Stress – A Biblical Perspective (part two)

This is part 2 of a 5 part series.    This series was written for my friends in the cardiac-rehab program at Valley Regional Hospital.

We are taught by God to love one another.

The Principle of “One Another”

It is calculated over 50% of our stress is relationship related. God is very concerned about our relationships. So, it is not surprising the Bible talks a lot about how we are to relate to one another. The “one another” commands tell us things like, “love one another,”  “be at peace with one another,” “forgive one another,” “be patient with one another,” “build-up one another,” “encourage one another,” “serve one another,” and so on. Imagine if everyone in the world obeyed all the “one another” commands of the Bible. Imagine half of our stress eliminated because all our relationships are healthy.

It is not just a matter of us getting along with one another, but also having a support group to turn to when we are faced with difficult situations. When we have people we can count on to help us, come alongside us, encourage us, and pray for us it makes life much easier. The Bible instructs church members to “bear one another’s burdens.” When someone is rejoicing, we rejoice with them. When they are in sorrow, we are to be sorrowful with them.

The Body of Christ, which is the Church, is meant to be a support group which eases the pains of life and shares in the blessings with one another. It is no surprise secular institutions recommend people with signs and symptoms of high-stress to join a church group to help them cope in life and reduce their stress.

-Allen Burns