Sometime, in recent years, it feels like the volume got turned up in our world. The internet in particular can feel like an angsty teenager blaring angry music with no concern for anyone else in the house. Social media is full of rants and arguments, strongly stated opinions and individual manifestos, subtle insults and divisive declarations. Stressful. I imagine you, like me, have sometimes wished for virtual earplugs.
The other day a dear friend of mine expressed confusion over a particular aspect of this increased noise. “These are people I know,” she said, “and they are nothing like that in real life.” I nodded in understanding. Why would someone who is normally kind suddenly become so unmerciful online?
Then this morning I came across these words from Scripture: “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18). I suddenly realized that we, as humans, so easily get mixed up about how peace always needs to come first. Sometimes there’s an issue we’re passionate about, something we’re utterly convinced is right (and it may very well be). But then we decide that the rightness is what matters most, even more than relationships. Rather than planting seeds of peace, we sacrifice peace for the sake of declaring our position or opinion on a particular subject. We somehow feel doing so is our duty.
We probably all know someone like this — the brother-in-law who argues about politics while passing the mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner, the preacher who pounds the pulpit with closed fists, the well-meaning friend who unknowingly offends the very people she wants to reach. They all have one thing in common: no matter how loud they may shout, no one is really going to listen. And if no one is listening, there is no opportunity for a response. And if there is no opportunity for a response, there is no transformation (which is true righteousness, the kind that comes from the inside out).
What’s the alternative? For us to be peacemakers who love others so well that they want to hear what we have to say. To be people who value those who are different from us even if we don’t understand them. To build relationships one tiny seed at a time until something strong and beautiful grows.
I believe gentleness is one of the most undervalued qualities in our culture. Yet we are invited to be “gentle at all times” (James 3:17). All times means at home, at work, in church, and on social media. Gentleness is the soil where peace can grow.
Maybe you’re not the shouting kind to begin with and you’ve wondered if you’ve been too quiet in a world where everyone seems to be holding a megaphone. If so, let me encourage you to continue being gentle, continue being a peacemaker, continue planting those seeds.
Maybe you’ve gotten mixed up and unintentionally put being right before relationships. If so, I imagine you’re weary and perhaps wounded. It’s time to rest. It’s time to return to peace — within your own heart and with those around you.
One of my favorite stories in all of Scripture is when God reveals Himself to the prophet Elijah on a mountain. There is a mighty windstorm, an earthquake, then a fire, but God is in none of these. This line still takes my breath away: “After the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). God was in the gentleness. God was in the peace. God was in the whisper. God is still in the whisper. He doesn’t need to turn up the volume to make Himself heard, and He doesn’t need us to either.
Join me in prayer today: God, You are “the God of peace” (Hebrews 13:20). Give me the courage to be a person of peace too. When I’m tempted to focus on making sure I’m telling everyone what’s right, help me remember what matters most is that they know how much they’re loved by You. You are the one who transforms hearts gently, fully, and miraculously — including my own. Amen.
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Stress is inevitable but letting it control your life is optional. As a bestselling author, counselor, and life coach, Holley Gerth has learned a lot about dealing with stress and what truly helps. What Your Soul Needs for Stressful Times is your invitation to pause for a few moments of encouragement, peace, and strength each day.
This 60-day devotional offers spiritual truth to soothe your soul alongside practical tools to apply that will truly make a difference. Each day, Holley offers Scripture, a prayer, questions for reflection, and inspirational quotes to help you learn to live with more peace and less pressure, more calm and less chaos, more worship and less worry. Get your copy today . . . and enter to WIN one of five copies right here*!
Just leave a comment telling us how you deal with stressful times, and you’re in the running to win.
Also, tune in tomorrow, September 8th at 12:00 pm central on Facebook for a conversation with Holley and (in)courage Community Manager Becky Keife as they discuss What Your Soul Needs for Stressful Times!
Thank you. In our stressful lives a devotional reminder about sowing seeds of peace would be very beneficial to me.
Getting back to loving others and their desire to be right, letting go to just be gentle, and caring, opening doors instead of closing them. I like it! Blessings, and May we all learn to be peacemakers!
All of a sudden I am aware of multiple people with various health issues & no the diagnosis is not Covid it is stress & anxiety. How perfectly timed (so like God!) is your encouragement & book! I’m grabbing one (I don’t pass along books I’ve not read) with the expectation I’ll be getting more copies for family & friends! Thank you for sharing!
Throughout the stress of the pandemic, I found gratitude to be key. Instead of counting losses, I tried to count blessings. And for sure the blessings from above blew me away. God is good at all times!
Thank you Holley for this beautiful word I so needed today.
