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January 2006: The New Year & Stress Management
Click
on the links below to go directly to that article.
Stress. What STRESS?
Stress is
unavoidable. However, when we acknowledge that God is in control, we can use
stress in our lives as a teaching tool. When our body, mind, or spirit
starts exhibiting the signs of too much stress, it’s a signal to spend time
with the Lord and reevaluate our focus.
One of many
wonderful reminders in scripture about God’s care for us is found in Isaiah
40:28-31.
Have you not
known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the
ends of the earth, neither faints not is weary. His understanding is
unsearchable, He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He
increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young
men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not
be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.
Some stressors
are out of our control, like September 11th. Others are more in the realm of
our influence. This month, we offer resources and strategies for decreasing
stress that you can influence, such as “Should I commit to working 65
hours a week or 45?”
Regardless of the
amount of control we feel we have, seeking the Lord and listening to His
Word is critical. A client going through a divorce that she did not want
once said to me: “The thing that always gets me through is knowing that God
has the “airplane view” of this situation and all I see is the ground from
my low position.”
At the beginning of a new year, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions to
improve our lives. May I encourage you to heed the theme of the opening
paragraph and use this new year to focus on God’s purposes for you?
Here are some
ideas to help in that process:
1. Prayerfully consider and develop a personal mission statement.
What are the three or four top priorities for you in this season of your
life? How does God want you to begin, continue, or improve ministry in these
areas? Think of the eternal perspective—what are you investing in that
matters for all of eternity?
2. Evaluate your use of time in light of this mission. We have 168
hours each week. Estimate how you spend those hours. Start with 168 and
subtract the hours for all activities and see how much time is left (or how
much you are in the hole!). Next, evaluate whether your time is being spent
in a congruent manner to your mission.
3. Finances can also be evaluated in light of your mission. Crown
Ministries is a fabulous ministry with many resources to help align your
money with God’s best for you, regardless of your current financial
position.
4. Take a mental vacation. A terrific resource
When I Relax I Feel Guilty by Tim Hansel, also highlighted in our
resource section, has many great insights. One of my favorites is his
suggestion that we intentionally take daily mental vacations. Even when you
can only afford one minute to do so, he has excellent strategies for taking
a “one minute vacation” to get you through intense times.
5. Read
The Precious Present by Spencer Johnson, M.D. Apply it.
6. Ground yourself in the fact that God loves you and created you to
be a human being rather than a human doing. Relate to Him and others
regularly—warts and all.
From Our Bookshelf to Yours
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Battle Fatigue: The Promise of Rest for Stress-Weary Christians
– Joe Brown – Excellent ideas and assessment information.
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The Anxiety Cure
– Archibald Hart – One of the most recent classics for Christians
struggling with anxiety issues. The subtitle says it all: “You can find
emotional tranquility and wholeness.” |
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The Precious Present
– Spencer Johnson, M.D. – Take a moment, grab your favorite hot drink,
comfy clothes and the snuggliest blanket in the house. This is a must
read with nuggets to help you enjoy your life, no matter what the
circumstance. This is not a Christian resource and some of the
“insights” need to be integrated with your own Biblical faith, but the
mine is rich. |
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The Stress Factor
– Frank Minirth – This is another great, basic guide for understanding
and dealing with stress. |
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The Stress of Life
– Hans Selye – Hans is “the father of the stress hypothesis.” It’s a
classic read on stress, not from a Christian perspective, but from the
lead man on the research who developed the hypotheses about stress and
its effects. |
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When I Relax I Feel Guilty
– Tim Hansel – This book shares life-changing principles regarding the
value of true leisure and downtime. An older book with a message that
our current culture truly needs to read! |
Web Links
Check out these sites to learn more!
Crown Ministries.
www.crownministries.org – Mentioned previously in
our article, this ministry has wonderful Biblical information available to
apply from many types of formats: books, groups, financial volunteer
counselors, etc.
Dealing with
Anxiety.
www.minirthclinic.com – Visit this site for many
excellent resources on dealing with anxiety and stress.
Getting Help…
Time and again I
see it—the peace that passes understanding during a storm of life, followed
by a period of anxiety AFTER the storm has passed. Often the client asks,
“Why did I have more peace when things were so bad and out of my control?”
For all of us the answer almost always is “because when things are out of
control, by our own admission, THEN we trust that God will take care of us.”
When things settle down a bit, we often opt for relying on ourselves more.
We lose sight of the truth: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
In this new year, may we all learn to more consistently acknowledge and lean
upon God’s care and control. Should you need some help and accountability in
wrestling with stress management in this new year, please don’t hesitate to
contact us at 317-575-6500. May we all come to know our Lord and Savior more
intimately and experience His peace in 2006.
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