I’m Stressed. Give Me Chips
A Guest Blog Post by Dr. Marilyn Murphree
“Do not conform to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2 NIV
Feeling Stressed? 
Are you under pressure from an overload of work and lack of sleep? Perhaps you feel irritable and “bitey” toward others. Are you are in a bad mood? Feeling uptight? Worried?
“I’m stressed—Give me chips! “
Chips are what we think will make us feel better, so we open the biggest bag we can find and start with one chip. We keep reaching our hand into the bag until there are no more. The chips were good while they lasted, but they didn’t take the stressful situation away.
The Ways of the World
Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the pattern of the world but instead to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Why do you suppose Paul wrote this? Jesus told his disciples, “My peace I give you, not as the world gives. give I you.” Jesus had something more lasting than a bag of chips. Without hesitation we conform to the ways of the world, seeking something that deceives us with empty calories with no nutrients to benefit us.
When stress causes anxiety to rise, Jesus has a remedy. He said, “My peace I give you.” The peace that Jesus gives is able to take care of the stressor better than anything else. The Psalmist said, “When anxiety was great with me, your consolation (comfort) brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:19 NIV). Stressors at work often follow us home, making demands on our choices. If it’s not chips, the refrigerator door opens and closes far too often. Nothing satisfies as we think it will because we are conforming to the pull of the world and forgetting the solid promises of God. In our world, the chips win out more often than not. The world has many other enticements that fuel our stress and cause anxiety to rise out of control.
The Solution
Jesus said, “I have a solution for you.” But we often ignore it or don’t recognize it. It would be good if we could take His promises to heart. As pressure and stress begin to rise,we must learn to nip them in the bud. How do we do it? Philippians 4:6, 7 (NIV) says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Another verse says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.”
People often make a joke about worry and say, “Oh, I’m just a worry wart;.” Worry latches on to us, and we end up making a mountain out of a molehill. When mountains in life face us, remember, “For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23, KJV).
A stressor can seem like a mountain that we can’t climb, go around, or tunnel through. Mountains cause frustration and anxiety to loom heavily over us to the point where even chips don’t help anymore. Psalm 119:143 says, “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your command.” (New Living Translation). Many times we continue to try to juggle the pressure for weeks in spite of what scripture tells us to do. Psalm 55:22 in the Message Bible says, ‘Pile your burdens on God’s shoulders—He’ll carry your load. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin”
Even though we are told in multiple ways to cast our cares on the Lord, we are slow to do it. I guess the chips look more appealing. I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you” (NIV). The New Living Translation says, “Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares about you”
According to research, more anxiety medication is being prescribed than ever before, but it doesn’t seem to do a whole lot of good. Why not go God’s way rather than relying on the methods of the world? We fail to believe that casting our care on God will work. We say, “Give me something tangible—a bag of chips, a prescription, or a new pair of shoes. Something I can see and touch will help me.” We try it over and over to no avail. We often don’t believe that God can handle our situation.
Let God Change the Way You Think
The New Living Translation makes our main Scripture clear. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…” (Romans 12:2). The Good News Translation says, “Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of mind.”
Most of us try to turn over a new leaf, making new resolutions for change. But we must begin with a change of heart from the inside out. The place to start is to become a brand new creature in Christ. Scripture says, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away and all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17 KJV). Without the inward transformation, we can’t easily overcome the things that stress us out. Just when we think we have a handle on things, we lose control. Jesus talked to his disciples about things that raised their anxiety levels and said, “Come unto me all ye that 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” (Matthew 11:28-29 KJV). Exchanging stress for rest is possible in Jesus if we will believe it. You can still have a few chips along the way, but the peace that Jesus gives is far better.
Won’t you ask Him today to make an inner change within you?
