Antidote to Stress

by Tan Sin Guan

Is it possible for Christians in the marketplace to suffer from depression? We are not talking about the normal feelings of depression but a clinical or psychological abnormality. Feeling depressed, that is, being sad, lethargic and not interested in any activities, even pleasurable ones, is a normal response to many of life's stresses.

Depression is only considered abnormal when it is out of proportion to the event and continues past the point at which most people begin to recover. Hopelessness and dejection are two main characteristics of depression. The individual experiences an overwhelming inertia and is unable to make decisions, initiate activity, or take an interest in anything, broods over feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, has crying spells and may contemplate suicide (Rita L Atkinson, Richard C Atkinson, Ernest R Hilgard, Introduction to Psychology).

It is certainly possible for Christians in the marketplace to suffer from depression. The hurried pace of modern life and the demanding responsibilities in the marketplace would take its toll on anyone. Christians may feel even more stressed because they are conscious of their responsibility to lead an exemplary life.

While there is as yet no research on depression and the Christian professional in Malaysia, a 2006 study on pastors in the country by the Reverend Dr Mark Chua revealed that 66.2% of pastors surveyed indicate that they "sometimes feel stressed" and another 29.5% say that they either "regularly feel stressed or feel highly stressed". The research further revealed that about 43% of those surveyed said that burnout became an issue in the last one to two years. Although the research was done on pastors, it does provide some clues as to the extent of "stress" and probably "depression" among Christians in the marketplace.

This article is not intended to oversimplify or undermine the complexity of the nature of and events leading to depression and the reality of the emotional turmoil involved. However, I believe that a major reason Christians in the marketplace suffer stress and depression is that they abandon or stray from God's initial design for man, who is made in His image.

God's order for man and creation is to maintain a proper balance between work and rest. First, there is the divine rhythm of weekly Sabbath rest. In the creation account, it was noted that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done (Gen 2:2-3). This rhythm of work and rest was subsequently mandated as one of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:8). It is a holy day, set apart from the normal routine of the other days, to find rest in Him.

To quote Reverend Dr Mark Chua, who researched on "Stress, Burnout and the Sabbath for Malaysian Pastors": "The Sabbath is time given to man because of his need for rest and rejuvenation, both body and soul. Sabbath time gives opportunity for man to be rejuvenated physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Man is made not just to find joy in his work but also to find joy in rest … Sabbath allows for man to be shaped by his inner world rather than by his outer world of demands. It gives man time to reflect on his life, and draw near to God and listen to God … In the Sabbath, man is to find joy in God, in the world, and in himself."

Following the divine order of Sabbath rhythm is necessary because God has created man as a whole person, this implies that the spiritual and the mental are aspects of a totality, so that each aspect influences and is influenced by the other. (Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in God's Image). Furthermore, spiritual health is an indivisible aspect of mental health. The two can be separated only on a theoretical basis. In human beings, the spiritual and mental are inextricably interwoven. (Howard Clinebell, Mental Health through Christian Community).

In Psalm 23, King David described his rejuvenating experience after a time of quietness with God. Like the Shepherd who makes His sheep lie down in green pastures and leads them to quiet waters, God desires to see His children find rest and quietness in Him, being restored mentally and emotionally. Jesus reiterated God's desire when He gave the invitation to those who are heavy laden to find rest in Him (Matt 11:28).

Secondly, there is the daily rest through personal quiet time with God (Psalm 1). Christian professionals who are usually short of time tend to rush through their quiet time, and very often have it in the car while driving to work. While this helps one carry out one's Christian duties, it reflects a misunderstanding of what quiet time is all about. In addition, it reflects poorly on one's understanding of communion with God. Quiet time is more than just prayer and Bible reading, or nowadays, Bible listening. The major ingredient is essentially being quiet before God. To quote O Hallesby, who wrote a book entitled Prayer: "There is something about our soul-life which makes this (specific time with God each day) necessary. It is very true that we should, in the midst of daily work, wherever we are, and at any time look to God and tell Him what is on our hearts. But there is one thing we do not attain if we limit ourselves to this, and that is quietude … we should be still and permit ourselves to be examined by the Physician of our souls. We should submit to scrutiny under the holy and penetrating light of God and be thoroughly examined, spiritually fluoroscoped and X-rayed, in order to ascertain just where the trouble lies."

God has instituted the discipline of quiet time in order for our soul and body to rest. It is a direct antidote to the hurried pace in the marketplace. Pauline Leong, a counselor who wrote an article entitled "Psychological Rest" in VantagePoint magazine (Nov-Dec 2007), maintains that "development of a mental illness such as depression or anxiety has its roots in stress and inadequate rest".

The practice of daily quiet time and weekly Sabbath rest is only possible if one is willing to prioritize them, intentionally inserting them in one's schedule. We need to give up certain things in order to make time for them. God's children need not suffer.

Tan Sin Guan is director of Malaysia Campus Crusade for Christ’s Impact! ministry. He is currently on study leave. He is also an associate pastor of Klang Chinese Methodist Church.