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Stress Management and Christian Counseling

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2007, 8(), pp.321-347
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2007.8..321
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : March 30, 2007
  • Accepted : May 10, 2007

Hahn Sook Ja 1

1한영신학대학교

ABSTRACT

In biblical approach, stress is stemmed from the sin of human being. And those morally degraded are to suffer from profound feeling of guilt. Furthermore, any hasty efforts to escape from suffering would cause rather serious stress. On the contrary, bible shows how great people overcome their stress by recovering the relationship with God, repenting their sin. It means stress should be cured in the course of recovering the relationship with God as a matter of sin and salvation. Anybody can suffer from stress, and stress itself is unavoidable. In some sense, if it weren’t for stress, there wouldn’t be any vitality of life. Therefore, it’d be desirable for counselors to let their clients know the fact that stress is no matter to get rid of, but a matter to control. For those having negative thoughts on stress as a disaster, Christian counselors can help, through cognitive dispute, to change their thoughts so as to accept the stress positively. Undoubtedly, it’s desirable to face stress directly. However, if not possible for clients to control the stress, the cognitive counseling method is recommended, which helps clients to have self-encouragement, to relaxation training, to have hopeful thoughts, and to redefine the problem. The more one gets social supports, the safer from stress. Therefore, counselors should figure out and encourage each client’s strength or social supports which are helpful in coping with stress. By using adequate self-talk method, Christian counselors can help clients to express their anger caused by stress in a calm and much objective manner. Above all, it’s the most important for counselors to guide their clients understand the meaning of suffering as a trial and view the suffering from a different standpoint. In the meantime clients express their anger, there’s no need to forgive those who harm them or to try to escape from the past. Since God is there when they are in stress, and the suffering they have to endure now is nothing but a dust when compared with the glory they will share with God in the future. And the ability to forgive only belongs to Jesus. For better management of stress, to stay away from excessive desire and to be moderate in everything including thought, feeling, and behavior is needed, together with well-balanced food, regular exercise, relaxation/meditation, and adequate rest. All theses are quite possible by following the life of obedience. The ability to control and release stress is accompanied with the life obeying God fully, promptly, and completely while praying all the time in humble mind

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