Is your life hectic? Welcome to modern living and life in the ‘fast lane.’
Contemporary Americans routinely multi-task at work and in their personal lives. If you recently lost your job, you may be juggling a job search with more training.
Futurist Alvin Toffler is reputed to have said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Add to that one expert’s observation that, just to survive, modern business people must be “frantic learners” and you have a recipe for stress.
With two-career marriages, sports, multiple school activities and children who have more dates on their calendars than parents—the modern family lives on the edge of insanity. Dr. James Dobson from Focus on the Family once described modern family life as “Routine Panic.”
If being busier means life is better, Americans should be the happiest people on earth! But such is not the case. We’re working harder to buy more things but have less time to enjoy them. Surveys show that instead of enjoying satisfaction with life, Americans are fighting depression.
Med Yones, President of the International Institute of Management wrote a paper titled “The American Pursuit of Unhappiness.” In it he reports that depression rates in the USA rose during a recent 10-year period. Major depression more than doubled from 3.33 percent of adults to 7.06 percent. Antidepressants continue to be prescribed for adolescents, children and even toddlers.
Perhaps we’re headed toward what author Elizabeth Wurtzel called a “Prozac Nation.” Americans seem to think that even normal problems can be solved with pills. Like the old Rolling Stones song, we go “running for the shelter of a ‘mother’s little helper.’” Peace in a pill.
“Well, hold it right there for just a minute! Isn’t there a better way to peace and happiness?”
There is according to the Bible. It says: “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
Jesus told us not to be troubled or anxious about life because God is in control. That he loves us and cares for us. Beyond just existing, obeying God leads to a life of blessing.
Real life seems to bear this out. A survey by the Barna Group showed that 99 percent of Evangelical Christians reported being happier and more satisfied than other Americans.
“Happiness and satisfaction? Give me some of that!”
So what are “Evangelical Christians?” According to Barna they say they are “born again,” meaning they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. When they die, they believe they’ll go to Heaven because they’ve confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior.
They also believe eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; the Bible is accurate in all it teaches and they are personally responsible to tell non-Christians about Jesus.
It’s more than just believing in God, going to church and praying.
So if modern problems have you stressed out, if you’re looking for happiness, peace and satisfaction in life, consider the difference faith in Jesus Christ can make in your life. Why? Because you must know God personally before he will give you the help you need.
To face life’s problems, my advice is to first make things right with God. Follow Jesus. Read the Bible. Stay close to God and obey him. Then, instead of “modern problems” and stress, the Bible says you can enjoy an amazing peace and the blessing of God in your life.
Jesus called it an “abundant life.”
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