There are always people who live under strain. One frequently hears expressions such as: “I am so nervous,” or “I am afraid.” This tense living is not normal. The pity is that many of these tensions are wholly unnecessary.
The tensions in life often mar its quality. They cause abnormalities and affect one’s relationships, as well as the inner life. Life needs to be balanced. The more its tensions are balanced, the richer and more satisfying life will be.
If the moral life is not normal, and subject to continuous strain, not only will the spiritual life be affected, but physical and mental health may be as well. Moral stresses may even cause death. Much of the nervousness, apprehension, and lack of physical ease people suffer comes from moral or mental unbalance.
I have heard people say, “Getting religion is healthy business.” This is true. When religion enters the life and the sense of guilt, fear of punishment, and other spiritual tensions are relieved, mental tensions are also relieved, and health often follows.
Probably the most common cause of stress is fear. The fear of past things and their possible consequences haunts many. Some fear present circumstances, while others look into the future and conjure up so many fears they hardly dare go on living. People are besieged by anxiety and worry. Anxiety and worry are forms of fear, and every fear sets up tension. That is why God says repeatedly in the Bible, “Fear not. Be not afraid.”
Some are haunted by regret, constantly reliving unpleasant things. Others labor under a sense of failure until they are tormented by it. Such tensions should be banished.
Another cause of great tension is resistance to what cannot be changed. Many rebel against their circumstances, even when they know they cannot change them. This sets up internal tensions that tear them down.
“Yes, I know I have these tensions,” says one, “but what am I going to do about them? How can I relieve them?”
The first thing is to face the facts. Admit the tensions, then analyze them, and search out the cause. When the cause is found, relief can often follow. Many times, just knowing the cause suggests the means of relief.
A man once told me how timid he was. He wanted to work for the Lord but found it difficult. I asked about the cause of his timidity. He had been laughed at often in childhood. To shield himself from pain, he withdrew, became reserved, and afraid of being hurt. By shunning others, he had formed the habit of timidity.
When he saw the cause, he realized it was a bad habit, like any other. Then he saw it could be broken the same way — by deliberately doing what he ought to do despite feeling timid.
We need to ask ourselves, “Can these tensions be helped? Can I relieve them?” There is nearly always a way. The fears and regrets of the past can be faced with the question, “Are those things really important now? Do they have present bearing?” Usually they do not. When that’s the case, dismiss them. Refuse to dwell on them, and replace them with better thoughts.
When something comes up to produce tension, ask, “Does this need attention now?” If not, put it out of your thoughts. Ask, “Is this trouble as big as it seems?” Probably not. Try ignoring it. That’s often a good cure.
Then there is the rest of faith — trust in God, casting our cares on him. Nothing so relaxes spiritual tension as committing matters to God. He has to handle most of our troubles anyway, so cast them upon him, and find that rest of faith he offers.
One thing necessary is to refuse to worry. You will worry — if you let yourself. Life will always provide things to worry about. It’s easy to form the worry habit, and it always creates tension. Learn to refuse to worry. God would have us calm, peaceful, resting, content. He would have us partake of that rest of soul he promised to give. If your life is strained, unbalanced, troubled — seek the Rest-Giver and find in him the help you need.
Charles Wesley Naylor is considered one of the most prolific and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God. He was bedridden for much of his adult life but wrote eight books, a newspaper column and over 150 songs. Many of his writings are in the public domain.
