How does Stress Influence Your Spiritual Life?

[Venom]

[Venom]

I have been discussing stress in this thread recently, here. (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1175159&an=0&page=0#1175 159)

As you know from reading that thread, stress has many definitions and applications and can be beneficial or deleterious.


My definition of stress for this thread has to do with psychological stress.

McGrath (1970) suggested that stress is the perceived imbalance between demands and response capabilities when failure to meet the demands is deemed important. This definition focused on the psychological state which triggered the stress response.

Building on the work of McGrath, Martin (as reported by Simmons, 2006) suggested that stress could be defined as uncertainty * importance.

So for example, lets say you hate your job, get screamed at by your boss daily, have deadlines day after day, and are worried about numerous other responsibilities in your life. Do you find that situations like this, affect your spiritual life at all?

Also, if it does, how do you deal with psychological stress and worries?

[jeffrobodean]

It really makes me more prayerful now. Actually, I find myself coping with stress in unhealthy ways, and then I need to pray for help or forgiveness, depending upon how I allowed it to manifest itself in me. I have an unusually high threshold for stress I think, so for it to affect me, it's gotten to be pretty bad. I try to recognize the situation before it comes along and work things out before it gets to the boiling point.
I read in some study or some other work that much of stress is made up of worrying about something that is 80%+ likely to NOT occur, so we've worried ourselves over nothing most of the time.
Right now, I am stressed over my car which appears to have blown a head gasket. As insignificant as that might sound, it is an older car that is not worth the $ it will take to fix it, yet, I cannot afford to take on a new car payment. So, I have been stressed and worried over what I am going to do about that. So, I have been praying often and trying to not let it bug me so much. Work is really crazy and my newborn is ill - so it's not so much a single item, it's when a bunch of them start piling on.
I just try to pray and put it on God's shoulders.

[tarheelsykes]

i've watched myself numerous times get stressed from work, financial issues, etc and begin to over worry, get irritable with my wife, lose focus with workouts and diet. unfortunately it often takes me a few days before I finally stop all of that, give it up to the Lord in prayer and move forward with what I can do. Like many Christians I do struggle with trying to take control, which adds to my stress. But it amazing every time how spending time with the Lord helps the stress dissipate, and yet this is never the first move I make.

[Venom]

Thanks, guys. You gave me some good incite for my article. Here is my opinion on the topic, from the current issue of JHR, Exercise and Stress Part VI—Spiritual Stress Management (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/exercisestress6.php)

[Leafy Green Vegetables]

Stress and spirituallity is circular.

Stress, in the short term, wrecks my spiritual life. Once I am able to step back and take notice, I immediately put my efforts and time to focus on God again, which usually pulls me out of the stress. Like tarheel mentioned above, I try and think I am in control after a stress free period. I end up not focusing on God, which tends to bring on a bout of stress.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Adam Knowlden]

Yep stress impacts my spiritual life. In our society we are always on the move. We have much less leaisue time to relax, than even 50 years ago. All of our technological advances are supposed to make our life easier, instead they are now more complex.

I am going to do a post on "Your secret place" tonight, but to touch on it now, I set aside a "secret place" in my house, where I meet God daily. I anointed it with oil. When I enter it, no spirit can tough me but the Holy Spirit. When I enter, all of my burdens are left there, and I can get intimate with God.

This is so vital to stress management.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;

Also having a clear focus will reduce stress because you can omit things that do not have anything to do with the goals necessary to fulfill that vision.

Christ did this constantly.

Also removing fools from your life, can reduce stress.

I can go into more detail later, but your dissertation on this topic is excellent Venom! I can't wait to study it more indepth!

I think this is vital to getting away from the burdens of this life, and taking your yoke off and putting Christ's on. Christ knew the full benefit of this as well. We see many examples where Christ would just go off and escape to a mountain and pray. Essentially He "recharged".

Also keeping a Sabbath day is vital to stress management.

[kokokolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Also removing fools from your life, can reduce stress.

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldnt help but laugh at that one, not sure if it was meant to be a joke though.

[Adam Knowlden]

no but it is funny. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[FatDaddy]

[ QUOTE ]
i've watched myself numerous times get stressed from work, financial issues, etc and begin to over worry, get irritable with my wife, lose focus with workouts and diet. unfortunately it often takes me a few days before I finally stop all of that, give it up to the Lord in prayer and move forward with what I can do. Like many Christians I do struggle with trying to take control, which adds to my stress. But it amazing every time how spending time with the Lord helps the stress dissipate, and yet this is never the first move I make.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hear you on that one brother. Your post is like reading about myself.

[thevoice]

Good topic here people, I find stress defintily effects my spiritual life, I currently work in a very stressful job(on phones in a IT support call centre) I get shouted at by customers and customers also take Jesus Christs name and use it in vain when they are trying to do things, on top of this the people I work with always use his name in vain and often have a go at me for my beilfs like mocking etc, this past week I have had to phone in sick as the stress of it is to much, I spent the last weekend just gone at a wedding in London, it was a very different type of wedding than i have ever been to before, the place was packed full of Christians and one after the other they where giving glory to God and giving witness, now I am back home where I dont have much fellowship I felt like my heart has been ripped out and I miss the feeling I had whilist amoung the other brothers and sisters, going into work this week has just been to hard for me.

[MJR]

i meditate a lot to reduce stress

[Praise]

Stress can be used by the enemy to make an attack and cause one to stumble. It happens to me much more frequently than I'd care to admit.

[Calvin]

I'm another member of the stress cycle!
Initially, I'm to focused on myself, the problems, and stressors.
I'll make mistakes, and live like I know I shouldn't: this usually compounds the stress, even though some of the behaviors are fun for the moment.
Once I realize what is going on, I work on getting right with God, and get back on the right track.