Xudo bizning hayotimizda qanday stressdan foydalanishi haqida o’zim yozgan ayrim narsalarni biroz oldin bir nechta shogirdlarimga o’rgatdim. Bu oldin ham, hozir ham o’zimga tegishli, chunki hozir ham siqilyapman va albatta Xudo buni ishlatyapti!

1. Xudo bizni e’tiborimizni tortish uchun stressdan foydalanadi. Xudo bizning tanamizni yaratgan. Uni bizlarga xabar jo’natadigan qilib yaratgan. Agar men qo’limni olovga tekkizsam, tanam menga tez va aniq xabar jo’natadi. Agar bu xabarni rad etsam (e’tibor qilmasam), bu uchun pushaymon bo’laman (ya’ni qo’limni kuydirib olaman).

C.S. Lyuvis: “Og’riq Xudoning karnayi”, deydi. Ba’zilarimiz osonlikcha eshitmaymiz. Biz jismoniy, aqliy va ruhiy ogohlantirish belgilarini rad etamiz. Biz fermer e’tiborini tortish uchun boshiga xivchin bilan uradigan o’jar xachirga o’xshaymiz. Xudo bizning tanamiz va ongimiz orqali yuboradigan xabarlarga quloqlarimizni sozlashimizni xohlaydi.

2. Xudo hayotimizdagi muhim narsalarimizni qayta beligilash yoki kashf qilishimizga yordam berish uchun stressdan foydalanadi. Xudoning o’zi berilgan ustuvorliklardan (prioritetlardan) qochib, o’zimizga qiyinchiliklar orttirib saboq olamiz. Aslida biz ham isroilliklarning xatosini takrorlayapmiz: Xudoning uyi vayron bo’lib yotganda, hashamatli uylarda yashayapmiz (Haggey 1:4). Bunga javob tariqasida Xudo o’zining elchilari qilib yetishmovchilik, ko’ngilsizlik va muvaffaqiyatsizlikni yubordi. Uning xalqi hayotidagi muhim ishlarni qayta anglab olmaguncha U marhamatini to’xtatib qo’ydi:

Mana endi Sarvari Olam demoqda: “O’z ahvolingizga qarab, yaxshilab o’ylab ko’ringlar-chi! Ko’p ekib, kam o’rasiz. Ovqat yeysiz-u, to’ymaysiz. Ichasiz, ammo chanqog’ingiz qonmaydi, ustingizga kiyasiz-u, isinolmaysiz. Kim pul ishlasa, uning puli yirtiq hamyonga tushadi.”

Sarvari Olamning Kalomi shudir: “O‘z ahvolingizga qarab, yaxshilab o‘ylab ko‘ring, axir!  Tog‘larga chiqib, yog‘och olib tushinglar–da, Mening uyimni quringlar. Men uni ko‘rib zavqlanib, ulug‘lanaman, — deydi Egamiz. Ko‘p hosil olishni umid qilgan edingiz, mana kam oldingiz. Uyga olib kelganingizni sochib yubordim. Nima uchun?” Sarvari Olam shunday demoqda: “Mening uyim vayron bo‘lib yotgan paytda, sizlar faqat o‘z uyingiz haqida o‘ylaganingiz uchun shunday qildim. Sizlarning dastingizdan osmondan shudring tushmadi, yer ham hosil bermadi. Men dalalarga, qirli joylarga qurg’oqchilik keltirb, don, uzum sharbati va zaytun moyini quritdim. Yerdan chiqqan barcha hosilni yo’q qildim, odamlar va hayvonlarni qiyinchiliklarga duchor qildim. Insonlarning o’z qo’llari bilan qilgan mehnatlarini puchga chiqardim” (Haggey 1:5-11).

Xudoning xalqi ikki marta “o’z ahvolingizga qarab, yaxshilab o’ylab ko’ringlar” deb ogohlantiriladi. Stress bizni yana ilk holatimizga qaytarib olib borishi kerak. Bu o’z prioritetlarimizni (muhim narsalarni) qayta aniqlab olish va ularni Xudoniki bilan birlashtirish imkoniyatdir. 

3. Xudo nigohlarimizni Unga qaratishimiz uchun stressdan foydalanadi. Isroil xalqi haqida bir necha bor shunday deyilgan: “Lekin boshlariga og’ir kulfat tushganda, ular Isroil xalqining Xudosiga-Egamizga yuz burdilar,Uni izladilar, shunda topdilar” (2-Solnomalar 15:4). Yunus o’zining eng qayg’uli, eng tushkunlikka tushgan onlarida: “Ey Egam, qayg’uli damlarimda Senga qildim iltijo, Iltijolarimni Sen eshitding” (Yunus 2:2) deb aytadi. Zabur sanolari esa kuchli tushkunlik vaqtlarida Xudoga yuz burish, Uni qidirish va topish haqidagi oyatlarga to’la.

