. 51:1). May we learn the precious gift of how to be still and know that He is God. (ref. Ps. 46:10)