Stress
I have no idea how “they” come up with this information, but here’s what I read:
Who’s suffering from the most stress in America? People in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to surveys and federal data, analyzed by personal finance website WalletHub. People in those states generally had higher divorce rates and lower credit scores, and even got less sleep than people in the least stressed states. (TIME)
Texas ranks 24th, coming in about half way in-between. That sounds about right. Most of the people I know are about half-stressed, others are stressed out, and a few are stress free.
The issue, however, is much deeper than these kinds of “surveys” and “analyzations” will ever be able to discover. There are people who have very little money, and yet are not stressed about it, and people who seem to do quite well financially who are stressed to the max (and quite interestingly, vice versa).
We (Believers who follow the Word of God) know, of course, that one’s attitude or focus regarding money makes a great difference. Those who love money are going to have a lot of difficulty, while those who understand it is a tool to navigate our society, much less so. People whose attitude about money is that they never have enough. . .will never have enough. When there is not enough, low credit scores, family struggles (think divorce), and sleepless nights are a continual problem.
Having lots of money is better than not having lots of money if the money is not a goal within itself. When it is, problems follow. (see Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5)
The “why” of having insufficient money is also vital and contributory. Those who can’t (incapacitated, or no available employment) or won’t work, or those who waste their resources on foolish things (which are often attractive but unnecessary) should expect some stress.
Here’s a stress relieving hint: study the above mentioned Scriptures and make them a focus for your financial well-being. Stress will dissolve for the most part, and peace will take its place.