How Gentleness and Humility Can Reduce My Stress

In review of Matthew 11:29 it says, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”

Bottom Line:

Take up his yoke, learn from him, for he is gentle and humble and in him you will find rest.

What this means to me:

I am to take up the yoke that Christ offers. I am to put it onto my shoulders and then learn from him. For he is gentle and humble in heart, and in this I will find rest for my soul.

One of the things that Jesus says in this stress management verse is to, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29b NIV).

I can learn from Jesus Christ how to lower stress, and his means are with gentleness and humility. Instead of teaching endurance, stamina, confidence or courage, Jesus wants me to learn gentleness and humility.

Interestingly enough, what I’m learning is that the two biggest causes of stress are a result of my own arrogance and aggression.

Aggression happens when I do things too quickly. I don’t wait. I don’t ponder. I don’t delay. I don’t think it through. I don’t trust God’s guidance and direction. I mainly just jump in with both feet. And as a result, I get over committed, and I end up filling my life with a lot of things that it shouldn’t be filled with.

Arrogance is the idea that I know what’s best for me, so i’m going to control everything. It as if I’m thinking that I can handle things better than God can. It’s this attitude that likely creates the most stress.

The truth is when I try to do it all, have it all, be it all, and experience it all, that is aggression and arrogance. So Jesus antidote is gentleness and humility.

Since I have tried other things, why not trust and come to Jesus. He is gentle and humble of heart, and he will give me rest. Today I will consider how I can practice gentleness with the people and in with the activities I’m committed to.