Please pray for me as I am being mandated to receive the vaccine in order to keep my job as an essential worker and Healthcare hero. I am counting on God for His faithful protection and provision.
It’s hard to remember that God is in control but once I take a deep breath and remember that, I can deal with whatever comes my way.
♥️ I work in a school office and there were a LOT of loud voices at the start of school (they are slightly quieter now but still, often, raging). I kept reminding myself (and trying to remind others) that we all want the basic same thing…we all want our kids to be safe, healthy, and in school…we just don’t all agree on how that should happen. When I remembered that it was easier to see past the fear and anger and focus on the kids. Outside of school I run and workout and often can be found, while driving, with “holy hip hop” playing loudly through my speakers. My stress relievers!
How do I deal with stressful times? I talk to God. Sometimes it’s pleading and bargaining with Him (which I know is wrong) and other times it’s a simple prayer of thankfulness for what’s happening, knowing he’s got me and that everything is going to be all right. Some days/times are harder than others. But I keep going.
The primary way I deal with stress is to pray and seek God. I cuddle and love on my dog Peanut. He kisses me(licks) and just makes me feel better (loved and appreciated unconditionally). Sometimes I go into my sewing room and play with fabrics or work on a quilt to get my mind off the stress situation and on something pleasurable or I may go sit on the bench in my flower garden and admire the beautiful flowers, watch the butterflies and hummingbirds – just admire and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.
I seek quiet so I can destress and reflect.
I try to take time in nature when things are stressful and talk with God about my worries. He always listens and it makes me feel better.
“Let’s be peacemakers who love others so well that they want to hear what we have to say.”
Holly, this is so good. I’m praying this prayer with you today.
When I am stressed, I take deep breaths and say Jesus is stronger than ………(whatever I’m dealing with).
I love this!!
Holly Gerth…a voice of confident peace in JESUS.
In stressful times I meditate on scripture then pound it out as I take a jog.
If I’m being honest, I don’t know how to deal with stressful times well. I am in the process of figuring that out as God continues to whisper into my life in different ways…like today’s reading!
Stress has been consuming me. About 3 weeks ago I was finally told, get the vaccine or get fired. I was angry. I was stressed. I was overwhelmed. I literally got on my knees at 3 am, prayed. Next morning, got on my knees but then I knew God wanted me to stand up and praise Him….in my bedroom…by myself. I did it. Same thing next morning. I was finally able to hear God when I submitted my false sense of control to Him. Yes, in these stressful times, I need to submit to God and truly hear what he is telling me. He’s got us! And yes, I did get the vaccine. Not because I was forced to but because I know God wants me in my classroom this year teaching my students. It wasn’t about the vaccine, it was much bigger than that!
During stressful times I try not to sacrifice rest. Not just physical rest, but spiritual and emotional rest in Jesus as well. When I put Him first I can navigate the stress with more clarity and peace.
Good Morning
I relieve stress by listening to praise music
Holley, every word of this has me taking a deep breath. So many yeses. Thank you for your wisdom and gentleness.
I try and manage stress by giving it to god and spending time with him and in his word. He has given me peace in times of suffering. I’m still working on how he wants me to use my talents which is painting to help others and bring them joy. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up my paint brush soon because that truly makes me happy. I’m just stuck on how to help right now. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
this spoke to me today about how to teach my daughter the difference between “being right” and encouraging and bringing peace. And I realized also that her teacher….she needs to remember this as well. That God comes in the peace…in order to hear God clearly, I need to clear my mind, my heart, and focus on Him. Love my daily (in)Courage! Thank you so much for this ministry!
During times of stress, and there are many recently because I am a nurse, I turn to others and talk about it. I pray, meditate, and reach out to those I love
Dealing with extreme stress at this very moment. Buried my father-in-law on Thursday. He left behind his wife who has serious dementia and a special needs daughter. My husband and I are overwhelmed right now trying to find help for them and meeting their needs. They are both completely helpless and need 24/7 care. As stressed as my husband and I are, we know that God knows their needs even better than we do and we find peace in that promise.
Your book sounds amazing.
Thank you, Holley. Sometimes I can cut down on my stress by scrolling by the comments on Facebook messages. I let the message speak to me, and ponder it in my own way. I don’t need to be upset by other’s responses. God can show me His truth, if I invite Him into the conversation.
I appreciate your perspective and believe that some need to be careful what comes out of their mouth.
However, sometimes in a godless culture we have to make war to bring peace. We need to be open to the Holy Spirit to know which path He wants us to take.
Ways to deal with stress and anxiety – practice gratitude, deep breath, praise music
Loved this reading – needed the reminder
I do not deal with stress very well. This is one area I really need to work on since I have 2 teen girls living at home! They stress me out almost daily!