Kulfatda qolganimda Egamga iltijo qildim, Ha, nola qildim Xudoyimga. U Ma’baddan turib, ovozimni eshitdi. Ohu nolam qulog’iga yetib bordi (Zabur 17:7).

Kulfatda Menga faryod qildingiz, sizni qutqardim. Bulutlar orasidan sizlarga javob berdim. Mariva suvlari bo’yida sizlarni sinadim (Zabur 80:8).

Qayg’u-alamdan Egamga faryod qildim.U faryodimga javob berdi (Zabur 119:1).

Hayotimiz qulay va stressdan holi bo’lganida ko’pincha Xudodan uzoqlashib, o’zimizning ruhiy mustaqil va ajralgan dunyoyimizga o’tib olamiz. O’ziga ishongan va o’zidan qoniqqan holatda aslida hayot nimadan iborat ekanligini unutamiz. Lekin xuddi chanqagan odam suv xohlaganidek, tushkun kayfiyatdagi odam ham Xudoni qidiradi. Stress vaqtida ko’plab Masihga ishonmaydiganlar Masihga keladi va kop’lab masihiylar Unga qaytishadi.

4. Xudo bizni tarbiyalash uchun stressdan foydalanadi. Sulaymonning o’g’liga so’zlaridan iqtibos keltirib, Ibroniylarga maktubining muallifi dalda beradi:

“O’g’lim, Egamizning tarbiyasiga e’tiborsiz bo’lmagin, Undan tanbeh olganingda ko’ngling cho’kmasin. Zero, Egamiz yaxshi ko’rgan bandasini tarbiyalaydi, Farzand qilib olgan har bir odamni jazolaydi. Chekayotgan azoblaringizni Xudoning tarbiyasi deb bilib, sabr-toqat qilinglar (Ibroniylarga 12:5-7).

(Albatta, o’g’il so’zi “farzand” so’zi uchun umumiy bo’lib, qiz bolalarga ham tegishlidir.)

Ba’zilarimizga bu dalda bermasligi mumkin. Lekin biz tartib-intizomning qay darajada muhim ekanligini anglamaymiz. Muqaddas Kitob bolaga tartib-intizomni o’rgatmaslik (ayash), aslida unga nisbatan shafqatsizlik deb aytadi. “Kaltakni o’g’lidan ayagan odam uni yomon ko’radi, o’g’lini sevgan esa yoshlikdan tartib-intizomga o’rgatadi” (Hikmatlar 13:24).

Tartib-intizom tuzatuvchidir. U qasos oluvchi emas, balki davolovchidir. Xudo bizlarga stressni yomon ishdan qaytarish uchun emas, balki Xudoga xos bo’lgan to’g’ri ishlar qilishda Unga bog’liq bo’lishda sobit turishimiz uchun yuboradi. O’sha paytda tushkun kayfiyat bizga azob beruvchidek tuyulsada, lekin aslida u yaxshilik uchun xizmat qiladi:

Xudo bizning manfaatimizni ko’zlaydi. Biz U kabi muqaddas bo’lishimiz uchun Xudo bizni tarbiyalaydi. Odam tarbiya olayotganida xursand bo’lmaydi, aksincha, qayg’uradi. Ammo bunday tarbiyani olgan odam keyinchalik tinch-totuv va solih hayot kechiradi (Ibroniylarga 12:10-11).

5. Xudo imonimizni mustahkamlash uchun stressdan foydalanadi. 1-Butrus 1:7 shunday deydi: “Hatto yo’q bo’lib ketadigan oltin ham olovda toblanib, sinaladi. Sizning imoningiz esa oltindan ming barobar qadrliroqdir. Iso Masih oxiratda kelganda sinovdan o’tgan imoningiz sizlarga maqtov va shon-sharaflar keltiradi.”

Mushaklar faqat birgina yo’l – zo’riqish bilan chiniqadi. Kam harakat qiladigan mushak zaiflashib atrofiyaga uchraydi, ya’ni keraksiz darajada kichrayadi. O’zining doimiy harakatidan ortiqcha harakat qilmaydigan mushak esa faqat shunga yaraydi holos. Bunday mushak o’smaydi. Mushak o’sishi uchun esa, unga majburiy talab qo’yib, chiniqtirish kerak. Noodatiy talablar qo’yilishi lozim.

Tushkunlik bizning imonimizga qo’yilgan talabdir. Usiz imonimiz o’smaydi, o’sa olmaydi.

