Overwhelmed!
On the lighter side: FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY......
* Save the whales. Collect the whole set
* A day without sunshine is like, night
* On the other hand, you have different fingers.
* I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
* 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
* 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
* I feel like I’m diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
* You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be
misquoted, then used against you.
* I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.
* Honk if you love peace and quiet.
* Remember half the people you know are below average.
* Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
* Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.
* Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
* He who laughs last thinks slowest.
* Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
* Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.
* The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
* I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.
* I intend to live forever - so far so good.
* Borrow money from a pessimist - they don’t expect it back.
* If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
* My mind is like a steel trap - rusty and illegal in 37 states.
* Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of.
* The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.
* Support bacteria - they’re the only culture some people have.
Thesis: Many today in our society are chasing after the wind and ending up overwhelmed and stressed in their lives. The result of this state is that many are robbed of their joy in life.
Video Illustration: Illustrate 6 from Bluefish TV- The story of Brian and Margaret and the stress they find themselves trapped in.
Phrases to catch:
“We do it because everyone else is doing it!”
“We say we have to stop but we do not!”
It’s as if they are swept along in the wave of chasing after the wind of some future success!
T.S. – Now listen to the Book of Ecclesiastes and see that when our focus is on the wrong direction then we discover life is racing along dragging us with it and we have no control to stop it so it seems like we are just chasing after the wind. But there is hope!
Scripture Text:
Ecclesiastes 2:17-26:
17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. 24A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4: 1-8:
1Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed—and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter. 2And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 3But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. 4And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 5The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. 6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. 7Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14:
9Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Introduction:
After reading the scripture sections in Ecclesiastes we discover that Solomon knew what it was like to be stressed out in this life and to come to a point were life was like chasing after the wind. I believe many today could relate to the feelings of Solomon from our book today. Many of us in this life feel like we are chasing after the wind. We are running around in circles going nowhere and we are totally stressed out because we feel like life has no purpose. It seems like we are running in circles trying to achieve something I’m not sure if we know what that something is? I see far too many people collapsing under the stress and the pressure of running around like roosters with their heads cut off.
I am hearing a new phrase repeated throughout our nation today, they are saying we are no longer “One Nation Under God!” but “One Nation, Under Stress!” I talk to a lot of people on a regular basis and here them say, “I am exhausted,” You can look at their eyes and see that they are overwhelmed. They keep saying things like, “All I have to do is make it to this month and I then can relax!” But then they get to that month they discover that it is as busy and as over whelming as the last 6 months were. They seem to be trapped in the endless cycle of stress, and busyness. So the drip goes on hitting them in the forehead day after day after day. They are deceived with the idea that they have to continue doing more, more and more. There is in their minds some grandiose view that it’s good for them and their family to stay this stressed. It’s good for them to keep their heads under the steady drip of stress and busyness.
Dr. Don Colbert wrote a book called Stress Less in which he tackles the problem of stress in our society. Listen to a few observations he has made as a Medical Doctor. “Did you know that 75 to 90 percent of all visits to a primary care physician’s office are related to stress disorders? That’s according to the American Institute of Stress. What is driving us to the shelves of pharmacy? Feelings of stress! Americans are consuming five billion tranquilizers, five billion barbiturates, three billion amphetamines, and sixteen tons of aspirin every year. Much of this “medicine” is being taken to help alleviate stress or the resulting headaches and pain associated with stress” (5)!
We are living in a time were we have epidemic levels of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, alcoholism, drug abuse, road rage, violent behavior, people losing control over minor incidents, headaches, and the list could go on but the truth is this is all related to the excessive stress we face in society today.
I here far too often the phrase, “I am stressed out!” or “I feel trapped!” or “I’m in an endless cycle of business!” and “I am so overwhelmed!” The reality check of life modern living seems to be associated with extreme levels of stress. The truth is these stressful lifestyles and feelings are doing damage to the physical and emotional health of our bodies. Dr. Colbert says, “The body’s stress response involves more that fourteen hundred known physical and chemical reactions involving more than thirty different hormones and neurotransmitters. Excessive release of ‘stress hormones’ damages cells, tissues, and organs. For most people, the daily stress hassles are the most damaging to the body” (7).
T.S. – So the big question for us today is this, “How are you managing the stress in your life? Do you feel like Solomon al I am doing is chasing the wind and this is meaningless to me any more?
