Chapter 1: WHAT IS STRESS?
There are often varied and confusing definitions for stress. In order to find an understandable one, we need to examine the physical world around us. I believe that God put all physical things on this earth to illustrate spiritual principles. Let’s start with a common place for definitions, the dictionary. Webster defines stress as:
"A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension," or "A state resulting from a stress, one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium," or
"Strain or pressure to the point of collapse."
Another common definition is:
“The act, condition, or effect of placing force on something or someone.”
The scientific world would describe it as:
“A condition under which an object is placed to ascertain its strength, characteristics, or limits.
Typically, forces of tension, compression, shear, torsion, and bending are applied.”
Keep these definitions in mind as we proceed further into the truths of God. They are important to understanding life and its stressful times from God’s perspective. A big clue for us at this point is that God wants to significantly increase our limits and our strength so we can be of greater service to him.
The engineering world would describe stress induced in vehicle operations as:
“Failure tendencies caused by normal operations and environmental conditions.”
An example of this last definition that we are all familiar with occurred in the space shuttle program. The Challenger disaster was caused by a stress-induced failure in the solid rocket booster attached to the external tank and the shuttle. Causes of stress in a space vehicle include: temperature, pressure, G forces, vibration, etc. The same is true for all vehicles as well. This typically comes from the vibration and shock caused by normal or unusual operations.
One cannot discuss stress in the physical sense without running across the word strain. Webster defines the verb strain as:
“To exert or tax to the utmost. To stretch or exert one’s muscles or nerves to the utmost. A great or excessive pressure, demand, or stress on one’s emotions or resources.”
We can all identify with this last definition. This is an accurate explanation of how we feel under stress.
Transferring the scientific definitions that we previously listed into more personal terms, it would seem that people under stress are:
• experiencing bodily or mental tension;
• under force or pressure approaching failure;
• subjected to demands beyond their ability to cope;
• taxed to the utmost (this is both emotionally and physically, often also
financially);
• drained of emotional and/or physical resources.
Oftentimes, we are like our TV set or our car, just worn out. Now, what does the Bible say about stress? It is important to point out that God did not make man so he could live with stress for long periods of time unless God was in control. Since man is separated from God as a result of sin, starting back in the Garden of Eden, stress is always with us to some degree in this life. Stress will only totally go away in heaven.
Perhaps the most critical stress in this life is caused by unresolved guilt, which usually results in one of two human reactions, producing disastrous results. One common reaction is to blame others, which leads to bitterness, hatred, and eventually rebellion. The other result may be withdrawal from life, perhaps becoming a recluse, or in extreme cases the complete withdrawal of committing suicide. Examples of these extreme reactions are found in different scriptures. In 1 Samuel 31, we see the ultimate end of King Saul’s rebellion when he took his own life. Again, in Matthew 27, we see the end of unresolved guilt in Judas’s life. As the scripture relates, he was in such agony that he hung himself on a tree.
I am sure that most of us have had an acquaintance or friend who has taken his or her own life. One close friend of mine, whom God saved, told me a very accurate description of man’s ultimate dilemma when he reaches the breaking point. One night, after going through extreme depression for days, he was sitting on the stairs thinking that this life is not worth living. “I would be better off dead,” he said. Later he was so glad he did not have a gun in the house, because if he had, he would have killed himself. He said you couldn’t imagine the pain of feeling totally hopeless. It consumes you so much that all you want to do is get rid of the pain, and you are willing to do anything, including suicide, to accomplish that. You certainly don’t think about any of the bad consequences that would result. Fortunately, this friend turned to God, started reading the Bible and praying. As he continued, his rationale began to return and the depression and stress began to go away. God then sent him people and situations that restored his hope and brought him the peace he so badly needed.
There is no need to go into further details of those extreme reactions since the point of this book is to show how God sends times of stress to us because he wants us to change so that we conform to his plan. However, it is important to realize that disastrous results can occur if we don’t turn to God and seek his direction. The more we are like little children to him, the more he is able to lead and comfort us. We are going to find out that he loves us too much to leave us where we are. Thank goodness!