Winning over Worry
Text: Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Introduction: I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality. (Dr. E. Stanley Jones)
-The average person’s worry is focused on 40% of things that will never happen… 30% of things about the past that can’t be changed… 12% of things relating to the criticism by others, mostly untrue… 10% about health, which gets worse with stress and 8% about real problems that will be faced.
-Anxiety interferes with sleep, disrupts concentration, and hinders productivity. But people of God don't have to allow this destructive emotion to control their lives. Even when believers live through painful circumstances, they can experience peace that goes beyond human comprehension.
-What is the nature of anxiety? This emotion can be defined as an overwhelming sense of tension that fragments our thoughts and divides our minds.
-The Bible teaches us how to avoid letting worry take over our lives.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).
-Why is it so important that we learn to deal with anxiety?
Worry disrupts our thoughts, so we can't think clearly or make wise decisions. Our productivity decreases because fretfulness wastes time and energy. Relationships with our spouses, families, coworkers, and friends suffer. Anxiety contributes to a host of health problems. It indicates a lack of trust in God & hinders our relationship with Him.
-Corrie Ten Boom spoke of the unraveling effects of worry, when she said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of its strength.”
-Matthew 6:31-34- “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
How can we win over worry and anxiety?
1. By How We Pray
-Christ followers should pray in every kind of circumstance and situation.
Philippians 4:6- Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
-Instead of focusing exclusively on a list of requests, we should seek to praise and worship the Lord. God already knows our needs, and He has the power to supply them. Believers ought to pray specifically, especially when interceding for others.
-Christians should cry out to the Lord, asking Him for help. (Philippians 4:6). This word, supplication, indicates a passionate outpouring of the heart.
-Psalm 34:17-The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
-This is in contrast to mere lip service.
Isaiah 29:13-Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
-As Christians, we can trust that He will answer our fervent prayers. We should make our requests "with thanksgiving" (Philippians 4:6). When God doesn't answer our prayers immediately—or when He says no—we should continue to be grateful for what we already have.
-When we take our worries and anxieties to God in prayer, not only will our hearts be kept safe, but our minds will be protected. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
2. By How We Think
-Our thoughts directly affect how anxious we feel. We are to dwell on good things:
NLT Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
-Instead of worrying about what the future will bring, try focusing on your relationship with the Lord. Seek His will regarding your goals and life's purpose—for today, tomorrow, and the future.
-As Christians, we will still face adversity, but God can give us supernatural peace in the midst of suffering.
-John 14:27- Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
-Nothing happens unless He allows it. And the Lord promises to use difficult situations for our ultimate good.
-Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Romans 12:2 …be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we will renew our minds, by thinking on the things that are true and honorable and right … things that are pure and lovely and admirable… things that are excellent and worthy of praise, then we will win over worry! And we will also be able to know God’s will for our lives!
-Finally, we can win over worry…
3. By How We Live
Philippians 4:9- The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,
these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
-Those who live ungodly lives cannot experience lasting peace. And people who don't know the Lord have no hope of life after death.
-Matthew 7:23- And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
-People may mask their fears with drugs, alcohol, work, or some other distraction. But such people frequently live with apprehension about their eternal future. We must be obedient in order to be free from anxiety. Doing things God’s way is essential to winning over worry! Doing things my own way is a sure fire way of creating stress and worry.
Conclusion: Commit your worries to God. Determine to meditate on truthful and righteous things, and surrender control of your life to Him. The Lord will give you the grace to overcome anxiety. Yes, you may still experience heartache, pain, or difficulty. But you can learn to say with the apostle Paul, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:" (Philippians 4:11). There is peace and contentment that come as a result of praying right, thinking right, and living right! Naturally, we cannot hope to pull this off on our own. We need to get right with God first! Then He will help us pray, think, and act in a way that eliminates worry from our lives. Are you right with God? He wants you to be.
-Excerpts and some ideas borrowed from “When Anxiety Strikes” by Matt Skiles on sermoncentral.com
