Yesterday I wrote about how whales that have been caught in fishing nets show levels of stress that are remarkably higher than the average stress level for a whale. I applied that to how the Christmas season brings more stress, and urged readers to focus on what is truly important—God and his kingdom.

There is another way we can apply this illustration.

The Bible warns that there is a danger of becoming tangled up in sin. Sin is a great source of stress in people’s lives. Once they get caught up in: sexual immorality, greed, lust, lying, gossip, stealing, bullying, etc., their stress levels often go through the roof.

The antidote for this kind of stress is repentance. Leave your sin behind and watch your stress level come down as you live in obedience to God.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”—Hebrews 12:1-2.