STRESS, A DEFILER OF GOD’S TEMPLE!

Last Sunday we saw that one of the ways you can violate the natural laws is by wrong dieting. Today we will consider another way people defile His temple – “STRESS!”

What is Stress? This is a mental, emotional, or physical strain caused, e.g. by (1) anxiety or (2) overwork. It may cause such symptoms as a rise in blood pressure or depression.

What is Strain? Strain means to have to make an unusually great or even painful physical or mental effort in order to do something.

What are the symptoms of stress? Signs of stress are: 1) Forgetfulness, 2) Temper, 3) Chronic fatigue, 4) A sense of helplessness, 5) Never having a sense of accomplishment, 6) Feeling like a failure, 7) Constant illness, 8) Headaches, migraines, High Blood Pressure, depression, and Heart disease.

What causes stress in our lives? Life sometimes causes us to feel like a rubber band stretched tight. Pressures build up and pull us in different directions or pull against our sense of well-being. Often stress comes as a result of your own doing. For instance:

1. Trying to do too much work with too little time or too few resources will stretch you beyond your capacity.

2. Trying to live in today’s society with its many demands may put excessive pressures on you.

3. Trying to cope with the financial demands of life without adequate income is a stretching experience.  

4. Marital difficulties or difficulties in parent-child relationships, or any relational difficulties can bring stress into your life.

5. When you sin, you bring the stress of painful consequences upon yourself (Gen. 3:6, 23; 44:18; 2 Sam. 11:4, 12:11-14; Lk. 22:54-62).  

6. When you fail to trust God for help in your situation, stress will follow (Ex. 16:1-3).

7. Uncertainty. When you live in uncertainty, you’ll be stressed out. The Word of God gives absolute certainty of how things will eventually turn out in that your aching situation (Rom. 8:28; Isa. 3:10).

8. Unresolved conflict (Eph. 4:26-27). Conflict is to come into disagreement, be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition, clash with someone. When conflicts are not settled, stress will follow each time you meet with the person with whom you have the disagreement.

9. Unrealistic comparisms. You don’t have to compare someone else’s home, car, possessions with yours. Learn to be content with such things as you have (Lk. 3:14; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:6-8).

10. Stress is often self-inflicted by your choice of thought material. What you put into our mind determines what comes out in your words and actions.

In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us to program our mind with thoughts that are true, good, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, movies, and magazines.

Replace harmful input with wholesome material – the pure Word of God. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure (Isa. 26:3).

 11. Difficult circumstances often lead to stress, and complaining is a natural response. For instance, as the Israelites encountered danger on their way to the Promised Land, shortages, and inconvenience, they complained bitterly and longed to go back to Egypt (Ex. 16:2-3).

But as always, God provided for their needs. The Israelites didn’t really want to be back to Egypt; they just wanted life to get a little easier. In the pressure of the moment, they could not focus on the cause of their stress (in this case, lack of trust in God); they could only think about the quickest way of escape. When pressure comes your way, resist the temptation to make a quick escape. Instead, focus on God’s power and faithfulness to help you deal with the cause of your stress.  

12. Certain personality traits may also lead to stress-related disorders. The so-called Type A personality, characterized by competitive, hard-driving intensity, is common in many societies.

Research has consistently shown that people who show a high level of hostility, anger, and cynicism, often components of Type A behavior, have a higher risk of coronary heart disease than people without these traits.

13. Social scientists have devised a list of life events and rated the relative stressfulness of each: 1) The death of a spouse rates a 100 on the scale; 2) Getting divorced, 73; 3) Marital separation, 65; 4) going to jail, 63; 5) Death of a close family member, 63; 6) Major personal injury or illness, 53; and so on.

.People also experience stress from daily hassles, such as no NEPA, no water, living in crowded, noisy conditions – noise pollution, commuting to work, traffic jams, and waiting in line.

What are the health implications of Stress? Disorders that are caused by stress include: Hypertension (high blood pressure), Headaches, Back pain, Skin disorders, Irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers.

Stress is also believed to contribute to coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the heart’s arteries) and some cases of cancer.

You are more susceptible to diseases of all kinds when subjected to great stress. Negative events, such as the death of a loved one, seem to cause enough stress to lower the body’s resistance to disease.

Positive circumstances, however, such as a new job or a new baby in the house, can also upset a person’s normal ability to fend off disease.

Stress hampers the function of the immune system, leaving people more vulnerable to many diseases. Stress also affects some disorders directly.

When people experience stress, their heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, and other body systems prepare to meet the perceived threat. When a person does something active to cope with a threat, these systems return to normal.

Running away or fighting, the so-called flight-or-fight response, are both successful ways of coping with many physical threats. Problems arise, however, when the body is prepared to cope with danger but cannot do so.

