Stress Peace amid pressure

Are you overwhelmed by stress? On edge? Pressured to achieve? Spinning into free fall? What is the "noise" going on inside you? Or are you quiet inside?

Here David Powlison invites you to look at Psalm 131 to learn how to quiet your soul. "Psalm 131 gives us intimate access to the inner life of someone who has learned composure," Powlison writes. "This person is quiet on the inside because he has learned the only true and lasting peace." 

Psalm 131 is not about unruffled detachment or stoic indifference. It is not about having an easygoing personality or low expectations. It is about learning composure through a relationship with Jesus Christ. His presence in our lives is the only thing strong enough to overpower stress. We can say with the psalmist, "Surely I have composed and quieted my soul."

The Author

David Powlison (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary; MA, PhD, University of Pennsylvania) was executive director of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and the editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. He taught at Westminster Theological Seminary and was a board member and fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.