One of the most frustrating of experiences is having to wait. We wait to get to the cash register. We wait in traffic jams. We wait for trains, buses and at the airport. We wait at the doctor’s office. We wait at the motor vehicle bureau. We wait, and wait and wait. Many people lose their patience, become bored, anxious and angry. One of the factors that can make a wait feel endless is awareness of time and the uncertainty of events. This causes us tremendous stress.
According to the Holmes And Rahe Stress Scale, that is often used by doctors to find their patient's stress, they evaluate: Can the most stressful life events predict future illness? Two researchers in 1967 thought so. Combing through the medical records of over 5,000 patients with an eye to seeing if there was a connection between illness and the most stressful life events, Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe found that a strong correlation did exist. This correlation was so strong that the stressful situations could be ranked on a scale from most stressful to least stressful. These could indicate which life stressors put people at higher risk for becoming ill as a result. Chronic pain patients, in particular, can be impacted by the top life stressors.
Waiting not just difficult, it is impossible in our own strength. But the benefits gained by waiting on God are tremendous. Isaiah 40:31 says, "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Waiting on God results in us being strengthened. Philippians 4:6–7 says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Rather than worrying about things, we can put all our concerns in God's hand and wait on Him. Then we will experience His peace, which passes all understanding.
Jesus himself is the culmination of patience, an exemplary display of God’s perfect patience toward sinners (1 Timothy 1:16). He is “patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We “count the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:15) and bank on his promise, in all our waiting, to “sustain you to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8).
TRY THIS:
What Does Your Score Mean?
150 points or less = a relatively low amount of life change and a low susceptibility to stress-induced health breakdown.
150 to 300 points = 50% chance of health breakdown in the next 2 years.
300 points or more = 80% chance of health breakdown in the next 2 years, according to the Holmes-Rahe statistical prediction model.
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