I. How Stressed are you?
a. Here is a stress test we can all take today to measure our stress level:
i. See hand out from Whiteman’s book, “How Stressed Are You?”
1. Please take the time today to fill out this stress test to see for yourselves were you are at with the stress in your life.
2. These questions and the scoring key will help you realize and understand how dangerous you level of stress is.
ii. The truth is it very important for us to make sure that we do not live in denial about our stress but face it and deal with it. So with this in mind let me ask you some more questions:
1. Have you gotten to the point where you actually feel trapped and hopeless in life because it is so full of stress?
2. Do you feel that you have no emotional reserves left to do one more thing?
3. Do you feel that you have no physical energy left to accomplish the next task?
4. Do you feel so overwhelmed that there is no joy in your life?
5. Do you feel mad at the world for no apparent reason?
6. Do you feel that everyone is just sucking you dry and then walking away leaving you to whither up and die?
7. Do you feel that your pace in life is out of control?
a. If you answer yes to any of these questions then stress is dripping on your head.
b. Dr. Colbert states, “In my opinion, stress is the pressures of life and how one perceives, believes, reacts, and copes with these pressures” (7).
i. He gives us all some sound advice in managing the stress in our lives so that it does not drown us and put us over the edge:
1. He first tells us that we have to get control of our thoughts if we ever want any hope in managing stress!
a. He notes that we can transform our thoughts and our thinking patterns.
b. He tells us that we can alter our perceptions of life and its stressors.
c. He tells us we can quit fighting against the stressors and learn to be able to ride them like a surfer rides the waves of the ocean.
d. The Bible tells us that getting control of our thought patterns is possible. Listen to what it says in Philippians 4:4-9:
i. 4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
e. Notice what it says in verses 4-7!
i. Rejoice- choose to rejoice and not be stressed and then depressed!
1. This is the first step to changing our perceptions about life.
ii. Do not be anxious- In other words trust God to work out everything in your life and learn to relax in the faithfulness of the Lord.
1. Let go of the anxiety of stress.
2. Let go of it’s continuous drip into your mind and heart.
iii. Pray - when you are anxious in life learn to ask for the Lord’s help so that you can calm down.
1. Pray and ask the Lord to change your thinking and your perceptions about this life.
iv. Be thankful – in other words learn to appreciate the good things in your life. Learn to remember the blessings that the Lord has given you! Learn to say, “Thank You to the Lord!”
1. This act of praise will change your perceptions!
v. If you do these little things everyday then you will have peace the Word tells us.
1. Maxwell stated, “What you do today determines what you will be tomorrow!”
2. If we learn the importance of doing these little things daily then it says God’s peace will guard our hearts and our minds.
a. In other words this is great advice in preventing a heart attack in your life!
b. Dr. Colbert states, “According to the Mayo Clinic study of people with heart disease, psychological stress was the strongest predictor of future cardiac events” (13).
c. He also noted, “In one ten-year study, people who were not able to mange their stress effectively had a 40% higher death rate than those who were ‘unstressed’” (13).
f. Also notice what Doctor Paul says in verses 5-9:
i. Paul the Doctor of your well being says, “Do you want peace of mind and do you want to prevent a heart attack? Then think about the good things in life! Think on things that praiseworthy and excellent! Look at the positive side of life instead of always focusing on the negative side of life! It will prevent you from having a heart attack and from you losing your mind!”
1. He agrees with Dr. Colbert – change you thinking and how you perceive those stressful events in life.
2. The truth is we do have the power and the help from God to change the way we perceive our life and this world’s stressors.
g. Dr. Colbert quotes Deut. 30:19, 20a:
i. “19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…”
1. He states this about this text:
a. “Choosing life means to choose God’s way over our way; it means to choose a relationship with Him and obedience to Him over our own self-centered desires. Most factors to stress are subject to your choice” (17).
ii. The truth is what you perceive is really your reality! It’s all in how you decide to look at it!
1. The way we perceive stressful events impacts our bodies reaction to stress and our emotional state.
a. Remember this – Stress is found in everyone’s life but the one’s who manage it well go on and live long lives filled with contentment and peace.
b. Remember this - Our perception of an event will make it either positive or negative. It is really up to us to decide which will gain control of our minds and hearts.
