STRESS

Several people lately have asked how I handle stress, as I often appear to be calm when others don't. The definition of stress I'm referring to is "the state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain". In physics, stress is an applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body, and the internal resistance of that body to the applied force. That is the root of what we refer to as stress in our lives. Many times it is capable of an increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression, with perhaps more alarming damage to both our physical and mental health. A recent Booth Research poll for Ester-C asked adults if they were more stressed today than they were only 6 months ago. An astonishing 64% of adults aged 18 to 24 said they were. The percentage dropped with each age group (55% of 25-34, 47% of 35-44, 46% of 45-54) to a low of 37% of adults 55 and older. It provides a clear picture that stress continues to build at an increasing rate in our culture. With internet access the amount of knowledge available (often negative) is increasing exponentially, perhaps explaining some of the age related percentages in the poll. I want to make a case that this stress is not a bad thing, but a good thing, and explain the heavenly wisdom of how it should be handled.

About 15 years ago I started a physical fitness regimen that included a session with a personal trainer. He explained that muscles grow in size when I lift additional weights by tearing the muscle fibers causing them to repair themselves with more fibers if given time to do so. Muscles also grow in strength with increased repetition of the same weight without additional pounds. My choice of exercises and the time period between them would end in two different results, either bulky muscles or smooth muscles. The difference was the level of stress I chose to apply to them. If I chose no exercise at all my muscles would continue to weaken until I had no strength. It is a principle that made sense to me because the output was determined by the input. Recent 24/7 news about our economy, negative campaigning for the election, housing price fluctuation, and years of war on terrorism are all examples of negative input. Our mind is the control center of the body, so the input we choose for our mind will result in the output of our physical and mental health. Our thoughts are often controlled by the surroundings we choose to place ourselves in.

In the same way that lack of exercise results in weak muscles, lack of stress results in a weak person. God made us with all the chemicals in our body that react to input. Adrenaline automatically is released when we come face to face with a bear, or one we fear. Seratonin is automatically released when we come face to face with our spouse, or one we love. Spending our time and our thoughts on these two extremes requires a balance. If you are running from "bears" every day your personality will become increasingly negative and stressed. If you always want to feel good and avoid all the "bears" you won't learn how to run and one will eventually eat you (think of drug, alcohol or sex addiction). Learning to deal with and enjoy all aspects of life is wisdom. I'd say it requires a plan, as what we were probably taught by our parents comes from a different era that didn't have the 24/7 news of every event in the entire world. In the February 2006 version of this blog I wrote about a balanced life, and that should be your plans starting point. Many of the subjects written about that year apply to your plan: Confidence (where its says loving and being loved is the key), Goal Setting, Preparation, and Contentment. The point I am making is it won't happen accidentally, you need a plan. The plan should not avoid any area of life, nor should it dwell on any one area of life, but the first step is the most important.

Those that teach martial arts or boxing say that the key is to redirect the force behind the punch. In Toastmasters we teach that the nervous adrenalin should be redirected to the energy and passion behind your words and gestures. Consider those things in your life that you find stressful and determine how they can be redirected. I believe everything I have is God's and I am a steward of what He has allowed me to accumulate. When events beyond my control such as the large drop in 401K values happened recently the stress level was low for me as a sovereign God changed where he placed what belongs to Him, so my response was to pray for financial wisdom as a steward of what remained. When the presidential candidates inundate me with negative ads and insult my intelligence with what they say, I know the Bible says in Romans 13 and elsewhere that governmental authorities are established by God for his purposes, so my role to vote and pray (not necessarily in that order). For God to send his only Son to die on a cross for my sins, then promise a heavenly reward for accepting him and repenting of sin, is only possible if He loves me. John 3:16 says that is applicable to the entire world. He calls for those that have accepted to "deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Being a Christian is not an easy life as we are voluntarily slaves of the King of Kings, but it should not be a stressful life.

The applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body, and the internal resistance of that body to to the applied force is how we defined stress earlier. The Bible acts as an owners manual for what is absorbed, what is redirected, and specifically how the resistance to the applied force should be obediently completed. Adversities are allowed by God to not only strengthen us, but to help us look to him in all things. Stress is not a bad thing, but a good thing, as for both the Christian and the seeker it ultimately focuses our attention where it belongs, a commitment to God. The first commandment God gave to Moses was "You shall have no other gods before me". Becoming a Christian involves putting ALL things lower than Christ. That acceptance is the first step of any plan, which will allow 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 to become a reality in your life as I strive to make it in mine. "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things". Verse 6 is the ultimate for how to live in our stressed-out world. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God".