I’ll share the two “experiments” that immediately come to mind. The first, which I share for the sake of humor and a little context, is when we’d make a sharp bend in the second knuckle of our middle finger and slam it into our forearm (if we didn’t have the guts to do it to ourselves, we’d ask another in the group to strike us). Somewhere along the line, we’d heard that when a muscle is sharply impacted, it will spasm and contort, which, at the time, sounded entertaining. Born skeptics, we were compelled to find out whether or not this hearsay was truth or myth. Sure enough, when struck just the right way and with the proper amount of force, the forearm would project a small bump where it was struck. The “lab rat” would sit there in pain with his mouth agape while the rest of us “gathered data.” The lump would only last for a second or two and then it’d subside. The victim would wear the resultant bruise like a badge of honor for days, a walking myth-buster.
The second experiment involved standing in the threshold of a doorway. The narrower the doorway, the better (again, these were serious scientific pursuits, my friends - LOL). Since there was really no pain involved, we’d all participate, making this a group experiment. Standing in the doorway, with the palms of our hands facing our thighs, we’d push out against the doorframe with the backs of our hands, as hard as we could, for about ten seconds or so. Then, we’d step forward and relax. Without any conscious effort, our arms would “magically” rise up from our sides. We’d swear to each other that we weren’t faking it. This was truly an unexpected outcome; therefore, a favorite among kids like us.
Do I write these things to make you giggle? A little. But the second experiment makes me think about stress. After about ten seconds of pushing on the doorframe, we’d get really tired. Naturally, you’d think when we stopped consciously pushing, our bodies would want to collapse into a restful state with our arms straight down by our sides. But that’s not what happened. Our bodies somehow “wanted” to go back to the stressful state, at least for a time. I think real stress, in the psychological sense, is a little like that. First, some statistics:
According to the article, How Does Stress Affect Us?, written by Michael Ashworth, Ph.D. for the online publication psychcentral.com, the following are the results of unmanaged stress:
- Over 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
- Somewhere between 75 to 90 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
- Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has declared stress a hazard of the workplace.
Yowza! Dr. Ashworth continues, “We all pay a ‘stress tax’ whether we realize it or not. And one in four people in a 2014 poll say they’ve taken a 'mental health day' as a result of work stress.” We’ve all heard the statement, “Stress kills!” Well, it appears that this is an accurate statement. So, why in the world do people persist in their stress? Why don’t they find better ways of avoiding it? And, like the silly doorway experiment above, why in the world would anyone go right back to it once they’ve experienced it for a time? I mean, stress isn’t comfortable, is it? Not really. In fact, it deforms us, threatening our bearings. Are we that sick in the head that we’d normalize such a thing? I think so.
We humans have a primitive fault. We often prefer routine over health. We fear things that alter our lifestyle. We suffer daily as a result. We stress out because, deep down, when faced with the opportunity to change, we somehow find a reason to reject the idea. So, we wallow in what can only be called self-induced misery.
What kind of “change” are we talking about here? Well, as I’ve been teaching from my pulpit for years, a change in perspective can often eject us from a stressful situation in the blink of an eye. Take reading the Bible, for example:
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
— Psalm 23
For most believers, this chapter in the Holy Bible works like magic against stress. It puts the world in its rightful place and gives us instant peace. Do our circumstances change? Nope, our perspectives do. That’s the kind of ointment for our souls that snaps us out of unhealthy places. If there’s no impetus for doing so, there’s no telling how long we might stand there with our “arms sticking out,” deformed and befuddled.
We are constantly put under stress. That’ll never change while we live in a world that’s antagonistic to us. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). We believers ought never think our relief from stress is going to come from the world. Furthermore, it doesn’t do us any good to spend our time pointing fingers at others, or even situations, as the source of our stress. Our relief, our deliverance, is in Christ Jesus. He, the Word, is our healing salve. “Then turning to the disciples [Jesus] said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see” (Luke 10:23)!
I’m not a psychoanalyst, so I can’t list all the so-called reasons why a person chooses to persist in a state of stress. I only know that they do, and that it’s a choice for believers. The Bible teaches us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). The phrase, “do not be anxious,” is a command, not a suggestion. The practical implication is that we are commanded to seek a way out of stress, not excuses as to why we ought to stay in it. We have daily access to freedom, right? “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
The remedy for our woes is Jesus. If we’re stressed out, we are to turn to Him first. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). If we’re stuck in some bad habits, He has the strength to break them. Rejecting change leads us right back to our place of stress and, ultimately, if the statistics are correct, right back to the doctor’s office. Perspective is everything - learn to love having it changed by the Word of Truth.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known 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.
— Philippians 4:4-8
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