2. Dr. Colbert states, “Your perceptions determine how you see the world. The mind is similar to a computer –the brain is the hard drive, and the perceptions are the ‘software.’ It is the perception of people, demands, issues, and circumstances-not the actual people, demands, issues, or circumstances in and of themselves-that dictate how a person will react” (33).
a. He notes several distorted thought patterns that people adopt in life.
i. All-or-nothing thinking – For this kind of person, there are no gray areas. Anything less than his standard of ‘perfect’ is worthless (38).
ii. Overgeneralizations – A person who overgeneralizes thinks that if one thing goes wrong, nothing will ever go right for him ever (39).
iii. A negative mental filter – This kind of distortional thinking causes a person to hear a half hour of praise after a job evaluation but leave the meeting depressed because of one area ‘needing improvement’ (39).
iv. Disqualifying the positive – Even more distortional is when a person takes a positive experience and turns it into a negative one. These kind of thinkers feel they are not worthy of any praise under any circumstances (40).
v. Jumping to conclusions – People who jump to conclusions predict the worst possible outcome or circumstance without having any, or all, the facts to support their conclusions (41).
1. Mind reading- you arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don’t bother to check this out (40).
2. The fortune teller error – you anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already –established fact.
vi. Magnification (catastrophizing) or minimization – You exaggerate the importance of things (such as your goof up or someone else’s achievement), or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny (your own desirable qualities or the other fellow’s imperfections).
vii. Emotional reasoning – You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: “I feel it, therefore it must be true.” (41).
viii. Fixed rule thinking- This person is a ‘should,’ ‘must,’ or ‘ought to’ person. He confines people and events to his rules and fails to realize the fact that he can’t force anyone to adhere to them. The more rigid the rules, the greater the person’s disappointment. That disappointment usually plays out as worry, depression. Frustration, irritation, or guilt (43).
ix. Labeling and mislabeling – A person who attaches a negative label to himself or someone else tends to do so because of his own low self-esteem (43).
x. Personalization – This kind of thinking shifts the blame of an outcome on self. Unfortunately in our society, many children who come from dysfunctional homes become trapped in this kind of thinking: “Daddy left mommy because I was bad” (44).
xi. Life is fair, and everybody is entitled to a good life – The truth is life is not fair. (45).
xii. I need to be liked and accepted by everyone- Truth is not everybody will like you (45).
xiii. People should behave properly – If you expect other people to always behave toward you in the way you consider ‘proper’ you will live in a state of frustration, anger and stress (45).
xiv. The worst outcome will probably occur – The worst outcome is rarely what comes to pass. Worrying about things beyond your control leads to excessive stress (45).
xv. I am unable to change the way I am – This belief is guaranteed to lead to stress (46).
b. Dr. Colbert notes that these distortional thoughts and beliefs are rooted in the thought that life owes us something. But he states, “There is nothing written in the cosmos of the Word of God that declares this to be true. Life owes you nothing; you owe life something” (47)!
c. The truth is a lot of our stress comes from us allowing the faulty thinking to take root in our minds and in our hearts.
i. Proverbs 23:7a NKJV states, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”
T.S. – We need to honestly evaluate our stress level and seek to deal with it like Jesus did and learn from His example stress managment.
II. Jesus knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed by sorrow and stress.
a. We need to learn from Jesus how to deal with stress!
i. Scripture verse - Matthew 26:36-39: 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
b. Jesus himself knew the pressure of stress and the feelings of being overwhelmed. But he was able to come through the stress test and get the victory.
i. Movie Clip: The Passion of The Christ when Jesus is in the garden struggling with the decision to do the Lord’s will or to say no to God’s will. It was a very stressful time in Jesus’ life!
ii. As you watch this video clip notice how Jesus dealt with His stress and notice the effects stress had on Him!
1. Did you notice his turmoil and anguished look?
2. Did you see the blood seeping out of his skin because of his stress?
3. Did you see him collapse from the pressure and pass out momentarily?
4. Did you see who was there to make the stress worse?
a. The enemy loves to make us see the worst part of our stressors.
b. He loves to get us more overwhelmed.
c. He enjoys tormenting us in our stressful moments.
