Everyone faces stress at some point, and Christians are not immune to lifes pressures and pitfalls.Stress tends to hit us when we are exhausted, when we are sick, and when we are outside of our safe and familiar surroundings. When we have taken on too much responsibility, in times of grief and tragedy, when our situation spirals out of control, we feel stressed. And when our basic needs are not met, we feel threatened and anxious.Most Christians share the belief that God is sovereign and in control of our lives. We believe he has given us everything we need to live. So when stress dominates our lives, somewhere along the way, we have lost our ability to trust God. Thats not to say that a stress-free existence in Christ is easy to come by. Far from there.The dictionary defines stress as "physical, mental, or emotional strain or strain". Some stresses are necessary and even good, such as the physical effort we exert on our muscles to make them stronger. But when we talk about "stress", we usually refer to excessive or negative mental or emotional strain or tension. Although "stress" is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the scriptures talk about things like anxiety, worry, and trouble - things we often associate with stress - and give us clear answers about how we should handle them.Everyone suffers from stress at one time or another. How we deal with it largely depends on who we are. For some, emotional stress causes physical illness. Others might become hyper-productive. On the other hand, some stressed people shut down mentally and emotionally. And, of course, there are a variety of other answers. Stress is a common human experience, especially in a world where the demands on time and attention seem to be endless. Our jobs, our health, our family, our friends, and even our ministry activities can overwhelm us. The ultimate solution to stress is to surrender our lives to God and seek His wisdom regarding priorities and His ability to do the things He calls us to. He always gives enough, so we dont need to be overcome by stress.