April 10, 2000

DBU professor offers resources
for families in search of peace
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___KELLER--Stress can eat away the foundation of families, eventually causing society to crumble, according to author/lecturer/professor Margarita Trevino.
___As go families, so go churches and--ultimately--the world, noted Trevino, founder and president of the Christian Education and Research Institute in Keller and a faculty member

MARGARITA TREVINO

at Dallas Baptist University.
___And stress, if unchecked, will undermine and destroy families, Trevino warned. Through the institute, she lectures on stress across the nation. Her recent book, "In Search of Peace," published by Woman's Missionary Union, focuses on overcoming stress.
___"In our culture today, there is a tendency to succumb to stress--to become overextended in the affairs of daily living for what we as Christians would consider the right reasons," Trevino explained.
___"For example, we feel the economic pressure of meeting the basic needs of the family, so much so that we end up neglecting the spiritual health of individuals in the family. We tend to rationalize or justify why we're overextended, so that it becomes the norm. We become numb to the fact it should not be the norm."
___This is a dangerous trend with far-reaching repercussions, she observed. That's because of what she calls the "cyclical interrelatedness" of society: Individuals impact their families, and families shape churches, and churches form the foundation of society.
___"It takes a healthy family to make a healthy church," she insisted. "And it is a healthy church that can make a positive difference for Christ in the community.
___"Therefore, when we look at cyclical interrelatedness--the individual in the family, the family in the church, the church in the community--families must look at our individual lives to see where we are in relation to stress."
___Stress is the body's response to a stimulus--either good or bad, internal or external--and it is a universal human experience, Trevino explained. People respond to stress mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
___"We have two choices in dealing with stress," she said. "We can respond positively to stress and use that experience for our benefit. Or we can respond negatively and become victims of stress. The choice is our own."
___The spiritual response is crucial, she added, urging Christians to "harness the demands of daily living within a spiritual framework."
___"One thing that is so difficult for us as Christians is to let go of problems," she acknowledged. "We've been raised in a society that says you need to do for yourself. There's nothing wrong with that; we've been raised in a society that honors independence.
___"But when it comes to a Christ-centered relationship, we find it difficult to do what he wants us to do, and that is let go. By letting go, we don't relinquish the problem. But instead of relying on our own personal resources, Christ would have us focus on him. He will provide the pathway for problem-solving."
___When Christians try to handle stress on their own, they set themselves up for a fall, Trevino insisted. "We become depleted quickly, and we're vulnerable to loneliness, depression, fatigue. And many times, we don't see a solution."
___On the other hand, Christians who focus on Christ "find the pathway," she added. "We allow the Holy Spirit to show us the way--the phone call, the friend, the health condition that takes a turn for the better, and on and on."
___As Christians cope with stress, they need to recognize several factors, Trevino said.
___ "Realize adversity is part of life. It is real," she began. "All humanity will face adversity during our journey."
___ "Go back to the Bible and see how Jesus dealt with stress," she advised.
___"He would pray and pray alone," she said, citing Matthew 14:23, which describes Jesus' solitary pray vigil on the side of a mountain.
___"He would set limits, retreat, get away from the multitudes," she added, pointing to Mark 6:31, which recounts Jesus' advice to his disciples to rest.
___ "Accept the invitation from Christ to give him your burdens," she said. "Christ gives the promise, 'I will give you rest.' Christ calls our attention to the nature of his heart, 'I am gentle and humble.'"
___ "Protect the sanctity of the family," she urged. "Satan has figured out it takes one person in the family, one incident, to derail the whole family.
___"He also knows if he can derail a family, he can derail a church, because one family can derail a church. His ultimate strategy is to derail enough families to derail enough churches to derail enough communities and ultimately the world.
___"Let us stand and say to Satan, 'You have no part of my family.' For this reason, if there is one Christ-centered person in a family, there is hope for the family." And hope for churches and hope for society.
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