Overcoming Worry With Thanksgiving
Philippians 4:4-7
Introduction
Worry is the absence of peace in the life of a believer. God desires that we trust Him, not worry. And I have found that when I trust Him, there’s no need to worry. I experience His peace, the peace that passes all understanding.
If I do not have peace in my heart, I grieve the Lord and fellow believers. I become self-conscious, shy, guilty, discouraged, and defeated. This leads me into a critical, murmuring, grumbling, and divisive spirit. This downward spiral then entices me to slip back into sin.
Once the peace of God has been removed from my life, I become restless. This restlessness drives me into being a troublemaker or else into despair and defeat. I feel unworthy and unable to walk victoriously with God.
What I must realize is that worry and thankfulness cannot co-exist in the same heart. If I am truly thankful for what God has done, then I will not have to worry. The absence of worry, then, is peace. Therefore, if I am to experience the peace of God in my life, I must be a thankful believer. (Source unknown)
Illustration: An Average Person’s Anxiety Is Focused On…
· 40%—things that will never happen
· 30%—things about the past that can’t be changed
· 12%—things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
· 10%—about health, which gets worse with stress
· 8%—about real problems that will be faced
(http://www.bible.org.)
Illustration: What Does Worry Do?
What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty today of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it when it comes. God gives us the power to bear all the sorrow of His making, but He does not guarantee to give us strength to bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces. (Ian MacLaren. http://www.bible.org.)
I. THANKFULNESS PRODUCES CONTINUOUS REJOICING. Philippians 4:4
Note: Paul is in prison, and yet he is telling the Philippian believers that they should always be rejoicing. They are to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what the circumstances.
A. When We Are Thankful We Can Rejoice In The Daily Benefits Of God. Psalms 68:19
Illustration: Wonderful Burden
One morning R. C. Chapman, a devout Christian, was asked how he was feeling. “I’m burdened this morning!” was his reply. But his happy countenance contradicted his words.
So the questioner exclaimed in surprise, “Are you really burdened, Mr. Chapman?”
“Yes, but it’s a wonderful burden—it’s an overabundance of blessings for which I cannot find enough time or words to express my gratitude!”
Seeing the puzzled look on the face of his friend, Chapman added with a smile, “I am referring to Psalm 68:19, which fully describes my condition. In that verse the Father in heaven reminds us that He ‘daily loads us with benefits.’”
F. E. Marsh has enumerated some of these blessings:
· An acceptance that can never be questioned. (Ephesians 1:6).
· An inheritance that can never be lost (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· A deliverance that can never be excelled (2 Corinthians l:10).
· A grace that can never be limited (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· A hope that can never be disappointed. (Hebrews 6:18, 19).
· A bounty that can never be withdrawn. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).
· A joy that need never be diminished (John 15:11).
· A nearness to God that can never be reversed (Ephesians 2:13).
· A peace that can never be disturbed (John 14:27).
· A righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· A salvation that can never be canceled (Hebrews 5:9).
(http://www.bible.org.)
B. When We Are Thankful We Can Rejoice Because We Find Patience To Endure Trials. James 1:2-4
Illustration: The Doughnut
As a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black dot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, “I see a black mark.”
“Right,” the preacher replied. “What else do you see?”
Complete silence prevailed. “Don’t you see anything other than the dot?” he asked.
A chorus of no’s came from the audience.
“I’m really surprised,” the speaker commented. “You have completely overlooked the most important thing of all—the sheet of paper.”
Then he made the application. He said that in life we are often distracted by small, dot-like disappointments or painful experiences, and we are prone to forget the innumerable blessings we receive from the hand of the Lord. But like the sheet of paper, the good things are far more important than the adversities that monopolize our attention.
This reminds me of a bit of verse which, though I admit is somewhat trite, does express good practical advice. Someone has written: “As you travel down life’s pathway, may this ever be your goal:/ Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole!”
Yes, rather than concentrating on the trials of life, we should fix our attention upon is blessings. Let us say with the psalmist, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19). - (Our Daily Bread, March 10. Cited online at http://www.bible.org.)
II. THANKFULNESS PRODUCES HUMBLE GRACIOUSNESS. Philippians 4:5
Note: Epieik¢s (gentle spirit) has a richer meaning than any single English word can convey. Hence, commentators and Bible versions vary widely in how they render it. Sweet reasonableness, generosity, goodwill, friendliness, magnanimity, charity toward the faults of others, mercy toward the failures of others, indulgence of the failures of others, leniency, bigheartedness, moderation, forbearance, and gentleness are some of the attempts to capture the rich meaning of epieik¢s. Perhaps the best corresponding English word is graciousness--the graciousness of humility; the humble graciousness that produces the patience to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance. It is contentment. (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
A. Thankful People Are Forgiving People. Matthew 6:14-15
Illustration: I Remember Forgetting
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident.
“Don’t you remember it?” her friend asked.
“No,” came Barton’s reply, “I distinctly remember forgetting it.” (Luis Palau, “Experiencing God’s Forgiveness,” Multnomah Press, 1985. http://www.bible.org.)
B. Thankful People Are Forgiven People. Matthew 6:12; Ephesians 4:32
Illustration: What Makes Christianity Different?
What makes Christianity different from all the other religions of the world? Years ago that very question was discussed at a conference. Some of the participants argued that Christianity is unique in teaching that God became man. But someone objected, saying that other religions teach similar doctrines. What about the resurrection? No, it was argued, other faiths believe that the dead rise again. The discussion grew heated.
C. S. Lewis, a strong defender of Christianity, came in late, sat down, and asked, “What’s the rumpus about?” When he learned that it was a debate about the uniqueness of Christianity, he immediately commented, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
How right he was! The very heart of the gospel is the supreme truth that God accepts us with no conditions whatever when we put our trust in the atoning sacrifice of His incarnate Son. Although we are helplessly sinful, God in grace forgives us completely. It’s by His infinite grace that we are saved, not by moral character, works of righteousness, commandment-keeping, or churchgoing. When we do nothing else but accept God’s total pardon, we receive the guarantee of eternal life.
Good news indeed. What a gospel! What a Savior! – (http://www.bible.org.)
III. THANKFULNESS PRODUCES WORRY-FREE PRAYER. Philippians 4:6-7
A. The Only Thing I Can Worry About Is Nothing. Matthew 6:31-34
Illustration: Negative Faith
Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat...worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.
A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops. Not much is there but it can cripple an entire city. (http://www.bible.org.)
B. I Can Overcome Worry With Thankfulness. Luke 12:29-31
Illustration: Finding Peace Of Mind
Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:
· The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
· Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
· Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
· Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
· Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
· Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues—love, humor, compassion and loyalty
· Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
· Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
(http://www.bible.org.)
Conclusion
Illustration: Preparing To Win
In the first three years as a major league baseball manager, Connie Mack’s teams finished sixth, seventh, and eighth. He took the blame and demoted himself to the minor leagues to give himself time to learn how to handle men. When he came back to the major leagues again, he handled his players so successfully that he developed the best teams the world had ever known up to that time.
Connie Mack had a secret of good management: he didn’t worry. “I discovered,” he explained, “that worry was threatening to wreck my career as a baseball manager. I saw how foolish it was and I forced myself to get so busy preparing to win games that I had no time left to worry over the ones that were already lost. You can’t grind grain with water that has already gone down the creek.” (Bits and Pieces, December 13, 1990. http://www.bible.org.)
