The Universal Problem Of Stress

Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.  (Isaiah 41:10 MSG)

What an amazing promise of God this is.  He’s with us; there’s no need to fear; he’ll give us strength to carry us through whatever situation comes our way; he’ll help us; hold us steady and keep a firm grip on us even when we fear what is happening.  If we believe this, why do we stress over situations?  When the people of God grumbled to Moses about their hardships and he in turn complained to God about being overwhelmed by their burdens, God was not stressed by their requests.

Stress has become a universal problem and many medical professionals consider it an underlying cause of a number of serious health problems. In our personal environment, pressure and stress come through family trouble, financial difficulty, job pressure, health issues and other factors.  There are a number of lists that detail stress factors and assign points to the various sources.  For example, the most stressful of events are death of a spouse, divorce, marital separation, a jail term, death of a close family member, illness or injury.  These events cause legitimate stress in our beings and they sometimes initiate lifestyle changes that must be dealt with while one is under constant emotional pain or pressure. 

At these times we need to rely on God’s promises to us and also seek consolation and help from other family members and friends.  These are not times to isolate!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV)