How Stressful Is Your Job?

Recently, I read a fascinating article describing the most stressful jobs in the country. They basically described the five most stressful, but they also listed numbers 6-10. Then they listed the ten least stressful jobs.

Would you like to know the most stressful? Their top five were soldiers, firefighters, airline pilots, event coordinators, and public relations executives.

It would be hard to argue with the stress experienced by soldiers and firefighters. The attention to detail demanded for airline pilots seems to fit as well.

What was also interesting was the bottom ten jobs for stress. They rated audiologists as the least stressful position.

What can we say about stress?

First, life is stressful. It’s not the job that’s stressful; it’s life. People without jobs experience stress. For many people, they relax on the job and experience stress at home.

Second, stress can be good. Who would want a job without a challenge? Every time I preach, I experience stress. I don’t think of the stress as a bad thing; I think of it as good. My stress helps me bring more passion and emphasis to my preaching.

A couple of years ago I viewed an interview with Carol Channing the actress. They asked her about stress. She answered: “Stress is fertilizer to the brain.” In other words, she meant that her stress helped her remember her lines and perform beyond her normal capacity.

Third, the most important thing about stress is how you handle it. Five years ago, the miracle on the Hudson happened when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger overcame his stress and deftly put his plane down in the Hudson River–without the loss of life.

The question for us is not what’s stressful, but how will we react when we do experience stress?

I find great strenght by knowing that I belong to Christ, that He never forsakes me, and that I can trust Him. I find blessings in beginning my day with God and  turning the day over to Him.

Where do you find help with your stress?

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5 Responses

  1. Over my career I have not done a good job dealing with the stress of my job. For the past few years I have focused on the fact that God goes before me and behind. He covers my left and my right. This has given me peace. As you mentioned on Sunday about planning for distractions it helps to understand that negative circustances/situations just come with the territory. For the most part these are out of my control. What I can control is my response and my attitude. Focusing on God’s protection helps me to have a more peaceful attitude about the inevitable negative day to day situations that arise. Thanks Waylon. I always enjoy your thoughts and they are very encouraging.

  2. Reminding myself of the stress that lifts itself off the pages of 1 Corinthians 4: 11-13 as the author’s job is illuminated describing its earthly provision, I count my Blessings. Dispassionately the evidence of His presence in His is perceived in the Action of Life. So many examples of His seeking His Face to Know a Reality beyond the flesh that captures the flesh in subjection, carrying the message of The Good News: a Purpose and a Place on earth and in Heaven. Out of many, One.
    It is good that some of the resources to move on to better pastures. Lo Debar comes to mind. May prevalence not be pervasive in this matter.
    Thank You!
    Blessings

  3. I was looking to see the job of pastor as being on the list as one of the most stressful…seems I have seen it listed such before. Found it amusing that the audiology profession was the least stressful…seems that dealing with and treating people who put off wearing hearing aids until they are desperate, and then can’t seem to live a day without them when they need repairing would be quite exasperating!

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