5. Did you notice what Jesus did to get through this horrible ordeal?
a. He found a place of solitude.
i. He got away from the crowds of people and even his work.
ii. He made the time to get alone with God!
b. He prayed to “Abba!”
i. He asked for the Father’s help.
ii. He sought clarity about the situation.
iii. He focused on the problem in the presence of His Father.
c. He looked to comfort from his friends!
i. It was not there! But he looked for it! He asked for their help in prayer! Instead they just slept!
d. He prayed again to “Abba”!
i. Notice he did not just pray once but he went and did it again!
e. He asked for “Abba’s” help again!
f. He asked for a different direction but Abba said no this is the only way so surrender your will to mine.
g. Jesus yielded to Abba’s direction and plan and received strength from Heaven to press on.
h. He even got renewed enough to stamp on the enemies head so as to cause him stress.
T.S. – Jesus shows us some techniques in dealing with stress and we can also learn some other effective management techniques from Dr. Colbert and the Word.
III. How can you better manage the stress of life?
a. You need to recognize that you are stressed!
i. That’s why you need to do the stress test I handed out today - It’s reality check time!
1. Quit being in denial and face reality!
ii. Whiteman states, “Your life is going eighty miles an hour, but you don’t realize it at first, because everyone else is going that fast, too” (22, Stress Management).
1. See if your life is racing out of control?
iii. The first step to dealing with stress is recognizing that it’s in your life and understanding if it is out of control.
1. Whiteman also states this about Christians, “Many Christians will masks his or her true emotions out of a desire to be a ‘victorious believer’ who does not succumb to the trials of life” (40).
2. This will set many up for failure and burnout!
b. You need to learn to deal with your stress appropriately.
i. Whiteman states, “The main component of effective stress management is this: equipping your mind and body to deal with the stresses that come your way” (15).
c. We earlier talked the importance in changing the way you think and we exposed distortional thinking patterns some of us have. The key from Doctor Paul to better manager stress is to renew the mind!
i. So we must transform and renew our minds. How do we do this?
1. Dr. Colbert says, “The Bible tells us that we are not to live with distortional thought processes. Rather, we are to have ‘transformed’ minds” (55).
a. Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
2. Colbert adds, “How do we develop a ‘transformed’ or ‘renewed’ mind? We steep our thinking in God’s Word. We find out how God sees reality. We find out what God calls true, we find out what God commands. And then…
a. We choose to see the world through God’s eyes.
b. We choose to label right and wrong according to God’s standards.
c. We choose to love and to forgive as God loves and forgives us (55).
3. These are all keys to proper stress management!
d. We also need to reduce our frustration factors in life and this will help us to deal with stress more effectively.
i. We need to learn to simplify our lives more
1. Show Commercial Parody video clip from Blue Fish TV
ii. We need to learn to take a day off after working for 6 days.
1. Here is a reality check God did it so why do we think we are better than Him?
a. Let me ask you point blank, “Do you think you are more powerful than God?”
b. He took time off and so should we!
2. Dr. Colbert states, “According to the International labor Organization, Americans now work more hours in a year than any other people in an industrialized nation of the world. A very high percentage of Americans are burning the candle at both ends by staying up late and getting up early. Instead of working to live, many are living to work. More than a third of Americans – 38 percent – say they are working fifty hours or more a week” (160).
3. Jesus himself rested and relaxed even when storms where blowing all around him!
a. Luke 8:22-24: 22One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
b. We should too!
4. We must trust God and obey his law of rest. We are challenged n Scripture to set aside a day each week to rest and worship God. It is a command so why do we think it is an option?
a. Exodus 20:8-11: 8“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
b. Exodus 23:10-12: 10“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.
iii. We also need to learn to relax so as to reduce the frustration levels in life.
1. Dr. Colbert states, “Muscle tension is nature’s primary way of informing you that you are under stress” (228).
a. Dr. Colbert gives us simple test to see if we are tense even right now in this service:
i. Are furrowing your brow?
1. Ask your neighbor to look at your face and tell you what they see!
ii. Are you clenching your jaw?
1. The thought also along this line is to notice if you grind your teeth?
iii. Are you pursing your lips?
iv. Are your shoulders and neck tense or tight?
1. Are you slouching?
v. Do you have discomfort anywhere in your body?
1. Have you been more achy lately?
2. Have you felt exhausted – overly tired?
vi. Are your toes curled under in your shoes?
