There are experiences, situations and pressures that can lead to stress and they are called as stressors. Some examples are heavy work schedules, a rocky relationship, dilemmas and they are considered as negative. And because they are negative, then they give so much stress that they can affect you psychologically and physically. The causes of the stress depend on how you perceive it. There are those who find it very stressing commuting to work every morning because heavy traffic can make you late from work. Other will find it very relaxing because it can give them time to enjoy listening to music while they drive.

Stress can come from external forces such as life changes, work, relationship, financial problems, children and family. They can be self-generated stress. Or they can come from internal causes such as your inability to accept changes, negativism, unrealistic expectations, lack of assertiveness, and the like. Like the external causes, these too can be self-generated ones.

Science explains how stress due to problems or any unpleasant situations can affect us psychologically and physically.  Our body reacts to them strongly as if we were dealing with a life-and-death situation. When we are exposed to these problems and stress, it can result to serious health problems such as hypertension, distract the immune system, there will be increase of the chances of heart attacks and strokes, it can even lead to infertility, and increases the aging process. Long term stress can even affect your thinking process, worst, serious anxiety and depression.

That will happen if we do not realize that God is with us throughout our experiences and our realities that pull us down. Reality really bites and if we allow them to affect you, then we become losers. But if we allow God to work with us through these hard times, then our reality will have meaning.

It is during these times when we are encouraged to reach out to God through reading God’s words. God’s words are stress-relievers especially the book of the psalms. Read them and take note of the psalms that gives meaning to us and what we are going through.

Remember how good God is which is clearly written in the Psalm 27. Trust in the Lord’s power which is written in 2 Corinthians 1:9. If God can raise a dead one, then he can raise a dead relationship, a dead career, and the like.

Whatever we go through this life, whether it is victory or success or joy or tribulations and problems, always remember that “the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6).