College Stress in a New Light

Nearly every college student experiences the same thing and some point. It's that six-letter word. I'll give you a hint: It starts with "S" and rhymes with bless. Do you know it? It's S-T-R-E-S-S.

According to a recent survey in Advertising Age Magazine, 41 percent of 20-somethings say they feel either quite a bit of pressure or almost more stress than they can bear. Other surveys list areas that cause stress in the life of college students. Some of those items are money, jobs, housing, school, relationships, disappointing parents, not sleeping, sports, being accepted by others, picking the right friends, keeping friends, sinning against God, trying to keep up with everything and using my time wisely.

Life is full of stress and difficulty, but for the follower of Jesus, peace is hidden away in our hearts. We need to access it with God's help. That kind of deep peace with God offers you calmness and security that can sustain you regardless of the circumstances and feelings.

Many stories from the Bible come to mind with a theme of peace. Think on this one with me. Remember the night an angel came to shepherds one night sharing great news? A Savior will be born in that little town of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20). With the shock of seeing an angel (not an everyday occurrence), he says to them, "Do not be afraid" followed by "Peace has come." Jesus Christ has come into the world to have a relationship with college students (and others). The Prince of Peace is here. This should change everything for all of us.     

Look at the life lessons in this story to help us with stress.
 
First, realize that peace is a gift from God. The angels announced this good news to the shepherds. The coming of the Messiah offers the promise of inner peace to every human. Take it. 
 
Second, the story tells us peace should be pursued with passion. The shepherds didn't sit around after the angelic rock concert and say, "Well, that was nice, but I wish they'd had a little more drum." No, they hurried off to see the Savior. In the midst of stressful situations in college, pursue peace.
 
Third, it's the Messiah who offers peace. When the shepherds arrived at the side of the cradle, looked into baby Jesus' eyes, and touched his fragile hands, I imagine their hearts melted. I think they surrendered to the Prince of Peace in that moment. We also need to make peace with the Messiah on an ongoing basis.
  
Fourth, peace must be passed on to the planet. You're probably not the only one stressed-out about the circumstances of life. There are other college students whose situations are worse that yours. As a matter of fact, there are many who face the stress in their own lives without Jesus to help them through the tough times. We need to take out eyes off our circumstances and introduce them to the Prince of Peace.
 
Fifth, this peace is something worth praising God about. Look at the shepherd's example.  They returned to glorify God and praised Jesus for his birth. They remained in awe of this whole event. Worship has a way of helping us cope with the stress. When you are feeling down, work up the courage to sing songs and live your life of worship for the glory of God.

Take it from the shepherds who must have been stressed out by the appearance of an angel. They did something with their stress. They gave it to the Prince of Peace. This doesn't take the stress away, but it covers it with real deep peace. Do not focus on stress during the college years. Embrace peace. Open your eyes and enjoy the view.