A note from Keith
30 July 2010
Matthew 6:25 
Dear Friends,
Each of us needs a certain amount of challenge in our lives; we even use the term 'healthy tension.' Stress is experienced when the demands of the challenge seem too great or when they continue for too long, but when the pressures become excessive then anxiety develops. According to the World Health Organisation, it is one of the major issues that countries like Australia have to address.
Many Christians struggle with this area… they live with a hidden guilt when stress arises in their own lives, because they feel it simply ought not to happen to them! Rather than discussing the matter with friends or colleagues, they begin to withdraw and, sooner or later, the need for enforced rest occurs. I know from my own experience there is no area of life or responsibility that makes a person immune from such stress. It can lead to over-tiredness, irritability and depression.
When Jesus said, 'Do not be anxious about… anything' (Matthew 6:25), he was well aware that anxiety is a normal part of human existence - and yet he tells his followers that he wants them to be free from it. Stress is a regular part of everyday life and a measure of tension is helpful. Every time we face something new, we have to find the ability to cope and this causes stress. But we learn ways of dealing with a fresh set of circumstances, our confidence grows and our maturity develops.
We experience stress because of the situations in which we find ourselves and because of the kind of people we are. Patsy Kettle wrote a splendid booklet called Staying Sane Under Stress and she gave some helpful pointers for the Christian. She suggests we need to 'find time to pray, listen to God, do something else, try a change of attitude, find someone to talk to, take rest, get enough sleep, eat properly, breathe deeply, take exercise and develop a genuine sense of humour'. This is by no means an exhaustive list. We would also want to ensure that our family and our church contribute positively to our dealing with stress.
Sometimes when I have faced a demanding day - or even in the middle of it - I have found a verse from the Whittier hymn helpful:
Drop your still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And bid our ordered lives confess
The beauty of your peace.
Warmly yours
As Superintendent and Friend,
Rev Keith V Garner
Superintendent
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