Worry 101
1 Peter 5:7
#Worry101
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
Barry is sitting in the doctor’s office just waiting. He had some tests two weeks ago and today is the day that the results come in. He has a spot on his back that upon initial inspection looks a lot like melanoma. He let it go for awhile and now has to deal with it. All the tests. What if he has cancer? What if he has to have treatments that make him sick? Where is the money going to come from to pay for treatment? The questions roll around in Barry’s head and the level of worry increases. His anxiety grew and grew for two weeks and grew more as he sat there.
DEFINITION OF WORRY/ANXIETY
Today we are talking all about worry and anxiety. I know that technically worry and anxiety are two very different things, but for the sake of our time today, we will speak of them as though they are one and the same. I know they are not the same.
Worry is a verb which means “to give way to anxiety or unease and to allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty and troubles.” Worry is also a noun which means “the state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual problems or potential problems.”
Words associated with worry and words we might use when explaining worry are: fret, to be overly concerned, to be anxious, agonize, overthink, brood, panic, lose sleep, get worked up, get stressed, to stew, torment oneself, distress, uneasiness, unease, disquieted in our soul, restlessness, nervousness, edginess, tension, apprehension, fear, dread, trepidation, misgiving, angst, butterflies in the stomach, the willies, and the heebie-jeebies.
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
Jerry sits at his work desk at work absolutely stressed out and full of anxiety. His day started with bumper to bumper traffic on the highway. So many horns and so many bad drivers. There were two wrecks with fire crews and ambulances speeding by with loud sirens. Once he got to work the phone rang and rang. While his office phone was ringing off the hook with clients, various family members were calling and texting him on his cell phone. Then he had three meetings back to back to back with presentations. Emails came in all day long. People stopped in for appointments. It had been non-stop constantly one-after-another all day and as he sat at his work desk ready to go home, he felt full of anxiety and was worried about the bumper to bumper traffic on the way home not to mention the non-stop needs at home. His stress level topped out.
SOURCES OF WORRY AND ANXIETY… https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/healing-possibility/201111/anxiety-modern-plague
Anxiety and worry is one of our modern plagues. Most of us experience significant worry at one point or another. Some of us more often than others. What is the source of anxiety?
The first and most obvious cause of anxiety and worry is uncertainty. The unknown is a terrible thing and it produces worry in us. We understand our world by the way we move in it, by the way people respond to us, and how we can affect things around us. Any significant change that shakes the way we know our world and our place within it, like a natural disaster, the loss of a job, a death or a major change in our physical wellbeing, disrupts our sense of what is normal. If someone starts to act differently towards us, this may produce worry that something is disastrously wrong. Any change in how we live our lives and how effective we are can also bring worry. Uncertainty.
The second source of anxiety is over-stimulation. Our brains filter stimuli, focusing our awareness. Noise, music, conversation, touch, odors, sights can all feel overwhelming, and be experienced as too intense, uncontrollable and painful. I would call this anxiety more than I would worry. Stimulation winds us up and continuous stimulation keeps us wound up. The wind-up is physical as well as psychological. Muscles tighten into knots. Shoulders hunch. We live in a culture that is constantly stimulating. These sources of stimulation and the resulting wind-up can be addictive. Our bodies learn to make a habit of staying alert and being anxious. Stimulation.
The third cause of anxiety is the disconnection between the expectations of other people and our actual capacity to do what is expected. Unmet expectations cause worry. Expectations that are assumed but never talked about can cause anxiety. When we cannot perform to our own expectations we experience frustration and confusion, judging ourselves harshly in an attempt to meet a standard that is sometimes unrealistic. This gap between what we can do and what we feel we must do produces anxiety. Expectations.
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
Larry is worried about his kids. He did his best to raise them, but now they are young adults and are making their own decisions. One of them has a significant other that simply is not good for her. What is he supposed to do? One of them is finishing school with a mound of student loan debt that is most likely going to drown him. What is he supposed to do? Another seems to enjoy going out drinking with friends far too often. What is he supposed to say? Every time he thinks of his kids he gets a knotted ball of worry in his stomach because he wants so much for his children to live well and have happy lives and he can no longer control much of what they are doing and saying. His anxiety over his kids happens all the time.
TYPES OF WORRIERS http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Surrounded-by-worry
Worry is primarily based on fear and uncertainty. Worry is the anxiety caused when we think we might lose something important to us or something we have not yet experienced is coming. Though the roots of worrying are the same for most people, worriers (not warriors) come in many shapes and sizes. Some are casual worriers to those whom worrying is more of a hobby. Others have become full-time professionals.
Mayday worriers: Life is full of risks, and weighing risks is an important part of decision-making, but scaring ourselves by dwelling on remote or unlikely risks and anticipating the worst-case scenario in every single situation is a surefire prescription for sleepless nights and anxious days. Mayday worriers continually live as if our plane is going down and no one is responding on the radio.