Asfalt ustida o’sgan o’simlikni (o’tni) ko’rganmisiz? Bu juda ajablanarli. Qanday qilib ezilgan va yorug’likdan mahrum qilingan o’simlik bunchalik bardoshli bo’lishi mumkin (yashab qolishi mumkin)? Lekin biz buni ko’rganmiz. Xudo o’sha mittigina o’simlik maysalarini katta qiyinchiliklarda ham o’sa oladigan qilgan. Nensi va men shunday qiyinchiliklarga katta kuch bilan qarshi tura olgan ko’plab insonlarni uchratganmiz.

Stresslar sinovi ichida butun diqqatimizni Masihga qaratgan vaqtimizda, U bizga asfalt qoplamidan (qiyinchilikdan) yorib o’tishimiz va ko’tarilishimiz uchun imon va kuch beradi. Ana o’sha qattiq qatlam ba’zilarni abadiy ko’mib qo’yadi, boshqalar esa Xudo inoyati orqali o’sha qatlamni yorib o’tish va o’sib rivojlanadi.

Five Ways God Can Use Your Stress for Great Good 

A while back I shared some things I’ve written about how God uses stress in our lives with some guys I’ve been mentoring. It was timely for me both then and now, because I’m in a time of stress, and indeed God is using it!

1. God uses stress to get our attention. God created our bodies. He designed them to send us messages. If I stick my hand in fire, my body will send me a message, quick and clear. If I ignore it, I’ll pay the price.

C.S. Lewis said “pain is God’s megaphone.” Some of us are hard of hearing. We ignore physical, mental, and spiritual warning signs. We’re like the stubborn mule the farmer had to hit over the head with a two-by-four to get his attention. God wants us to tune our ears to the messages He sends us through our minds and bodies.

2. God uses stress to help us redefine or rediscover our priorities. By abandoning our God-given priorities we set ourselves up to learn a hard lesson. In essence we do what the Israelites did: lived in paneled houses while God’s house became a ruin (Haggai 1:4). In response, God sent lack of fulfillment, disillusionment, and failure as His messengers. He withheld His blessing till His people rediscovered their priorities:

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house [of God], so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands” (Haggai 1:5-11).

God’s people are twice admonished “Give careful thought to your ways.” Stress should take us back to the basics. It is an opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities and bring them in line with God’s.

3. God uses stress to draw us to Himself. Time and again it was said of the people of Israel, “But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them” (2 Chronicles 15:4). It was in Jonah’s darkest hour, in his most stressful circumstances that he said this: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me” (Jonah 2:2). The Psalms are full of references of turning to God, seeking Him and finding Him in times of intense stress.

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears (Psalm 18:6).

In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah (Psalm 81:7).

I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me (Psalm 120:1).

When our lives are comfortable and stress-free, too often we withdraw from the Lord into our own worlds of spiritual independence and isolation. Smug and self-satisfied, we forget what life is really all about. But as the thirsty seek for water, those under stress often seek God. Many non-believers have come to Christ and many believers have returned to Him in times of stress.

4. God uses stress to discipline us. Quoting Solomon’s words to his son, the writer of Hebrews offers what he calls a word of encouragement:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons (Hebrews 12:5-7).

(The word son, of course, is generic for “child,” and applies equally to daughters.)

To some of us, this doesn’t sound so encouraging. But we fail to realize how essential discipline is. Scripture says that to withhold discipline from a child is, in essence, child abuse: “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24).

Discipline is corrective. It is remedial, not revengeful. God sends stresses not to get back at us for doing wrong, but to deepen our dependence on Him in order to do right. Though the stressful experience may seem excruciating at the time, it is ultimately all for good:

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:10-11).

5. God uses stress to strengthen our faith. 1 Peter 1:7 tells us: “These [trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

There is only one way a muscle grows—through stress. A muscle that is rarely exercised atrophies; it shrinks into uselessness. A muscle seldom stretched beyond its usual limits can only maintain itself. It cannot grow. To grow, a muscle must be taxed. Unusual demands must be placed upon it.

Stress is a demand placed upon our faith. Without it our faith will not, cannot, grow.

Ever seen grass grow through asphalt? It’s amazing if you think about it. How does grass, pressed flat and robbed of light, persevere? Yet we’ve seen it. Somehow God made those tiny blades of grass to rise to the greatest challenge. Nanci and I have seen many people rise against odds just as great.

In the crucible of stress, as we draw on our resources in Christ, He gives us faith and strength to crack through and rise above the asphalt coat. That hard demanding surface buries some forever, but is to others the defining point of breaking through and thriving by the grace of God.

For more, see Randy and Nanci’s book Help for Women Under Stress.