Being caught in a traffic jam, for example, can cause the body to prepare for a flight-or-fight response, but when no action can be taken, the body’s systems remain overly active.

Similar repeated experiences of this frustrating nature can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most common disorders made worse by stress. Although it has no noticeable symptoms, hypertension can damage the kidneys and can lead to stroke or heart attack.

Gastrointestinal problems are an even more common result of stress. Peptic ulcers are sores in the lining of the stomach or the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine).

Stress contributes to ulcers by causing excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid. Normally this acid aids digestion by breaking down food in the stomach.

But when the stomach produces excessive acid in the absence of food, the acid can eat through the protective mucous lining of the stomach or duodenum.

Other stress-related gastrointestinal disorders include irritable bowel syndrome and some inflammatory diseases of the colon and bowel, such as regional enteritis.

Stress can also contribute to some respiratory disorders. For example, stress can trigger an attack of asthma. Asthma attacks are characterized by wheezing, panting, and a feeling of being suffocated.

In addition, emotional stress can cause or aggravate many skin disorders, from those that produce itching, tickling, and pain to those that cause rashes and acne.

Major traumatic events such as accidents, catastrophes, or battle experiences may bring on a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms may appear long after the initial trauma. These include re-experiencing the trauma through disturbing nightmares and memories, emotional numbness, nervous irritability, depression, and sleep difficulties.

Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, stress can compromise the body's immune system and increase susceptibility to illness.

Health psychologists also study how people cope with stress. They have found that people who have family, friends, and other forms of social support are healthier and live longer than those who are more isolated.

How can I deal with Stress and Pressure? The key is to deal with the root, and this will prevent the fruit from coming up.

In 2 Corinthians 4:8 Apostle Paul said, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.”

In John 14:1 Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” 

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Ps. 55:22).  

“God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken” (Ps. 62:2).  

“I will call to God whenever trouble strikes, and He will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).  

God said, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with My victorious right hand” (Isa. 41:10).  

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28-30).  

In John 16:33 Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Peace comes by hearing the Words of Jesus. The Word gives you security in the midst of turmoil.

Why don’t you ever hear the voice of God during a trial? It is because the teacher does not talk during the examination.

Trial is an examination for you to go to the next level. If you pass the test you’ll receive the stamp of approval.

“Since He Himself has gone through suffering and temptation, He is able to help us when we are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).  

Apostle Paul said, “We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Cor. 4:9).  

“Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” (Gal. 6:9).  

You can also handle stress by practicing relaxation techniques like the following:

1. Breathe: Breathe deeply since this is the easiest way to relax. To breathe effectively, take a deep breathe until your abdomen rises, hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale completely until your abdomen falls.

2. Laugh: Since a merry heart is one of the best medicines for stress, ensure that you laugh at least once a day. To meet this goal, you can call a friend who has the gift of making you laugh.

3. Avoid coffee: Avoid drinking coffee since it can cause your body to behave as if it is stressed by releasing stress hormones. Foods made from white flour can also do the same. 

Therefore eat a balanced diet that includes brown bread instead of white bread and water instead of cola drinks. As you eat, practice mindfulness by concentrating on the food you are eating instead of letting your mind wander to the tests and other problem waiting for you.  

4. Study: Studying and meditating on the Word of God can get your mind off the things that are stressing you.

5. Dance: Dancing Christian Music is another wonderful relaxation technique since it helps your body release “feel good” hormones and burn stress hormones. Therefore, put on your favorite Christian music and dance to a tune or two and you will feel better after the session.

6. Talk: Talking is a very effective method of releasing stressful emotions. Therefore, ensure that you talk to a person who makes you feel safe and accepted at least once a week. This can be your mother, your best friend or a college counselor.

7. Take part in sports: Exercise is a very effective relaxation technique which also improves your health in numerous other ways. Therefore ensure that you exercise at least three times each week by shooting basketballs in the court, swimming laps in the pool or just taking a brisk walk around the campus.

8. Organize your home: Make your home a peaceful haven by keeping it organized since a cluttered home can make you feel stressed. To do this, designate a place for storing each item in your possession and keep to a regular cleaning schedule.

9. Connect with God: Having a relationship with God can help you feel less threatened by the stressors you encounter in college. Therefore, talk to Him every morning and make it a point of duty to read a few verses from your Bible each day. 

Combine this with meditating on reassuring Bible verses like “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26) and you will insulate your mind from common stressors.

10. Progressively relax yourself: If you have had a particularly rough day, lie on your bed with the lights off and tighten the muscles of your right foot for a few seconds before relaxing them. Do the same for the muscles of your left foot and work your way up your body as you become aware of the sensations caused by tension and those caused by relaxation of the muscles.

I therefore, challenge you to wake up today and get rid of stress from your life.

Next Sunday, we are going to look at some other ways one can violate the natural laws.

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)                      15.10. 2017.

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