10 Commandments of Emotional Health During Stressful Times (Part 1)

 

Thanks Rick Warren for some great advice!

Some seasons are more stressful than others—especially seasons of great change. This past year has been such a season for many people, including church leaders. Spiritually leading and nurturing people through an unprecedented time have taken a toll on many pastors. 

Regardless of how much emotional and spiritual reserves you had before the pandemic, a stressful period will deplete your emotional and spiritual tank a little each day, like letting the air out of a tire.

I love what Paul says in the Message paraphrase of Romans 12:12: “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.”

How do you keep yourself fueled and emotionally healthy during stressful seasons?

Here are the first five out of 10 biblical actions—or what I’m calling “10 commandments of emotional health”—to prevent burnout:

Show grace to yourself and others. (James 4:6)

Treat yourself and others how God treats you—with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God always gives us what we need, not what we deserve. During hard times, we need extra grace.

Be kind to yourself. Don’t expect yourself to perform at the same level you did before a crisis period. You’re likely exhausted, so is everyone else. That’s normal with prolonged stress. Cut people (including yourself) some slack.

Start and end each day refueling your soul. (James 1:21)

According to the Message paraphrase, the Bible says: “I was up before sunrise, crying for help, hoping for a word from you” (Psalm 119:147). When you’re looking for hope, you need time in God’s Word. Recent studies have proven that the attitude you have for the entire day is set during the first few minutes of your morning.

One way to keep from burning out is to put your Bible near your bed and leave it open. (We’re likely to overlook a closed Bible but not an open one.) Before you do anything else, read a passage from God’s Word and reflect on it. Read until God speaks to you—whether it’s one verse or a chapter.

Set and stick to a routine. (Ephesians 5:15-16) 

Predictability is an important stress reducer, especially when everything is changing in your life. A routine gives you the stability you need to help you refuel your tank.

Putting together a new routine when you’re going through a difficult season may take some creativity, but it will be worth the effort.

Reduce your media consumption. (Matthew 6:22-23) 

It’s easy to spend extra time watching television or scrolling through social media when you feel overwhelmed. But if you fill your mind with constant images of negativity, you’ll only raise your stress level.

You don’t need to hear the same negative story on repeat. You become what you allow into your brain. Years ago, the computer industry had a phrase—GIGO, “garbage in, garbage out.” The computer can only give you the data you put into it. The same is true with your brain. A stressful period is a great time to build new routines that include less media consumption.

Schedule a daily time to connect with the people you love. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) 

One of the most meaningful things you can do during a difficult season is to listen carefully to people. It doesn’t take long to lift someone’s spirit, but it does need to be intentional. You won’t drift into meaningful connections. It’ll take a commitment—and likely a consistent spot on your calendar. 

These meaningful connections aren’t simply ministry connections. Neither are they another task on your to-do list. They’re opportunities to reach out to dear friends, family members, or neighbors. Encourage them, listen to them, and open up to them. You need meaningful connections to refuel emotionally—and so do the people you love.

THE UNALTERABLE LAW OF ENERGY

Thanks Dan Rockwell for yet another challenging post!

Low energy is fatigue. No energy is death.

Only 11% of us had a great deal of energy yesterday. Tom Rath

Healthy fatigue rests joyfully, but weariness dreads tomorrow.

Success with energy, according to Gallup, is one of the five factors of wellbeing at work.

The five factors of wellbeing at work:

1. Career wellbeing: You like what you do every day.
2. Social wellbeing: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
3. Financial wellbeing: You manage your money well.
4. Physical wellbeing: You have energy to get things done.
5. Community wellbeing: You like where you live.

Dangers of fatigue:

Fatigue gnaws at potential and corrodes resolve.

Energy is courage. “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Vince Lombardi

Fatigue opens you to the attack of enemies you defeated in the past. When your energy tank is low, you fall into destructive habits, say things you regret, and pollute the atmosphere.

Exhaustion makes you stumble on pebbles.

The unalterable law of energy:

Pouring out requires pouring in.

Pour in more than you pour out and live on the overflow. If you’re exhausted, the ratio of pouring out to pouring in is off kilter. 

Tip: Meaningful work is pouring out and pouring in at the same time.

I asked an online audience to text me things that fuel their energy. I received over 350 messages. Here are ten.

1. Meditation.
2. Playing catch with my dog.
3. Baking.
4. Positive feedback.
5. Prayer.
6. Family get togethers.
7. Time alone in the woods.
8. Working out.
9. Challenges.
10. A good night’s sleep.

A little restoration goes a long way. Take a short walk.

A little discipline pays big dividends. Don’t overeat.

A little encouragement is fuel. Express gratitude.

Small improvements are confidence to look forward.

Tip: Find some friends that pour into your tank instead of draining it.

IDENTITY THEFT!

 A great reminder to every Christian from Dave Kraft!

Someone is trying to steal your identity!

More and more we are being warned to be on heightened alert for someone trying to obtain our credit card, driver’s license, pin numbers,  passwords in order to get enough information to steal and use our identity.

A saw a TV commercial with a dude driving a bus saying someone had tried to steal his identity. He was encouraging all of us to get insurance so we would be covered should it happen.  

Several years ago, at Christmas, one of our daughters was with her family shopping in a San Francisco store, and her wallet was lifted from her purse, subsequently causing major issues.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF IDENTITY THEFT

Let’s talk about another kind of “identity theft”…one that is far more serious, with longer and more significant consequences…your identity in Jesus.  

Satan is always trying to mess with my identity in Christ by telling me lies…by accusing me of things that cause me to question where I stand in relationship with Him. Two of Satan’s names are “Father of Lies” and the “accuser of the brothers.” Some of the words of the old song “Before the Throne of God” read: “When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within.” That’s what he does…pulls on me/you and drags us down in guilt, and despair; trying to get us to doubt or question our secure identity in Christ.

A second way we can have our identity in Jesus compromised is to substitute it with a false Savior, an idol…depending on something/someone else to give us what only Jesus can provide.  My heart is an idol factory and any number of potential idols can replace Jesus and provide a false identity that just won’t cut it. Financial security, good health and being well thought of are three idols that can easily take the place of Jesus in my heart and life…things that begin to mean more to me than He does.

Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV) captures this thought well,

“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Idols are broken cisterns, buckets with big holes.

The biblical truth is that I don’t need insurance to protect my identity in Jesus…my identity was purchased on the Cross and I don’t need any other insurance/assurance. “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

So, yes, be careful of who has your social security, driver license and credit card numbers; but be equally protective of your identity in Jesus, which is far more precious.