Stress is God's Alarm System for Off-Track Life Says Author

[By Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter]

Stress is a sign that a Christian is living a different purpose than God intended, an author says in his new book.

“God uses stress as life’s great alarm system to alert us that we are living outside of our God-given purpose, which is to develop loving relationships,” said Michael Trillo, author of What Does God Really Want: How to Overcome Stress and Live the Promised Abundant Life.

He cites Matthew 22:34-40, where Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul and mind, followed by loving one’s neighbor as oneself, as support for his claim that the purpose of a person’s life is to “develop loving relationships.”

Trillo acknowledges that everyone faces difficult situations, but some react by becoming completely stressed out, while others are able to remain completely content despite the circumstances.

“What's the difference? It's their internal state, not their external circumstances, that causes stress,” maintains Trillo, founder of Breakthrough Ministries Worldwide which helps people overcome fear and bitterness to live an “abundant” life.

He says stress when boiled down is caused by fear of a situation and bitterness toward people, which occur when people become separated from God.

“When all is said and done, why is it that Christians are just as stressed as the rest of the world, considering that we're serving a supernatural God?" Trillo asked.

The ministry leader contends that it is because Christians are living for “counterfeit purposes.”

In his book, Trillo explores the root cause of stress, explains the four most common counterfeit purposes, and looks at links between stress and one’s health using medical statistics.

“When we are stressed, society has taught us to: sleep more, eat more, buy more, watch TV, play video games, go to counseling, take medication, take a vacation, etc,” Trillo said. “This is like applying a band-aid to a broken bone. These solutions are temporary at best, each a form of a broken promise – a cheap and temporary promise of relief.”

Trillo urges Christians to overcome their stress by finding their God-given purpose in life.