The Economy, Stress and Your Pain – Weekly Faith and Health Scripture – Matthew 6:25-34

Dr. Christopher Edwards, director of the Behavioral Chronic Pain Management program at Duke University Medical Center, says his pain-management program in Durham, N.C. is seeing a rise in patients amid the current economic crisis: “There’s a very strong relationship between the economy and the number of out-of-control stress cases we see.”

Katherine Muller is a cognitive therapist and director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y.  She says “The message I’m trying to send(to my patients) is that you are responsible for your own stress. The way you are looking at it and feeling about it is more up to you than you realize.”

Both of the above excerpts were taken from a Wall Street Journal health column written by Melina Beck on March 17, 2009.  Her article is another reminder of the affect that chronic stress can have on our physical health. In this case, it’s the stress people are experiencing because of their perceptions and beliefs about their finances and the impact the economy is having on their lives. Beck mentions the value of exercise, biofeedback and therapy as methods to alleviate stress, however she makes no mention of the spiritual dimension of one’s life and the value of it in managing the stressors associated with this economic mess were are in. Read more of this article »

Trust in God During Economic Recession and Financially Hard Times

The key to staying grounded during these economically difficult times is keeping your trust in God.  After all, what are your alternatives – trusting in yourself, the banks, your employer?

As President Obama said in a speech on Monday, “This isn’t a “run-of-the-mill recession.”"  That being the case, you will not be successful in resorting to “run-of-the-mill” solutions to managing your responses to the situation.

Financial Stressors Lead to Physical Problems

The less we trust in God, the more likely we’ll be affected emotionally. Our emotional responses, if left unchecked, will affect us physically.  A USA Today article in September of 2008 stated, Read more of this article »

In Times of Stress Like This

USA Today reported on the physical consequences related to the stress people are under, especially over this last week. An article on September 19th – today as I write this – titled “Money Woes, Other Stresses Bring Unwanted Physical Response” says “As the market melts down, hurricanes wreak havoc, war grinds on and feelings of helplessness set in, stress goes up.” ComPsych, an employee assistance and wellness provider, has seen a 10% to 15% spike in calls since the weekend according to their vice president of health and wellness.

“The connection between mind/body is seamless,” says Linda Rosenberg, CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “There isn’t a separate brain and a separate body. What you’re thinking about has an effect on your physical well-being. General good health means good mental health.”

So what’s a Christian to do during times like this? We take care of ourselves in a variety of ways: Get plenty of sleep, eat well, engage in regular physical activity, review our investment portfolios, manage our time effectively and we care for our heart in a spiritual way. We do the very best we can to give our cares and worries to Jesus. We pray for ourself and our leaders. We put our trust in Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26: 3-4)) We spend more time with Him. We ask God for wisdom. (James 1:5-6) We remember that it’s in our trials that our faith has an opportunity to grow… we get opportunities to exercise our faith muscles at times like this.

And we invite Jesus to be our personal trainer.

See a listing of scriptures for faith in times of stress on my website.