Yesterday worriers: These are those of us who can't get past our mistakes of the past. We suffer from the "shoulda-coulda-woulda" syndrome — "I shoulda known that would happen." "I coulda prepared for that better." "I woulda pursued that other lead." Yesterday worrying is perhaps the most futile category of worriers because absolutely nothing about yesterday can be changed.
Someday worriers: Speculation about what might happen in the future is also an oft source of worry for us. Tomorrow with all its possibilities, burdens, perils, promise, and potential are completely out of our hands. It may be ours in time, but for right now, it is an uncontrolled uncertainty.
Everyday worriers: Some of us get trapped in a cycle of worry, replaying the same scenario over and over. We lie awake all night and literally worry ourselves sick. For those of us who do this, worry has moved from a hobby to a full-time occupation of our hearts.
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
Mary is desperately worried about her job. She has been in her job six months not sure if she is doing a good job or not. Mary is not sure if she is meeting the expectations of her boss. Mary is not sure if she is meeting the expectations of her co-workers. Her stress level goes up each time she completes a project and gets no real feedback. She just feels like the hammer will come down on her one day for doing a bad job even though she didn’t know she was doing a bad job. Her stress level is getting high.
BIBLE VERSES ON WORRY
The word ‘worry’ (and related words) occurs 22 times in the Old and New Testaments and ‘anxiety’ (and related words) occurs 13 times in the Old and New Testaments. What does the Bible say about worry?
Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”
Psalm 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
Proverbs 12:25, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23, “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.”
Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 10:19-20, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (repeated in Mark 13 and Luke 12, 21)
Matthew 13:22, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” (repeated in Mark 4 and Luke 8)
Luke 12:25, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (repeated in Matthew 6)
Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
Perry has been in a constant state of worry since yesterday. He was driving to a friend’s house yesterday and edged out at a stop sign because he could not see past some bushes. He ventured too far forward and an oncoming car hit him. It was his fault. He went too far into the intersection. He was worried that the other person might be sore today and sue him. He worried about his driving record. He worried that he would not have the money to fix his car. He worried about getting to and from work. He worried about his wife getting to and from work. What if his insurance dropped him? He went over the events of yesterday again and again in his mind and the worry cascaded over him because of the accident yesterday and the unknown consequences that may come tomorrow.
FOCUS ON 1 PETER 5:7
The Bible shares with us the Truth that worry is a normal part of sinful life here on Planet Earth. Worrying means you are a human being. We are fallen emotional beings which means worry is a part of us. We are not all knowing or all powerful so therefore the unknown or uncontrolled exists for us. The Bible shares with us that worry is part of us. The Bible also shares with us that worry should not rule over us. Worry should not master us. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have only one Master and that is Jesus Christ. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have only one way of life and that is His way.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The Apostle Peter commands us two things when it comes to worry in our lives.
First, we are to “cast” our anxiety to God. There is not a question for the believer about what we are supposed to do with our worry. You don’t need to worry about what to do with your worry! You don’t need to be anxious because you don’t know what the expectations are from God. Give it to God. Cast it to Him. Throw it in His direction. You might wonder how to do that exactly?
Casting our anxiety to God means purposeful prayer in worrisome situations.
Casting our anxiety to God means extended times of meditation with Him talking it out.
Casting our anxiety to God means as we think about things, include God in our thoughts.
Casting our anxiety to God means we read Scripture and let it minister to our hearts.
Second, we are to have faith that God will care for us. There should not be a question in our hearts if God loves us or will care for us. There should not be unsure beliefs that God will work for our good. God will take our worries and will work according to His perfect divine plan. We as believers are to trust in His divine perfect righteous plan and allow Him to work things out for our benefit.
WORRY 101: Barry, Jerry, Larry, Mary, Perry, and Terry
All morning I have told you about people and their worry and anxiety. Barry is worried over his health. Jerry has extreme anxiety at work. Larry worries constantly over his kids. Mary is worried about her job. Perry is worried about yesterday and tomorrow.
This is Terry. She is worried. Instead of me telling you what she is worried about… how about you tell me? What is Terry worried about?
[ask the congregation, get responses]
[tell her story based on their responses, might be worries they have]
APPLICATION
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This morning we are not going to leave here without doing that. This morning as we conclude our time in the Word, I would like us to spend time in prayer. I will lead you in prayer about our concerns, anxiety, our troubles for tomorrow, and any other worries that plague our hearts.
PRAYER
1. Silent time to gather worries and express them to God
2. Lead time of prayer for worries
a. God take worries and work them out
b. God take the worries from us
c. God keep us from taking our worries back
3. Pray for the person next to you
CONCLUSION
