Stress

Stress

Class Teaching Notes,

January 15, 2011

Larry R Evans

Introduction

Life is filled with stress and each of us is confronted with it in some form every day. Some dread getting up in the morning so stress begins their day. I happen to dread going to bed but look forward to getting up—I never did like taking naps growing up. For some there is stress in the family, on the job and even with their health. The question before us this week isn’t so much how can we avoid it, although we sometimes create unnecessary stress for ourselves by the choices we make. Rather we will focus more on how can we cope with it constructively. Each of us come packaged with a whole set of unique circumstances so this week we will be looking for principles to live by rather than casting blame and judgments. As an introduction to this week’s study and reflection I share two quotes which I have captured from some books I recently read. They were not written to address the subject of stress but they do have a bearing on how we relate to ourselves, our circumstances and with our God.

“Human need is always more apparent than God’s presence for the same reason that the earth always looks flat. The human need is very visible in sickness, the loneliness, the boredom, and the busyness, while all the signs and symbols of God’s word and presence are several miles away in the church sanctuary. That is why so many of us [clergy] perform more like psychological therapists than Christian priests when we are out of the pulpit. Our awareness of human need crowds out and then takes precedence over our attentiveness to God’s presence.” (Eugene Peterson, Under the Unpredictable Plant, p.194)

“Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, ‘I will set my throne above the throne of God.’ Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line.

All this may seem too simple. But we have no apology to make. To those who would seek to climb into heave after help or descend into hell, God says, ‘The word is nigh thee, even . . . the word of faith.’ (Romans 10:8). The Word induces us to lift up our eyes unto the Lord and the blessed work of faith begins.” (A.W. Tozer, In Pursuit of God, p.85)

Being patient, waiting to see the bigger picture, is never easy. The world will always look flat if our world view doesn’t encompass more than what we can actually see at the time. Faith doesn’t come easily and often it is made more difficult because while we say we trust God, He isn’t always the real object of our focus. If we find any of this to be true for ourselves then the “good news” is that we aren’t alone. Even prophets of old like Elijah struggled with the same sense of being overwhelmed with the challenges of life. None of us are alone or forgotten. There is a God who cares. We have not been abandoned. That’s one of the important messages coming from the cross and the resurrection!

Questions for Reflection and Class Discussion

1. The life of Elijah reveals that the closer one is to God the less stress one will have. (1 Ki 17:2-6, 15,16) True or False?

2. Successes as well as failures can bring stress. (1 Ki 18:9-10) True or False?

3. People as well as events can add to our stress. (1 Ki 19:1,2; 2 Sam 18:32,33) True or False?

4. We can add stress to the lives of others and to our own. (Jn 11:35; Matt 26:33-35, 69-75) True or False?

5. When under stress we are more vulnerable to stress. (1 Ki 19:3,4) True or False?

6. Once we learn to trust in God, stress will have little influence upon our relationship with the Lord. (Jonah 4:1-3) True or False?

7. When doing work for God our health issues can be put on hold. (1 Ki 19:5-9) True or False?

8. The life experiences of Elijah reveal that there can be life after serious discouragement. (1Ki 19:3-5, 14; 2 Ki 2:7-11)

9. People may be a source of either distress or peace. (Mk 6:31) True or False?

10. The Sabbath School lesson says that by focusing on others rather than on ourselves is a good way of removing personal stress. This has been in your experience. (Gal.6:2; Philip. 2:4; Jn 15:13) True or False?

Reflective Conclusion

(To be posted later with full class notes.)