In a time when the loudest voices always get the attention, I work on being the gentle whisper in conversations. Oftentimes that means staying silent and praying. I can’t change people, it’s not my job. Only our beautiful Savior can change hearts and minds.
The best way for me to deal with stress is to spend time outside in God’s beautiful creation. It helps me to get outside my head with its never-ending thoughts and worries.
My life is filled with stress daily. I am a wife and mother of three 23, 18, and 16, two of those have disabilities. I strive daily to make my relationship with the Lord first priority, so that I can have all I need to get through this thing called life. What I would love first and more than anything is prayer for myself and family, and also to win a copy of the devotional. Thank you!!
My response to a current stressful period in my life – starting my second (and final!) year of a full-time seminary program and working part-time as an administrative assistant at a law firm – was to realize I can’t do it all again this year. I’m not super-woman and something’s got to give. After discerning where I wanted to focus my energy, I decided to quit my job to get something more low-stress to pay the bills this next year while focusing on my studies more this year. My last day at my job is tomorrow. While I’m not sure what the future holds I know that God is there in it and will supply all my needs. Amen and amen!
I need to get outside. Being in nature makes me feel closer to God. His beauty outdoors reminds me of His love and brings me peace.
I soak myself in the Psalms. Reading them out loud and praying their words over whatever the situation is.
I don’t tend to be a real stressed person, but when it does happen, I try to remember to take those things to God, knowing that He is my defense, my encouragement, and my provider. I also try to remember to slow my breathing. Getting some much-needed oxygen into my body helps a lot, too.
Compound ankle fractures & a torn ligament put me on one leg for 3 mos., alone with unexpected rejection and anger from family and friends, when I needed them the most. I quickly realized that God alone was my source, comfort and strength and talked to Him, holding onto His hand, while my world spun out of my control in every possible way. When fear and frustration rises, I give them to Him, trusting in His love and releasing any expectation of others. I am a month and a half ahead of the surgeon’s recovery schedule, back on two legs and beginning therapy. No tv and selected interaction with Facebook.
The best I can, I pray and use affirmations to combat stress.
It’s a real struggle in today’s world and hold onto Christ and keep my eyes fixed on Him and not what’s happening around me.
Thank you! I loved all of this–especially the paragraph about gentleness. Just beautiful.
Love,
Julie
I often fret and worry, but when I turn to the Bible in my stress it helps me center back on God.
There’s a time and a place for both the whispers of gentleness and the loud shout of warnings.
In the comforting words and actions of just between you and me to the power of the shofars of many .
Biblical Discernment gives the signal. Holy Spirit leads the way .
I feel as though I am either putting my fingers in my ears to drown out the noise or biting my tongue to not raise my voice. It is truly draining and I am so tired! As a retired mental health clinician, one would think I have the answers to dealing with stress, but this pandemic, this political climate, the raging storms, the wildfires, etc. have been more than I can handle some days. So, I don’t check emails, or answer texts unless they seem important and do not go anywhere near the news. Today seems to be one of those days. But I thank God that I can experience these wonderful messages that remind me I am not alone.
Madeline, you are not alone in any of these feelings and actions. Thank you for sharing and just keep looking up – – I find that’s what has been what keeps me smiling and searching for all the good that God continues to show me, even when things look pretty bleak.
Hugs!
I’m craving peace so much in my life right now. I feel like I’m suffocating from lack of it. I just keep telling God that I know He’s in control and that I am trusting Him to walk me through this chaos. I want to come through this as a good and faithful servant and a witness to others about who He is and what He can do. Peace through the storm is breath to me and He’s the only One who can give it. Praise God we’re not alone!!
In addition to written prayer / journaling, one way I deal with stressful times is to talk with a close friend who is wise, kind and compassionate. Verbally expressing my stress seems to put things in perspective and relieve some of it. Going for a walk in nature and practicing gratitude at the same time almost always helps at least a little bit, too.
Turn to God, read a book, go out into mature. Whatever keeps my mind off whatever is stressing me out.
One other thing that always helps is reminding myself that whenever I am stressing about today, won’t be there next year or a few years from now. It all passes.
When i am stressed I squirrel myself away to find inner solice, to quiet my mind, and most importantly, give my worries, strees and anxieties to God.
When I am stressed, I go for a walk. It’s the only way to clear my head. I just put my headphones in and walk outside. It’s the best medicine for me. (Oh – and I have to go alone!)
I turn on some worship music and go for a run.
Sadly, my go to way of “dealing” with stress is to shut everyone out and hibernate in my own stress. Very unhealthy I know, I’m trying very hard to work on that
Thank you, Holley! I’m admittedly still learning to deal with stress, as I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life. Right now, I find entering into worship through music to be calming, and I’m often brought to tears while doing so. I’m also currently reading your book ‘God’s Heart For You’. I feel God’s presence near as I soak up the truths you shared, as well as by responding through journaling. Thank you, thank you!
I *know* that I need to go to God in stressful times but if I’m honest, I notice myself resorting to comfort food or social media.
Alot of praying
I turn to God & His word (truth)! I full my mind with His words & intentionally put my focus on God & His powerful protective loving presence & care! He gives me His peace in my heart! See Ro. 8:6 & Isa. 26: 3-4.
I try to mediate for at least 10 minutes when I am stressed. I like meditations about gratefulness and peace. I am high school teacher so my days are really busy and stressful so I also try to pause and take a breath when I have time and to remember “It is well with my soul.”
I deal with stressful times by getting away from the noise. Walking away, closing the app, shutting off the TV. Whatever has gotten too loud. And if it’s my own mind that is too loud then I turn on praise music or grab a good book to let my mind rest. And of course I pray.
I like to drink hot tea, listen to worship music, or go outside in nature and find something beautiful to photograph. All of these things remind me of God’s great gifts.
Hard to do what I should when stressed. Look forward to your book.
Holley,
There are days recently when I cringe at more noise. So tired of all the ranting & ravings out there. I do my best to plant seeds of peace by not arguing with differing opinions. It does no good. Just say ok & love on them as best I can. Work hard at showing God’s light & love to this hurting world before it’s to late. Yes to being a peacemaker & sowing seeds of compassion & love.
Blessings 🙂
COVID has brought so much stress with uncertainty and anxiety as I’m trying to keep my family safe. I’ve turned to the Bible, devotionals and now Incourage on a daily basis to help me recenter myself. Reminding myself that God is watching over and guiding me every day.
Stress?
I eliminate what I can, especially by turning off social media and TV.
I meditate and read scripture and books that help guide me with tips and Gods Word. And often I spend as much quiet time and prayer. I love talking to the lover of my soul, and knowing he desires my company.
I find that in stressful times I pray of course, but when I feel I have done all I can do by lifting the situation to God, I read.
Sometimes I read the Word, especially during stressful times involving family and friends. But when it is just the stress from the daily news, social media, or work issues I head for the next cozy mystery, legal thriller or police procedural sin my kindle or my bookshelf.
Books let me escape the real world for a little and dwell in London, Denver or Africa with some book friends.
Having a stress induced illness really opened my eyes to restructuring my life. I’ve learned that turning to God for “me” is a necessity. It comes so easy for me to lift others up in prayer..or to thank God for his glorious blessings. I had to learn that it’s ok to talk to God about me. Pray about me. I guess it has seemed selfish of me to do that when there are so many others to pray for. I’m still a work in progress. But talking to God & being in the word just for myself sometimes..is ok. For after all…I’m God’s child to.
Having a stress induced illness really opened my eyes to restructuring my life. I’ve learned that turning to God for “me” is a necessity. It comes so easy for me to lift others up in prayer..or to thank God for his glorious blessings. I had to learn that it’s ok to talk to God about me. Pray about me. I guess it has seemed selfish of me to do that when there are so many others to pray for. I’m still a work in progress. But talking to God & being in the word just for myself sometimes..is ok. For after all…I’m God’s child to.
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I turn on Praise and Worship music as I hop in the shower and proceed with a long, hot shower while meditating and praying! Thank you Holley for sharing the tip on starting the day with a grateful heart/blessing from the previous day! What a great habit to dive into this season!!
Listening to My Bridge Radio (our Christian radio station) has been a great way for me to deal with some stresses I have no control over. Thank you Holley for your message!
Holley – – Thank you for this reminder about being a PeaceMAKER, not a PeaceKEEPER. Although my family and friends know that I refer to our home as “sanctuary,” they sometimes forget and bring their negativity anyway. I have scripture on plaques around the house and a magnet that reads, “be nice or leave” that’s gotten a few laughs, but is also very effective in defusing whatever has got someone’s goat. Over the years, I’ve also become known as “Switzerland” because of my refusal to engage in picking sides when people I love are fighting. I am very grateful to God that He has blessed me with an ease to forgive – – I try to remind others that we should continually be striving to extend the grace that Jesus so lovingly gave to each of us. I guess what I’m trying to say is that none of us is perfect and we all can get derailed from time to time (especially in these very challenging times) – – I know that I’ve felt a little broken myself over the past year and a half . . . But, GOD; God’s gentle nudge to seek Him first every day has been my sanity and joy.
I so appreciate your message of focusing on peace, love and gentleness in the face of loudness… my go to is to get out and take a walk and allow quiet to defuse the stress..