How Well We Deal With Stress

A man who had been in a mental institution for some years
finally improved to the point where it was thought he might be
released. The psychiatrist that ran the institution decided it
was better to proceed with caution, and chose to interview him
first.
“Tell me,” said the doctor, “if we release you, as we are
considering, what do you plan to do with your life?”
The inmate said, “It would be wonderful to get back to real
life, and if I do, I will certainly refrain from making my
former mistake. I was a nuclear physicist, you see, and it was
the stress of my work in weapons research that helped to put
me here. If I am released, I shall limit myself to work in
pure theory, where I believe the situation will be less
stressful.”
“Wonderful,” said the psychiatrist.
“Or else,” continued the patient, “I might teach. There is
something to be said for dedicating your life to expanding the
knowledge of young people. A lot less stress in that,” the patient said.
“Definitely,” said the psychiatrist.
“Then again, I might write. There is always a need for books
on science, or I may even write a novel based on my
experiences in the psychiatric institution. That wouldn’t be very stressful.
“Another interesting possibility,” agreed the doctor.
“And finally, if none of these things works, I can
always continue to be a teakettle.”
It doesn’t take much imagination to picture the Twelve as Jesus was sending them out for the first time. They had watched Jesus with a whisper cast out a demon, with the wave of a hand bring a cripple to her feet, with a piercing glance flash light into blind eyes, with a smile fill water jugs with wine.
Now he was sending them out to do works as far beyond their power as a dead man rising.
There had to be the breathless exuberance of anticipation mixed in with the sticky paste of stunting doubt. Like the man in our story there was just too much stress to deal constructively with reality.
You can almost hear them say, It’s about time! And in the next breath, What are we going to do?
Yes, they wanted to drive out demons and cure the sick. But how would they react under the stress of entering a place where they were not welcome. Sure, shake the dust from their feet. But what if the people in that place fired volleys of curses at them? Or worse, challenged them to debate the certainty of the Law versus the innovations of their Master? What if the people in that place attacked them physically with replicas of the stone tablets of the Commandments?
Without a doubt, the Twelve were floating on the wings of enthusiasm, but, at the same time, they were crushed under the millstone of stress.
You know from experience how stressful doing good can be. For example, you have to confront someone about a fault, not because it annoys you like an itch but because you really want that person to improve.
But there’s the stress of not knowing how that person will react. The reaction can run the gamut from Thank you to You should talk to Mind your own business to a knock down dragged out fight.
Besides trying to do good, there are the day-in-day-out stresses of just living in this crucible called life.
One way to help yourself manage stress is good personal management.
For example:
Set goals. Decide what’s important and pursue it. Learn to say no.
Get organized. Keep a detailed calendar to remind you of even the smallest tasks.
Be creative. Find new and better ways to do routine tasks.
Keep your life in balance. Pursue a hobby a hobby outside your primary work.
Doing these exercises is once again your cooperative efforts. Jesus will not wave a magic wan and make your stress disappear. Jesus’ grace and power are like a lake that keeps your row boat afloat. Your cooperative efforts are like using your oars to get from one place to another.
There is a positive element in stress emphasized by Scott Peck in his book, People of the Lie: Stress is the test for goodness. The truly good people are those who in time of stress do not desert their integrity, their maturity, their sensitivity.
Again on the positive side, Bernard Bush in his book, Belonging, says, Creative action springs from the tension between what we are and what we are becoming.
There is a saying here that fits like a plug in an electrical outlet: To change your life, change your attitude.
For example, you notice a breaking down in communication between yourself and your spouse as being quite stressful. You can change your attitude from resignation to a determination to be more self-revelatory and vulnerable, building a bridge of intimacy between the two of you. Your effort will be able to relieve some of the stress your suffering.
Another example: as a teenager you feel pummeled by the jackhammer of peer pressure to get involved in drugs or sexual activity and this causes you agonizing stress. You can change your attitude from being defensive to making the others aware that their so-called recreational activities are character-destroying sins.
This may bring on more stress, for instance, by your being called a goody two-shoes, but your conviction that you are right will relieve that stress, especially when you consider the source. Do you really care what these kinds of people think of you?
Humorous story about stress:
Patient: “Doctor, you must help me. I’m under such a lot of stress that I keep losing my temper with people.”
Doctor: “Tell me about your problem.”
Patient: “I just did, didn’t I .... You inattentive dolt!”
Ask Jesus your indwelling friend to help you to cope with the stress in your life by cooperating with his liberating grace, keeping in mind that a diamond is just a piece of coal that made good under pressure.
Thought: Always relax to relieve stress.