Devotion

Respecting Your Vessel
(Isaiah 40:30-31) Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

Too much cannot be said about the health risks of unmanaged stress. We have become conditioned to pressing our way through issues, packing emotions down, distracting ourselves with food, entertainment, sleeping away problems, and busying ourselves while literally not breathing whole breaths just to oppose or avoid the stress warnings. Soon, our bodies sound the alarm. If we’re not hit with a sudden attack, we’re dealing with swelling and pain from built-up inflammation caused by stress. Stress worsens pre-existing conditions and creates new ones. Medicine can only do so much to help us manage the effects of stress. But you know, God equipped the human body to heal and restore itself – if only we would respect our vessel before things get out of hand. Depending on how well we are managing our stress, we can alleviate and get rid of some of its triggers. Or, we may have to manage the effects of what stress has already done. In either case, the key to keeping stress from robbing us of good health and the enjoyment of life is to simply take care of ourselves. Please, respect your vessel.