This is the conclusion of a 2-part blog series by Sheila West. Be sure to read part 1 first, then conclude with more of her practical suggestions to help leaders avoid spiritual stress fractures.
Choose now to stop trying to push through your tiredness, your spiritual weakness, your pain, and/or your fear that is more than you can cope with on your own. It will ultimately create a prolonged and painful stress fracture in your spirit. You can choose to:
- Do a reality check: Write down just one of the excess pressures that is coming to bear upon your life. Look at what is happening and what you think should be happening.
- Go to the Truth of God’s Word to bridge the gap. (Use a concordance, go to familiar passages, or read until you get an insight) Listen for His Whisper on how He works or how He wants you to respond.
- Wrestle through His thoughts until you “get it” and are willing to transform the way you think to conform to His thoughts. This is a renewing of the mind which means it will have to happen over and over again.
- Participate with the Holy Spirit by responding with a practical step of obedience.
- Confidently claim His promises and experience His fellowship as you find His peace (even in the midst of the pressures) ruling in your heart.
How you respond to life’s situations is your choice. No one else can do it for you. Reality is, God did not design us to cope with all the undue pressures of life alone. If we want to avoid the pain and the handicap of spiritual stress fractures, it must be a process of God working and us responding in such a way as to walk in sync with Him. Make this an intentional practice on each and every pressure that comes to bear upon your life. You will find out that what begins with intentionality becomes more and more instinctive.
Sheila has been involved in women’s ministry for over 25 years, serving as Director of Women’s Ministry for over 20 years in the local church. She is presently on staff at Heritage Community Church, Fruitland Park, Florida as Director of Spiritual Growth and Ministry Mobilization and Women’s Ministry Coordinator. She is the founder of Real Living Ministries, a speaking, teaching, and leadership development ministry to women. Sheila is also a contributing author of Transformed Lives: Taking Women’s Ministry to the Next Level, Revised and Expanded edition. Sheila has appeared on numerous Christian radio and television broadcasts, including The 700 Club, and 100 Huntley Street. She is the author of Beyond Chaos, published by NavPress and is a Lifeway Ministry Multiplier. She and her husband, John, are the parents of two and proud grandparents of seven. Follow her on Twitter @SheilaWestSez