There is Less Stress When You Get the Beginning Right

There is Less Stress When You Get the Beginning Right

The Torah reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.

It is a simple yet profound statement. I think fully understanding this statement can remove a lot of our unnecessary stress. One of the reasons so many of us are plagued with worry about work, education, and other daily concerns is because we begin with ourselves as the focus and solution to our needs instead of God. Instead of understanding that it is God that is ultimately responsible for providing everything we assume we are or at least act like it.

No one was created to be their own Creator. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take responsibility for doing the best we can with the options we have in life. “Whatever you are capable of doing, do with all your might because there’s no work, thought, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, which is where you are headed.” Ecclesiastes 9:10n “The desires of the lazy will kill them, because their hands refuse to do anything.” Proverbs 21:25. We do have power to create different situations for ourselves based on choices we make and are encouraged to be wise, but we are not to depend on ourselves as the ultimate source or solution for all of our needs. God is our provider, and without God we can do nothing. While we go about our lives if we remember that the real source of all that we have and will need is God we won’t carry such a heavy burden.

Trying to fulfill the role of the ultimate provider, which only God should have, is not good for our mental health. But we can also make a similar mistake by holding others to expectations that only God can meet, which can destroy relationships. No human should be seen as the source of your heaven or earth. No one can live up to the role of provider the same way God can; to think so is only setting yourself up for disappointment, and is unfair to the other person. While we are to do the best we can for ourselves and others we need to remember that God alone is the one who can make everything work and lean on the Creator to create our lives in the way God deems best instead of depending solely on ourselves or anyone else.

So whatever you need to do, place God’s ability, not yours, at the beginning of your thought process. Don’t think of God simply as a last resort and to turn to Him in prayer when everything else stops working. Let God create your life instead of trying to create everything yourself. If you understand it is God that gives you the ability to do something you can also trust God to help you use it in the correct manner and take care of the circumstances in which you need to use it if you ask. Remembering God at the beginning of your day and at the start of any difficulty stops you from putting undo pressure on yourself (or others) to perform throughout the day and makes things much better. When we stop acting as if we have to take on the role of God in our own lives we can be free to live without all of that unnecessarily stress.

Related Articles

More From Articles

Jericho

The city of Jericho is one of the oldest cities that we currently have records of. Jericho was…
Jericho

Restitution

“If a person causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his animal loose to graze in…
Restitution

Ark of the Covenant

In the sanctuary that was given to Moses, God's presence was made manifest to the people.
Ark of the Covenant

No Substitutes

Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a…
No Substitutes

Bread and Obedience

“‘This is what the Lord has told you to do: “Every man gather as much of it as he can eat. Take…
Bread and Obedience

We're on the Border

Just before crossing the Jordan River to claim the promised land of Canaan the Israelites…
We're on the Border

Slavery in the Torah

“‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you…
Slavery in the Torah

Heaven

Do you ever think about heaven? It is a beautiful place.
Heaven
Adonijah at the horns of the Alter

This Fool Didn't Know When to Stop

“Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, ‘Do you…
This Fool Didn't Know When to Stop
Abraham's Seed

Abraham's Seed

God made a promise to Abraham that from His seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed.…
Abraham's Seed

Who is a Jew?

Have you ever wondered where the term Jew comes from?
Who is a Jew?
Photo: Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac

Who is a Hebrew

Do you know who the first Hebrew was? And why he was called that? The first place in the Bible…
Who is a Hebrew

God of Peace

Shalom literally means peace. We use this when saying hello or goodbye. It is a nice way of…
God of Peace

Torah-Don't Make Stuff Up

The Torah says, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and…
Torah-Don't Make Stuff Up

Faith for Manna

When Israel was in the wilderness they were concerned about God providing food, “because they…
Faith for Manna

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation