Stress: Understanding Stress (Part 1)

Outline of study

Understanding stress:

• What does it mean?

• What is the basic element involved in it?

• The adjustment that is required.

Handling stress:

• Wrong beliefs

• Wrong choices

Seven false beliefs that are stress causers:

1. The false belief that I can expect life events and people to be fair

2. The false belief that love is the basis of marriage

3. The false belief that the cause of unhappiness is external therefore I cannot control it

4. The false belief that it is easier to avoid responsibility than to face it

5. The false belief that I must successfully achieve all that I set out to do (accomplish)

6. The false belief that I have the right to be dependent on someone else

7. The false belief that people’s approval is an absolute necessity

Understanding stress: What does "stress" mean?

Basic definition

• To draw tight

• Biblical term--phalipsis--to press in or on

• Occurs 45 times in the New Testament

Popular definition:

• Most view as negative--not true

• Stress can be good or bad

Working definition:

• Stress is anything that requires adjustment (good or bad thing).

a) It is normal.

b) It is a predicted reality.

c) It can never separate you (the believer) from the love of God--Romans 8:35

God’s goal for your life is not your happiness (per se)