reducing stress | Grace Living Ministry

Reducing Stress in the Home

by, Adrienne Jason

Philippians 4:6 in the King James Bible says,

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We can be homemakers without being stressed out. Stress is being overwhelmed by the things in life. God wants us to "be careful for nothing" and to instead pray and let our requests be made known unto God. What this means is to not fret or obsessively worry ourselves about the things of this world but to stay heavenly minded. Then, we are to pray based upon God's word rightly divided, knowing and understanding what God is doing today in the dispensation of grace, which for believers is to mature us spiritually and for us to share the gospel with others.

On a very practical level, one way to reduce stress at home is to have less worldly influence in your home. Are you spending the day watching the news, with all of its negative reports about crime, politics and celebrity gossip? How about spending more time listening to Bible studies and Christian friendly Audiobooks or gospel hymns instead? This will reduce stress in the home. Are you spending way too much time scrolling social media and arguing and debating with others online or comparing yourself and your family with others online? What about spending more time in Bible study, prayer, doing things with your family, taking up a simple hobby, and having edifying conversations with your husband? This will reduce stress in the home.

Or what about when you get a phone call from a relative or friend who loves to gossip or talk about all of their problems? Can you limit the amount of time and how often that you talk with them and perhaps change the subject when they start to talk negatively? This will reduce stress in the home.

Romans 12:18

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Although it's important as homemakers to not be idle, we also don't want to be too busy if we can prevent it. Always being on the go, or never taking time to really rest in body and mind will wear you out and can lead to burnout (we need to keep this in mind for children too as they also need downtime). If your schedule feels a bit too overwhelming, really look it over and see what can be reduced or eliminated if need be. It's also okay to ask for help especially if you have a newborn, or are dealing with illness or some kind of unexpected life issue.