Releasing Stress & Finding God Through Nature (+ The Powerful Benefits of Being Outdoors)

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

—Matthew 6:28-29

(The following blog post is about drawing closer to God through nature. If you would like to read an article from a scientific lens about the benefits to your mind and body of being outdoors, here is an article I wrote, titled The Powerful Benefits of Being in Nature, published by The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) Blog in June of 2024: https://www.usaeop.com/blog/the-powerful-benefits-of-being-in-nature/)

The world we live in is full of anxieties. The future is uncertain; our lives are uncertain. What will happen tomorrow? What will happen in the next five years? What will happen when the things we dread most come to pass? These questions plague us, and in this turbulent world, there is very little comfort we can cling to.

However, we as Christians know that there are things beyond this world. We have the hope of salvation, hope in God’s love and faithfulness, hope in heaven and eternity. And quite thankfully, God does not give merely mysterious declarations for us to believe. There are things, powerful and wonderful, that transcend the boundaries of thought and emotion. We have perhaps felt the presence, the eternity, and the great and glorious love of God before, evoked from prayer, from reading scripture, from miracles in our lives. 

Today, I wanted to write about another way I have drawn closer to God: by spending time in nature. It may seem strange that, in this fallen world, He has left behind some beautiful things to remind us of Him. But that is the truth. 

Feel the soft wind against your cheek and be reminded that God has made you free, not to be caged inside your worries. Hear the birds sing and rejoice with them, for they have no money, no roof above their heads, and yet they make beautiful music all the same. Look at the trees, how tall they stand. They have lived for decades and yet are not bowed down with stress. Their leaves fall down each autumn, and the trees let them go, for they know, no matter how harsh the winter, their branches will bud again in spring. Breathe in the fresh air, and watch the sky stretch on, for ever and ever. How much greater than your fears is He who painted the sky? How much greater is God than any of your worldly worries?

Go outside today and savor the experience. A walk outside in the springtime is all you need to understand.