stress, worry and faith

08May15

Stress, Worry, FaithEast London

Thing Stress

Growth

God’s Plan for Stress

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we

despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of

death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on

God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:7–9 NIV11)

Stress

Waves

Drown

Accomplishments

?

Stress Drown Decide

Stress Drown

Depression

Anxiety

Yerkes-Dodson law

Depression = Unhappiness

Depression •At least one of the core symptoms:•• Persistent sadness or low mood nearly every day.•• Loss of interests or pleasure in most activities.

•Plus some of the following symptoms:•• Fatigue or loss of energy.•• Worthlessness, excessive or inappropriate guilt.•• Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, or actual suicide attempts.

•• Diminished ability to think/concentrate or increased indecision.

•• Psychomotor agitation or retardation.•• Insomnia/hypersomnia.•• Changes in appetite and/or weight loss.

See your doctor!

Stress Drown

Depression

Anxiety

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every

situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.”

(Philippians 4:6 NIV11)

“Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that

when you see him again you may be glad and I may have

less anxiety.” Philippians 2:28 NIV11)

anxiety: alupoteros (alupos) “painless, free from pain, free from grief or sorrow”

anxiety: merimna “care, anxiety,

concern, worry”

Things we worry about• 30% are things in the past that can't be changed

• 40% are things that will never happen

• 12% are things relating to other people's opinion of us

•  10% are things relating to health issues, which worry only makes worse

•  8% are things that need us to take action

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its

strength.”Corie Ten Boom

““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is

how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom

and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow

will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:24–34 NIV11-GK)

(Matthew 6:9–13 NIV11)(Matthew 6:9–13 NIV11) How does this help worry?How does this help worry?

““Our Father in heaven, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in be done, on earth as it is in

heaven.heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our we also have forgiven our

debtors.debtors.

And lead us not into And lead us not into temptation, temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.”

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough

trouble of its own.”

(Matthew 6:34 NIV11)“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take

thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil

thereof.” (Matthew 6:34 KJV)

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful

and thankful” (Colossians 4:2 NIV11)

Worry PrayCan I take

action?

Yes

No

Can I take action now?

Yes

No

Take action now

Plan when to take action

PrayGive it to

God - Pray

Stop worrying!

The Worry Flow-Chart

“Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

(Psalm 139:23 NIV11)

“When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought me joy.”

(Psalms 94:19 NIV11)

“Anxiety weighs down the heart,

but a kind word cheers it up.”

(Proverbs 12:25 NIV11)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being

renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are

achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we

fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is

unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NIV11)

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he

cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV11)