“How To Survive Seasonal Stress”

This week I am starting a new series that I have titled, “Getting Ready For The Holidays”. I am starting the series with a message titled, “How To Survive Seasonal Stress”.

I don’t know about you, but when Gayla and I begin to talk about the holidays, my blood pressure begins to rise and I begin to sweat! I totally dislike going to Walmart in normal circumstances. Now I have to start thinking about going shopping there during the busiest time of the year!

What is it about the holidays that cause us so much stress? Is it the fact that we feel we have to spend money on gifts people don’t need with money we don’t have? Or is it pretending that our family is just fine so that our relatives don’t begin to talk about us?  Maybe it’s the yearly get together with our relatives who don’t talk to us any other time of the year while we now have to endure sitting across the table from them engaging in meaningless conversation. Regardless of the reason, the stress we all face is real.

“In 1967, psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe examined the medical records of over 5,000 medical patients as a way to determine whether stressful events might cause illnesses. Patients were asked to tally a list of 43 life events based on a relative score. A positive correlation of 0.118 was found between their life events and their illnesses.

Their results were published as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), known more commonly as the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. Subsequent validation has supported the links between stress and illness.” (Excerpted from Wikipedia)

Dr. Walter Calvert continued his study and discovered that forty percent of your worries never happen. Thirty percent of your worries concern the past. Basically this tells us worry cannot change the past and worry cannot control the future. All worry does is mess up today! The past is the past and it’s not going to control the future no matter how much you worry about it. Worry just messes you up right now!

Twelve percent of your worries are needless health concerns which reminds me of the hypochondriac who had written on his tombstone, “I told you I was sick!”

Ten percent of your worries are about insignificant and petty issues. Only eight percent of your worries are actual legitimate concerns.

In (Philippians 4:4-9) we find some great counsel on worrying and handling stress.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice ... The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” [ESV]

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is flavored by the context in which it was written– from a lonely jail cell! Even so, Paul’s message is inspiring and filled with hope. In this passage, he summarizes his life goal and passion: living for Christ!  In fact, he writes that neither death nor life means anything other than an opportunity to be with and live for Christ so why should he be consumed with worry!

• Here’s some questions to help stimulate your spiritual growth:
• What do you think the key to successful living is?
• From where does Paul write the book of Philippians? (1:7)
• What was Paul’s attitude toward living? (1:20-25)
• What was Paul’s attitude toward the threat of death? (1:20-25)5
• What admonition did Paul give to the Philippians concerning their own attitude toward living? (1:27)
• How does your attitude affect your ability to succeed in struggles?
• How would you summarize Paul’s life motto in your own words?
• What would you say is your own life’s motto?
• In what ways can your life bring honor to God in day-to-day circumstances?
• In what area of life could you pray for an attitude improvement?