INTRODUCTION

Wow! I am so excited about this book. I have a great expectation that it will truly help you learn how to manage and even eliminate the stress in your life. Let me tell you why I have a special excitement about Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress.

In my years of ministry, I’ve taught and written on a wide variety of topics. Knowing God Intimately, The Power of Your Words, Obeying God’s Voice, Overcoming Fear, Living with Hope, The Battlefield of the Mind, Receiving God’s Love, Enjoying Your Life—just to name a few.

And while each topic that God has led me to write or teach about is important, I feel like there’s something particularly significant about this book. You see, stress is a subject I’m all too familiar with. This isn’t just an issue I’ve studied. It’s not a theme I’ve merely read about. And it’s not a topic I’ve only witnessed from a distance.

Stress is something I’ve had to deal with.

It’s a nagging enemy I’ve battled. Sometimes winning and sometimes losing, stress is an adversary I’ve dealt with in the past… and something I still need to confront and resist in my life today.

There have been many days when stress has tried to steal my peace and hijack my joy. Hectic circumstances, busy schedules, and poor choices have been the entryway through which stress has come barging in. And I do mean barging in. Stress rarely sneaks into our lives through a back alley. It prefers to come rushing through the front door.

You may be able to relate to what I am saying. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m sure you’ve dealt with your share of frustrations, pressures, and stressful situations. You’ve probably had days when the bills piled up, the kids drove you crazy, the boss seemed unreasonable, and the car started making that funny noise again. (You may be having one of those days today.)

So, it looks like you and I are in the same boat. You may not know all the specifics (though I’ll share some of them with you in the pages to come), but you can relate to the stress I have experienced. And I may not know all the specifics, but I can relate to yours.

I think that’s why I’m so excited to be writing this book, and I’m equally excited you’re reading it. I feel like we’re in this together. You and I—we’re fellow sojourners on this journey to reduce our stress levels. We’ve both felt exasperated, we’ve both been discouraged, and we’ve both contemplated escaping to a beach somewhere so everyone will leave us alone. (Just kidding… kind of.)

But let me zoom the camera out wider than just you and me. There’s a bigger picture here I want you to see. Did you know there is someone else who understands the pressures of stress? Someone else who can identify with what you’re going through when life gets crazy and things get out of control?

That person is Jesus.

If that answer surprises you, consider for a moment some of the stressors I believe Jesus faced:

1. His ragtag group of disciples needed correction on a regular basis.

2. The Pharisees and the Sadducees constantly tried to publically discredit His ministry.

3. Huge crowds formed everywhere He went, begging for miracles.

4. The people in His own hometown of Nazareth rejected His teaching.

5. One of His chosen followers betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver.

Sounds pretty stressful to me. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that Jesus was on a divine mission to save humanity from our sins and reconnect us to God. Jesus knew He was going to die a cruel death; it was no surprise to Him. Yet He never stopped marching toward the cross. That’s a stress that none of us can ever imagine. It may be difficult to remember that Jesus experienced stress, but the Bible teaches us that He understands all of our weaknesses and infirmities because He was tempted in all respects just as we are, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).

But in the midst of all the stress and all the pressure, Jesus said things like:

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you.

John 14:27 (emphasis added)

In the world you have… distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 (emphasis added)

I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.

John 15:11 (emphasis added)

Also, in the midst of a hurricane-type storm, He rebuked the wind and told it to be still, and then He said to His disciples…

Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?

Mark 4:40

Isn’t that amazing? Despite the inconveniences, the challenges, and the pressures all around Him, Jesus remained peaceful and at rest. He went about the work before Him with confidence and joy, even as others were panicking and losing their cool.

No matter the circumstance—whether it was an unexpected storm or an angry mob—Jesus was a calming, steadying presence. This is why He could say in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.”

Jesus is still speaking those words—“Come to Me, and I will cause you to rest”—today. The life He wants you to live is not a life overrun by stress. You weren’t meant to go through each day worried, anxious, and afraid, just waiting for the hammer to fall or the other shoe to drop. You can take all that stress, all that pressure, and learn to give it to God and live in the peace and the joy He has planned for your life.

I know that’s true because I’ve seen it happen in my own life. I was faced with a choice years ago: I could give in to the stress and anxiety that I was feeling, or I could learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and cast every care upon God.

When I began to trust God with my life, and as I began to really study and understand the effect stress and worry were having on me (spirit, soul, and body), I was amazed at the turnaround that began to take place. A transformation started to unfold in my life as I chose to make God-directed, daily decisions to overcome stress.

Sure, I still face the same stressors I always have. And, yes, there are still days that are more stressful than others. But my life is no longer overloaded with what Jesus called the “cares and anxieties of the world” (see Mark 4:19). Now when I’m faced with a situation that used to absolutely drive me bananas, by the grace of God, I’ve learned to keep my joy, trust God, and keep moving forward.

That’s why I decided to write this book. I can’t wait to show you what the Lord has taught me—and what He is still teaching me—about overcoming stress. No matter what you’re facing—big or small, annoying or terrifying—believe me when I tell you: You don’t have to live an anxious, worried, stressed-out life.

Trust me, I understand that you’re dealing with challenges and difficulties, sometimes on a daily basis. I know it can be exhausting trying to successfully navigate the stormy waters of life. But I want to encourage you today—you don’t have to navigate those waters alone. God has promised that He is with you and that He will never leave your side (see Deuteronomy 31:6). And if God is with you, there is no problem, no debt, no trial, and no obstacle worth stressing out about. God’s not going to let you sink. He is in control, and He is going to see you safely through to the other side.

Is your bank account running on empty?