1. Ask yourself is your body showing signs of stress?
2. Be honest with yourself!
2. Remember Jesus was never in a hurry!
a. We should learn from his example to not be in a hurried frenzy all the time either!
b. We need to slow down our pace in life if we desire to live the kind of life God intended.
iv. We also need to make sure that we get enough sleep every night so as to reduce the stress level in our life!
1. Dr. Colbert says, “Sleep - God’s stress buster!”
a. He adds, “In the early 1900’s, Americans got an average of nine hours of sleep a night. Today, the average American reports seven hours of sleep a night. The result is that we as a nation are sleeping fewer hours and with less restful sleep” (161).
2. We need to understand that God designed our bodies to sleep.
a. Dr. Colbert stated, “We need this ‘down time’ every night to restore, remove, and replace worn-out and dead cells in the body. We also need adequate sleep to give the brain an opportunity to ‘sort out’ the information of the day in ways that are intricately designed by our Creator and are far too complex to begin to explain here” (161).
3. We need to understand that we need to get a quality nights sleep.
a. Colbert notes:
i. A National Sleep Foundation Poll revealed that the majority of Americans 63 percent do not get eight hours of sleep a night, and nearly a third of Americans -31 percent –get fewer than seven hours of sleep a night.
ii. An estimated sixty million Americans suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. About 40 percent of these people link stress or emotional factors to their insomnia.
iii. Nearly two-thirds of Americans -62 percent-experience a sleep problem a few nights a week or more. As a result, this same percentage of the population reports ‘daytime drowsiness’” (161-162).
4. Sleep is not a luxury it is a necessity (Colbert, 162):
a. Important hormones are secreted during sleep.
b. Adequate sleep slows the aging process and the visible effects associated with aging.
c. Sleep boosts the immune system.
d. Adequate sleep lowers cortisol levels.
e. Adequate sleep improves brain function.
5. Consequences of a lack of sleep (Colbert, 163-164):
a. An increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
b. Impairment of cognition and motor performance.
c. Lowering of sex drive in both men and women.
e. We need to have daily diets that reduce stress.
i. Do you know what reverses being stressed out? Stressed reversed is spelled desserts!
1. I know many of you say this is the best stressor out their! Well I may agree but our doctors say differently!
ii. Reduce you caffeine intake.
iii. Say not to the snack foods.
iv. Eat a balanced nutritional meal.
v. Dr. Colbert states, “Several major research studies have demonstrated that excessive stress, obesity, and elevated cortisol go hand and hand.”
vi. If we learn to change our diets then we will learn to change our stress levels.
f. We need to exercise and this will lower stress levels in our lives.
i. Colbert states, “Most people think they exercise for the sake of their body-generally to stay lean and strong physically. The greater truth is that exercise is also good for the mind and emotions” (204).
g. We need to cultivate happiness and joy into our life.
i. We need to be intentional about it being “Happy!”
ii. It does not just happen you have to make it happen!
1. Some of us need to learn to laugh!
iii. John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
iv. John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
v. Colbert states on pages 219-220, “For hundreds of years psychologists and other medical professionals have studies the negative forces that affect the physical, emotional, and mental health of their patients. Only in recent years have studies begun to focus on the positive forces that make people healthy and happy. Here are a few of the measurable benefits that happiness exerts for living a healthy life:
1. Better health
2. Healthy relationships
3. Optimism
4. Longevity
a. Truth is do you want to live longer then get happy!
vi. He adds on page 224 that a good hearty laugh will help:
1. Reduce stress
2. Lower blood pressure
3. Elevate mood
4. Boost the immune system
5. Improve the brain function
6. Protect the heart
7. Connect you to others
8. Foster instant relaxation
9. Make you feel good
Conclusion:
Dr. Colbert’s closing chapter in his book Stress Less states this thought:
I have come to believe with a very strong conviction that the ultimate prescription for overcoming stress is this:
Love God
Love other people
Love yourself
Rarely do I treat patients for stress who genuinely love the Lord, are active in serving others, and who have a personal confidence and love for themselves that is rooted in knowing they have been forgiven by God and are presently ‘God’s work in progress.’ People who are quick to thank and praise the Lord, quick to confess their sins and receive forgiveness for them, and quick to reach out to other people and to see even strangers as potential allies rather than potential enemies are rarely ‘stressed out’(266,267).
To effectively deal with stress we need to go back to Ecclesiastes 2:24-26:
24A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
