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SURVIVING STRESS

by Jeffrey Hagan  
10/05/2014 / Christian Living

by Rev. Jeff Hagan, DCE, DMin, (ThD)


Philippians 1:18-30, "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.


"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have" (ESV).


Introduction:


All the way back in January of 2002, USA Today published a survey that asked, "How often do you experience stress in your daily life?" The answers were as follows: Frequently - 42 percent; Sometimes - 38 percent; Rarely - 18 percent; Never - 2% (and I think they were lying). That means that back in 2002 98 percent of Americans were dealing with stess on a regular basis. The NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a nationwide poll in March and early April of 2014. Part of their results found that 49 percent of Americans say they are dealing with "major" stressful situations and 26 percent described their stress levels at "a great deal," which was one category less than "major." If you are among these numbers I have a question to ask of you: Can our stress result in joy? Can we have joy in the middle of stress? Are joy and stress mutually exclusive terms?


The Scripture passage we are looking at today comes from the New Testament epistle Philippians. Philippians is known as the "Epistle of Joy." In this book of only four chapters, Paul uses the terms "joy" and "rejoice" 16 times. And he wrote this epistle while in prison in Rome. He wrote this epistle during a very stressful time. But he would not let his circumstances dictate his response. Empowered by the Holy Spirit and the prayers of the saints (v.19), he was able to experience joy during stress. We are able to follow Paul's example in this area as well. We just need to pick up on a few things from our passage (Philippians 1:18-30).


Let me provide a disclaimer here. I want to make sure it is clear than I am referring to normal stress that affects all of us from time to time. What I am sharing today in no way takes the place of appropriate treatment for those suffering with mood or emotional disorders. If one is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, or if they suffer from clinical depression, if they are diagnosed with some anxiety disorder, or even some other related illnesses at a clinical or medicinally treated level, the advise we get from our passage may help you but it is highly doubtful it will automatically cure you. Never just stop medical treatment on your own, that is a very unsafe and unwise thing to do.


But stress is everywhere. Work stress, relational stress, health stress, stress from moving or relocating, loss of a loved one, I mean the sources of stress are endless. So, let's get back to our passage and look at the instructions it has for us so we can handle stress and experience joy amidst our stress.


1. Stay Focused (v.19). Even though he was bound in chains and opposed by those preaching Christ out of jealousy and competition (v.15), Paul would not let himself reach the point of being overwhelmed. In verse 19 Paul says, "For I know..." and in the Greek this indicates watching something intently without being distracted. Some translations say, "For I eagerly expect, I anticipate." Rather than basing his faith on feelings, he was able to remain joyful because he stayed focused. He knew, I mean he really knew, without a doubt, that God was going to handle the situation. One of the best ways to live a Christ-like example is to remain joyful during struggles and stress. Let me interject real quick that joy, or joyful, are not the same as happiness. Happiness is a passing emotion and joy is an attitude of determination. But to remain joyful in stressful times we need to remain focused on whatever goal Christ puts in front of us as well as on the promises he has given to us.


2. Remain Faithful (v.20). As a result of staying focused (which was discussed above) Paul discovered he could also remain faithful. When we experience stress it is easy to confuse what is real and what is fake, what is true and what is false. Then what we usually do instead of faithfully trusting God, is let our stress and troubles snowball in our minds. Not only does the stress grow but it starts to dominate our thoughts as well.


3. Be Fruitful (vv.21-26). Paul's focus allowed him to be faithful, and his faithfulness brought about fruit (v.22). Despite everything he was going through, Paul was filled with the joy of knowing that his circumstances, however stressful, was an opportunity for him to minister. He saw his situation not as an obstacle but as an opportunity to advance the cause of Christ.


4. Stand Firm (vv.27-30). Paul told the Philippians to stand firm and rejoice. No one else can really be responsible for your joy. It is true that others may make us happy and encourage us which can add to our joy, but your (and my) joy is ultimately our decision. We can sum up most of what Paul says to the church at Philippi in four words, "Stand firm! Be joyful!" Paul tells us, as does much of God's Word, that we will suffer for Christ. It's not a matter of "if" it's a matter of "when." But we should suffer together, our pain should bring us closer to each other and it should give witness to our commitment to Christ.


Conclusion:


The fact is we are always going to have stress this side of heaven. It's just something we have to accept and deal with. The solution, however, is not avoiding it, but effectively channeling it in order to be a witness for God Almighty in this world of stress we live in. And it is joy that makes all the difference.

Jeff Hagan is the President of True Grace Ministries and Theological Institute. Interested? www.preacherjeff45.wlxsite.com/truegracetheolgical

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