How Do Christians Cope with Uncertainty and Stress?
BY DON OVERPECK
Stress is generally caused by fear of the unknown or a real or perceived loss of control in one’s life. How will I pay my bills? How will I cope with my disease? Sometimes we do things we should not, which creates stress. I must speed and weave through traffic unsafely to get to my appointment on time. Will the doctor still see me if I am late?
So how do we cope with uncertainty and stress? When we were children and became frightened or stressed, what did we do? Where did we turn? Most often we turned to a parent or sibling or friend who knew more than we did, who saw things in a more mature light. Those people would teach us and comfort us about whatever was going on in our lives. We had faith that they would guide and protect us.
The one-word answer to the question is Faith. Everyone experiences stress of some kind. How are Christians supposed to handle stress? Faith, Faith in our loving, all-knowing, always in control Father God and in Jesus Christ our Saviour and mediator.
Christians have a Heavenly Father who is the creator and sustainer of life itself. We have a Saviour in Jesus who is the one true mediator between man and God. We have God’s Holy Spirit indwelling us. We have the written Word of God to guide and comfort us. We also have God’s Church: Christian people assembled by God to facilitate God’s will on earth. God’s Church exists for the purpose of glorifying Christ, encouraging and teaching the believers, and spreading the Gospel around the world.
So, you see, Christians have all these great aids at our disposal that non-Christians do not. Both Christians and non-Christians have the same problems dealing with stress; they just handle it differently. Christians have the promises in the Word of God and the very Spirit of God to help and guide them. Non-Christians need to be taught about these things, so they can have access to our Holy God through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Access is through faith in the finished work of Christ alone.
Both Christians and non-Christians have the same problems dealing with stress; they just handle it differently.
In the beginning, God gave man a paradise. Our world is a broken and sinful place because of man’s rebellion against God. God wants us to have everlasting life with Him. God also wants us to have inner peace, even while living in this broken world. He enables both to become reality for us through Jesus.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Timothy 2:5-6
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
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