Americans are stressed out.

That’s according to a new study from the American Psychological Association, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The APA has been keeping track of the nation’s anxiety levels since 2007. In 10 years, we’ve never been more stressed out than we are right now.

The APA measured America’s stress level last October, finding that over half — 52 percent — of Americans were stressed. The APA ran another test just last month, and the anxiety is still rising.

Democrats are more likely to be stressed than Republicans — 76 percent to 59 percent. Minorities, Millennials, and urbanites are also more likely to be stressed than whites, older generations and rural dwellers.

But no group is left untouched. Fifty-seven percent of Americans said in January that they were stressed by the political climate — including Republicans, Bloomberg reported.

“I don’t think it can be just be boiled down to the side that won vs. the side that didn’t,” APA director of research Vaile Wright told Bloomberg. “There is something going on across the aisle.”

Stress Among Believers

Bloomberg didn’t report on the stress levels within the Church, but they didn’t have to. We know the stress is there.

It’s the cherished relationship now drifting (or marching) away, just because of who you voted for.

As much as we would like everything in life to fall into white and black boxes of right and wrong, the real world is much more complicated.

It’s the disagreement among fellow believers, and not just progressives vs. conservatives — many conservative Christians formerly unified in purpose and conviction now find themselves at odds with each other over certain politicians and policies.

Perhaps a big culprit of the American Church’s stress these days is the question that never stops gnawing: With a world in crisis, a nation divided, and neighbors who are angry or in pain, what are we to do?

Part of the problem is that there are so many responses to this question — too many opinions (backed by a select set Bible of verses) masquerading as the only real answer, causing Christians to argue and stress out even more.

Ultimately, we still don’t know how to fix everything. As much as we would like everything in life to fall into white and black boxes of right and wrong, the real world is much more complicated. All we can do is scale back, and back, and back some more … until we get to what we do know.

Keep It Simple

Here’s what I know.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

These verses began resonating with me in high school. Life is so complicated! I’d scream at God in the midst of teenage trauma. How am I supposed to figure it out?

He responded the same way every time.

It’s not complicated, he’d say. It’s simple. Just love me. Today, I hear the same reminder.

It doesn’t matter what Republicans, Democrats, or the people on Facebook are doing and saying. It doesn’t matter who’s protesting what and who’s leading the counter-protest. Yes, a lot is going on in our nation and in our world, and it needs to be dealt with. But we as the Church can’t do anything about it if we lose sight of what ultimately matters.

As Jesus goes on to say, the rest of the commandments depend upon these two, simple things: Love God and love others.

Less Stress, More Love

So, fellow Christians — regardless of your region, race, denomination or political party: join me in taking a deep breath. No matter what answers we lack, we can always go back to what Jesus answered in Matthew 22, where he tells us the two most important things in the Book. 

When we start to focus on obeying God in this simple way, the stress will start to dissipate. We’ll be freer to live and speak in a manner motivated by Christlike love — not fear, worry or peer pressure. 

And that’s the Church the world needs. After all, as the APA study revealed, our neighbors are pretty stressed out.