How do Jehovah Witnesses deal with stress?

Answer 1

Here are some practical suggestions on "How to Reduce Stress":
http://watchtower.org/e/20050208/diagram_01.htm


Jehovah's Witnesses tend to cope well with stress, largely by:
1. Throwing burdens on Jehovah
2. Looking forward, not back
3. Don't waste energy worrying on unimportant things


Throw burdens on Jehovah.

(Psalm 55:22) Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, And he himself will sustain you.

(2 Corinthians 4:7-9) We have this... that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves. We are pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out; we are persecuted, but not left in the lurch; we are thrown down, but not destroyed.

(Ephesians 1:19) The surpassing greatness of [God's] power is toward us believers. It is according to the operation of the mightiness of his strength

(Hebrews 13:5,6) [God] has said: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.” 6 So that we may be of good courage and say: “Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

(Psalm 118:6) Jehovah is on my side; I shall not fear. What can earthling man do to me?


Look forward, not back

(Luke 9:62) Jesus said to him: “No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the kingdom of God.”

(Philippians 3:13) Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead

(Genesis 19:17) [The angel] began to say: “Escape for your soul! Do not look behind you


Don't waste energy worrying on unimportant things

(Hebrews 12:1,2) Put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

(1 Peter 2:1) Accordingly, put away all badness and all deceitfulness and hypocrisy and envies and all sorts of backbiting


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19980322/article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050208/article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20010822/article_03.htm

Answer 2

Well, you have to be ready for the possibility that you may not communicate with your parents for a while, especially your father. Your mother will probably contact you out of concern, but you are right when you say you will be shunned. Just keep in mind that as an 'Elder', your father has dealt with issues in other families, and you may not know it, but Jehovah's Witnesses are no more perfect than 'Christendom', and they will sneak and smoke cigarettes, call in to radio stations and win prizes, cheat on their spouses with the spouse of another Elder, or have an affair with someone they are trying to witness to in the field, or at Bethel, or whatever. They are imperfect, too. And, it really is a shame that they are a group which will tell everyone they are a big happy family, but then they alienate their own extended families when they become Jehovah's Witnesses. Your decision is your decision to make, and it sounds like you have already made it, you just have a road ahead of you. Best of luck wherever you may go.

Answer 3

What type of stress are you talking about?

Is it good stress or is it bad stress?

Good stress is well...beneficial and you wouldn't want to stop it.

As for bad stress, it depends on how bad the stress is and what type of person they are.

I'll tell you what I do because I can't necessarily speak for other Witnesses. I tend to worry a lot and make a mountain out of a molehill but I try to calm down and pray about it. Usually after I do that I realize that there's no reason to stress so much about it and feel better.

If it gets really bad, I'll go to someone I trust and talk about the situation. That's good for anyone of any faith because you can get a different perspective of the situation and feel better. They know who you are and want only what's best for you because of their love for you and should steer you in the right direction. [Please excuse the long running sentence(s). I like to type. A lot. LOL]

Of course as a Witness, I'll look to the Bible for solutions. The brothers also publish wonderful articles on how to deal with stress and you could go to www.watchtower.org to see for yourself. (If you go to watchtower.com you might end up with misinformation)

All and all, it depends on the type and severity of the situation.

Answer 4

JWs have a lot less things in their lives that create stress, so it is not as common. Consider all the things they don't worry about that those in Christendom do:

Politics
Will my neighbor's children be getting better presents than mine?
Will they go to heaven or burn in hell?
Will the person next to you in church put more in the collect plate than you?
Is your home nicer than the neighbors?
Do you drive a better car than the neighbors?
Will your children accept evolution more than creation?
What will happen if Democrats take Christmas out of Christmas?
And all the other things JW don't worry about because they know it will all end one day and there will be a new system.

Are there such things as out of control alcoholic JWs, yes, but by that point they have already disassociated themselves. When you look at the numbers released by the witnesses, that covers only those who are active publishers. The actual number, including children too young to be baptized and going house to house, is 3-4 times that. My parents are no longer active publishers due their their age and health.

Answer 5

THE GREATEST STRESS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IS THAT PEOPLE WITH EARS STILL DO NOT LISTEN AND DO NOT HEAR. OUR SENTIMENT IS AS JESUS WAS WHEN HE MADE THIS STATEMENT TO THE JEWS LIVING IN HIS DAY; "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But YOU people did not want it. 38 Look! YOUR house is abandoned to YOU. 39 For I say to YOU, YOU will by no means see me from henceforth until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name!’”
MATTHEW 23:27-29
DON'T YOU GET IT YET??? OPEN YOUR MIND.

Answer 6

the Bible tells us to be praying incessantly. God's holy spirit is what keeps us going. We are not perfect people, but we do strive to follow Bible principles the best way we can and we don't go knocking on doors to relieve stress...it is our commission by Jesus Christ to keep on preaching the good news of God's Kingdom and we do this out of obligation even though we are tired from working 5 days a week, 8 or 9 hours a day and do not get paid to do this.

Answer 7

OK, I'll bite, How do Jehovah Witnesses deal with stress?

Answer 8

we as Jehovah Witnesses also have a lot of stress. how we will make to the end of the month. bills, bills and more bills. we have problems just like anyone else. we also have sickness just like anyone else. we live in this world just like you do. but we pray to Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ and they help us with our problems. we can threw our problems to them and they will help us each month. we don't worry as much, we go forward and leave the problems with Jehovah and Jesus Christ

Answer 9

They have 12 times higher rates of insanity than the rest of the population. There are other deleterious things that happen.

Answer 10

Do they get stress? They don't have to deal with Xmas madness !