Your responsibilities outnumber the hours in your day. Your paycheck won’t stretch to cover all of your bills. Everyone in your life wants a little piece of you—and you have nothing left to give anyone.

You’re not alone.

The truth is, only one person has ever had “the weight of the world on his shoulders.” It’s exactly what Jesus came to do: to carry the weight of the world.

The Bible says of Jesus, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 NIV).

Nobody carried greater stress in life than Jesus. He not only carried the sin of the world on him while on the cross, but he also faced constant demands on him during his life. People frequently wanted to see him and be healed by him. He had no privacy. Other people tried to trap him and they sought to kill him.

But Jesus knew how to handle the stress. He had an incredibly attractive balance to his life. He handled pressure with peace.

That’s what I want to be like. I’m guessing you want the same.

As I’ve studied the Bible, I’ve noticed seven secrets of stress management that Jesus consistently demonstrates.

1. Identification: Jesus knew who he was.
2. Motivation: Jesus knew what he was living for.
3. Vocation: Jesus understood his calling.
4. Concentration: Jesus knew what mattered most.
5. Meditation: Jesus listened to God.
6. Collaboration: Jesus had a small group.
7. Recreation: Jesus took time to recharge.

I believe these seven characteristics can define our lives as well. Over the next seven days, we’ll look at each of these characteristics and how we can incorporate them into our lives.

If you make these characteristics a part of your life, your stress level will go down. So don’t miss these devotionals!