Are you stressed? If so, let me put a positive spin on it and wish you a Happy Stress Awareness Day! Do you feel better having something to celebrate? Probably not but it was worth a try.
Studies have been made regarding stress in America and have found the numbers rising. “The majority (90%) of Americans say that financial considerations have an impact on their stress levels, according to a study from Thriving Wallet, a new partnership between Thrive Global and Discover.”1
“Approximately 75% of U.S. adults feel that violence and crime are significant sources of stress in their lives….According to 2022 survey data from Pew Research Center, 29% of U.S. parents reported that being a parent is stressful all or most of the time…37% of U.S. adults report being unable to do anything when they are stressed…56% of employed U.S. adults report job stability as a source of stress…Around 27% of U.S. adults report feeling so stressed they can’t function on most days…Compared to other countries, 2022 data from Gallup shows that Afghanistan currently has the highest reported stress level at 68%— the U.S. is not too far behind at 53%.”2
Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer, said, “Stress affects all systems of
the body, so it is crucial that Americans know the serious impacts of stress and what they can do to reduce the effect of stressors in their life, as well as receive help from their health care providers, workplace and support systems to prevent further health crises.”3
Thankfully as Christians, we have a support system that is intertwined, providing us with all the help we need when the day starts getting difficult.
Ultimately, our stress relief is found in the Lord, His provisions, and comfort. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Joseph Scriven said it best in his 1855 hymn, What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Another avenue for stress relief is found by spending time in the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” We talk to God in prayer, He talks to us through His Word. Times of stress ought to push us into the throne room of God.
Believers in Christ are tied together by the blood of Jesus. We all have the same Holy Spirit indwelling us, making us the tangible hands, arms and feet of Jesus. When we struggle with stress, we put Galatians 6:2 into action. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
Too often, Christians dealing with stress will opt to stay out of the church services. If one Christian can help bear your burdens and ease your stress, imagine what a congregation of them could do! The church service surrounds us with believers, draws us into a place where our focus is distracted from the daily routine and stresses, and helps us get refocused on what really matters in live – the Lord Jesus Christ. Why cut off one of the tools God has given us to deal with stress?
Use these God-given remedies for stress. Join in the midweek Bible study tonight, whether you are stressed or not! “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 122:1)
1https://www.cnbc.com/select/why-americans-are-stressed-about-money/?msockid=23339702f6ae6b7b2bc78211f7786a0e
2https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/stress-statistics/
3https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/psychological-impacts-collective-trauma
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