STRESS: THE SPAM OF LIFE

STRESS: THE SPAM OF LIFE Psalm 37:1-11 With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; Jay Kesler, article in Campus Life Magazine; Paul Martin, The Sickening Mind; Hans Selye, The Story of the General Adaptation Syndrome and The Stress of Life; Robert M. Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers; Meredith F. Small, "Trouble In Paradise” New Scientist, (12/16/00); Charles Stanley, Finding Peace May 29, 2005 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Show Film Clip from “Father of the Bride” (56:40-59:40) Scripture Reading: Psalm 37 Introduction I don’t know about you, but one of my most menacing nuisances these days is spam. It is so annoying to so many that lawmakers are looking for ways to regulate it. It is harmless unless there is some malevolent intent built into it. But even though it is so irritating, we have to learn to live with it, because if you have email, you will have spam. Stress is like spam—if you’re alive, you will have to deal with it. But, social scientists are warning that stress has become so pervasive and so strong in our culture that it is now one of the leading health risks. Some are labeling it the silent killer. The fact is that stress leads to any number of life-threatening illnesses, the most readily identifiable being heart disease and stroke. A 1994 article in the Harvard Business Review stated that up to 90% of all medical office visits are made for stress-related symptoms. According to sociologists we sleep two-and-a-half hours less than people did in 1900, and over 70 million of us in America have measurable trouble sleeping. Those who work in offices receive over 200 messages every work day. The average amount of work waiting for us on our desks is 36 hours worth. We spend eight months of our lives opening junk mail, two years trying to reach people by phone and five years waiting in lines. I ask again, where is the relief our labor-saving devices were supposed to bring us? Two ministerial students from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, were doing summer evangelistic work in a rural area near Montgomery. One hot day they stopped their car in front of a farmhouse and proceeded up the path through a gauntlet of screaming children and barking dogs. When they knocked on the screen door, the woman of the house stopped her scrubbing over a tub and washboard, brushed back her hair, wiped perspiration from her brow, and asked them what they wanted. "We would like to tell you how to obtain eternal life," one student answered. The tired homemaker hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Thank you, but I don't believe I could stand it." America is becoming a nation of angry, short-tempered people. From road rage to airplane rage, grocery store rage and violence at youth sports events, the media has been reporting these emotional outbursts with unprecedented frequency. More than three fourths of Americans believe angry behavior has increased in places like airports and highways, according to a recent USA Today CNN/Gallup Poll. Flight attendants and pilots report a dramatic increase in problem passengers: 66 incidents in 1997, 534 incidents in 1999. C. Leslie Charles, author of Why Is Everyone So Cranky? I'm describing a fuming, unrelenting, sense of anger, hostility, and alienation that simmers for months, even years, without relief. Eventually, all it takes is a triggering incident, usually minor, for the hostile person to go ballistic…. Cell phones, pagers, and high tech devices allow us to be interrupted anywhere, at any time. This constant accessibility, and compulsive use of technology, fragments what little time we do have, adding to our sense of urgency, emergency, and overload. USA Today (7-18-00) Childhood can even be a very stressful time. Scientists recently discovered a difference between stresses caused inside and outside the home. Researchers measured levels of cortisol, a hormone that is produced when under stress, in children's saliva. Health records and interviews reveal the negative effects of unresolved stress: Persistently high cortisol levels can be especially damaging in children. When stress continues over days, weeks, or years, many of their developing systems are put on hold, sometimes causing permanent damage. Unusually high cortisol levels from constant stress slow physical growth, delay sexual maturity, and can slow the growth of brain cells. The cause of high cortisol levels has surprised researchers. Interestingly, living in poverty, school work, or conflict with peers raises cortisol levels very little. According to researchers, "what really does affect them are family issues. Theses issues are huge to kids. When a family experiences some sort of trauma—father and mother have a fight, father leaves, or grandmother hits a kid—there is a physiological effect on the children. Their cortisol levels rise and stay high." The continual absence of a mother or father in the home also has a major effect. The study shows that "girls between the ages of 9 and 16 are much more affected by the absence of their mother than are boys of this age. And infant boys—but not girls—respond to the absence of their father with abnormally low cortisol levels and slow growth." Other findings include: Children react the same way each time parents fight or leave home. While adults learn to adapt to relentless stressful circumstances, "children always react as if they were encountering it for the first time." Many diseases suffered by middle-aged adults, like heart disease or high blood pressure, can be traced back to unresolved patterns of stress initiated during childhood. Meredith F. Small, "Trouble In Paradise," New Scientist From money to manic schedules, deadlines to downsizing, from retirement funds to relationships, life brings us much to worry about. And worry brings stress. But all this time drainage, tail-chasing and stress was not God’s idea. And there are ways, in the midst of such a rat-race culture, to regain equilibrium and balance. I would like to speak today to the problem of stress. I believe as stewards of our lives and our families we need to have a handle on this topic. Stress in Your Life is Inevitable Stress is Pervasive in our Culture and Lives It is inevitable that there will be stress in your life. Even though you are a follower of Christ, you live in a fallen world until Christ comes again. Not only that, even though you are saved as a Christian, as long as you live on this ball of clay we call earth you still have a fallen nature in you. Therefore, your motives and your choices are often wrong and lead to stressful circumstances. And even if you were perfect in your redemption, others who live around you aren’t. You have to live among others who also have fallen natures and do not always make the best choices. And their choices will affect you and bring you stress. Not All Stress is Bad We tend naturally to think of stress as only negative and destructive. While much of it is destructive, not all stress is bad. We live under a magnificent promise that the God of miracles will make everything that happens to us work out for our good. The stress that we face will not be the end of us, but will work in us something beautiful in God’s plan. Paul who faced the stress of shipwrecks and beatings, stoning and persecution, said our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." [webmasters note: 2 Corinthians 4:17] Hans Selye was a pioneer endocrinologist whose important work in the last half of the twentieth century has brought much clarity to the subject of how stress affects people. His groundbreaking work, The Stress of Life, and a later article entitled “Stress Without Distress” illustrated concepts about stress that accord wonderfully with the Bible’s teaching about how human beings face stress and can overcome its devastating effects The stressors in our lives are the challenges and trials that we face. Such stressors are inevitable in our fallen world. Our ability to recognize, discern and handle them is the key to a most important outcome: whether or not we will be victors or victims. Psalm 37 outlines just some stressors in David’s life: evil & evil people around him, envy, worry, anger, threats from people with malicious intent, low income, disasters, sin and guilt, injustice and the success of the unrighteous. Distress and “Eustress” For example, psychology tells us there are two kinds of stress: dis-stress (or, bad stress) and eu-stress (or, good stress). The fact is, there are stressors in our lives that are destructive to us, and others which help us to grow and become stronger, more effective people. The key is to be able to recognize the difference, to deal well with distress and to turn what we can into eustress where we can. Let me posit this key statement now, and return to it later: Our capacity to recognize, discern and handle stress is directly proportionate to our closeness to God. Handling Stress Some should be “blocked” ignored Distress is something we need to learn to handle, either by learning to block it out or by refusing to give them any attention. An example of stress that should be blocked is the stress of temptation. James 1 teaches us that when the stress of temptation to sin rises in us, that is the time to block it, “resist it”. Then the devil will flee from you. If you don’t act immediately, the stress will build and soon you are overcome. Then you have to deal with the guilt and feelings of separation from God. Some should be “transformed” into eustress Other stressors are things that happen to us just because we are human and we live in a world where negative things happen. In these cases, we simply have to learn to handle them in the wisdom and strength that God provides. The best thing we can do in those cases is to de-fuse the stressor. You do that by changing the distress into eustress. For example, when something negative beyond your control happens to you there is distress. Your choices are basically to let the distress eat away at you and remain in distress, or to turn the stress into eustress. The first option means allowing yourself to get down and stay down, to become depressed (which is turning anger onto yourself). The second option is to use the energy of the stress for constructive purposes, and begin to correct the wrong. This is where the power of the Holy Spirit engages, enabling us to superhumanly veto stress. In a day when so many things and people vie for our attention, we can experience a paralysis of personal energy. John Maxwell explains this "frozen feeling" that can easily overwhelm us: William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented. John Maxwell; Developing the Leader within You Stress is a potential distraction from living for the Lord. And the devil loves to take advantage of our stress. We are spiritually healthy when we are resolutely focused on the Lord, living in His grace and strength. Stressors try to steal our attention from Him. So when we face inevitable stressors, the thing to do is to avoid the distraction, because if the stressor can divert our attention from the Lord for even a moment, we are just that much farther from Him, and more vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes. As soon as we sense stress, we need to draw nearer to God than we were. There is our protection and strength. In Him we will find the wisdom and the power to transform our distress into eustress. Illustration: have an automobile wreck. Stress ensues. You can let the stress take a natural course: you get depressed, convince yourself you’re a lousy driver, turn anger on yourself, become immobilized, OR use that energy to fix your attitude, and your car, and, as necessary, make adjustments to the way you drive in the future God is our source for recognizing, discerning and dealing with stress As I mentioned earlier, our capacity to deal with stress is directly proportional to our closeness with God. Anyone who is not in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ is left to his own resources in trying to handle stressors in his life. Those who have come by faith into a reconciled relationship with God have the mind of God, the wisdom of God and the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) through God’s Spirit alive in their lives. The Christian is uniquely able to deal with stress. Being a believer in Christ does not automatically mean you are always living near to God. There is a separation between God and His children when they sin against Him. God is holy and He cannot/will not stay where there is sin. Unless and until I repent of whatever I have done to separate myself from God, He will remain distant from me and, among other problems, I will not be able to handle my stressors. Your best defense against stress is to live filled with God’s Spirit. Let’s re-read the first eleven verses of Psalm 37: Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon dies away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The Biblical Counsel for Dealing with Stress 1. Build a Habit of Pleasing God Alone Verse 3: "Trust in the Lord." Verse 4: "Delight yourself in the Lord." Verse 5: "Commit your way to the Lord." Verse 7: "Be still before the Lord." Verse 8 relates the promise of inheritance to those who put their hope in the Lord. David goes to great lengths to clarify his emphasis. Those devoted to the Lord put Him at the center of their lives, making their aim that in everything they willfully serve and honor God. The unfortunate reality is that in our culture, everything else comes first, then God gets the leftovers. We are living our lives and are very busy, and as one Christian blurted out in frustration not long ago: “I’m always so busy—it’s getting harder and harder to find time for God.” God has a better plan--Commit to Him first and then see how much time is left for the other stuff. Priorities askew most believers blunder through their busy lives, their energy and thoughts sucked dry by the vacuous, noisy goings on of their hectic schedules. And here’s the clincher: they’re not happy or fulfilled anyway. See the promises in verses 3, 4, 5, 8. 2. Maintain an Eternal Perspective What is helpful to the believers as we face the stressors of this life is to keep an eternal perspective of things. In other words, keep heaven in mind. Eternity is so long it is incalculable—infinitely longer that the fleeting moments of our stressful times. When trouble comes your way, learn to pause and ask yourself “How bad will this all seem in a hundred years?” In fact in just 5 years of earthly experience we will probably be chuckling about most things that jam our gears today. Take on the eternal perspective of verses 10-11 - "A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." Remember the words of Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us." 3. Cultivate a Growing Faith In 34 years of Christian ministry there is one thing I’ve noticed about Christians. Those who take their faith seriously and who tenaciously seek to follow the Lord are never brought low by even the most devastating circumstances. The strength to endure the stresses of life don’t come from grit and extra effort—they come from the life within—the life of devotion to Christ. How do Christians get such growth? No secret here: Prayer, Bible Study, Worship, Fellowship, Service to Christ. If we are developing in the inner person of faith, we will be ready to deal effectively with any stress. Living for Christ, living the Spirit empowered life, and remaining near to God is the inner resource available to the Christian for overcoming stress. In the early 1930’s Wiiliam Beebee and Otis Barton designed the “bathysphere,” the first miniature submarine that could actually descend to the ocean floor and do scientific study. This sphere of steel was nearly 5’ in diameter with a thick plate steel wall and weighed over 5,000 pounds. They took this steel ball, Beebee and Barton inside, to a depth of 800 feet on their first mission. A depth never reached before because of the danger of the pressure. When they got to their destination the men peered out the small 6” window made with 4”thick glass, turned on their lights, and guess what they saw? Fish! At a level where the pressure could crush a conventional submarine like a soda can, they saw fish swimming around them. These fish coped with the enormous pressure in a different way. They don't build thick skins: they remain supple and free. They compensate for the outside pressure through equal and opposite pressure inside themselves. Christians, likewise, don't have to be hard and thick skinned--as long as they appropriate God's power within to equal the pressure of the stress from without.   [Back to Top]