“When Anxiety Attacks”
Philippians 4:2-9
Throughout this letter we have heard Paul referred to numerous thieves that try to step in and steal our happiness. Our contentment. These thieves are used by Satan on a daily basis. He is identified in John 10 as the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.
One of the thieves that steps in instills our joy can be our circumstances. You know everything is fine then something happens and we fall apart. And our joy is gone.
Another thief is people. Difficult people. As someone said everything would be fine in my life that I just didn’t have to deal with people. They can say things, do things that hurt and we let them steal our joy.
Another thief is possessions. This craving we have to get more and more. As though we don’t have enough and too many times we think, I just can’t be happy until I get one more thing.
Our joy is snatched away when the wrong thing happens, when the wrong person says something; it’s snatched away when we can’t get what we wanted it is certainly snatched away when we worry. When we deal with anxiety. As this passage opens Paul is addressing a common problem in churches-disagreements-a disagreement has occurred between two individuals-two women-Euodia and Syntyche (sintichee.) By the way, this is the only time these two women are mentioned in Scripture and they are remembered for all of history for one thing-they had a disagreement. Not much to be remembered for. I can see it on their tombstone. “I disagreed.”
But as no surprise that a passage on the topic of worry and anxiety opens with a disagreement. Paul mentions several things here to the church...
• Do everything you can do help these two women agree. Why? Because disagreement can tear a church apart and Paul obviously knows that.
• He reminds them of their importance in God’s work... He says they have contended at my side for the gospel and he then reminds the church that these two women-their names are written in the book of life. They are believers.
• Believers have difficulty too. We are not perfect. We’ve not arrived. And one of the things we can really do... We can worry with the best of them.
Now let’s look at the advice Paul gives us as to how to deal with worry and anxiety. Verses 4-9. I’m told it and Landers receives around 10,000 letters a month requesting advice on various topics. When asked what her most common question is, she said that all people seem to be worried about something. Afraid of losing their health, they worry about their job and they worry about their family. And of course we worry about our world situation-whether the leader of North Korea may wake up in a bad mood tomorrow and set off a nuclear weapon. The truth is it is not difficult to find reason to be anxious. So these are some thoughts that Paul gives to us.
1. Rejoice in the Lord... Always. Verses 4-5. Remember as Paul writes these words-Paul was imprisoned. Chained to a guard. 24/7. No exercise room. No snack machines. No chance to even talk with the other inmates. But one thing he did have was time-a lot of time on his hands so he used it to serve God. And in the midst of a very bleak environment he learned to keep his joy... His happiness alive. And the first key to that was to rejoice.
• When? Always.
• Where? Everywhere.
• Why? Paul says because the Lord is near.
We can’t tell for sure here Paul is telling us that Christ is near as in he is always close to us or if he is saying is coming is near. I believe Paul is reminding us that no matter where we are, no matter what is happening, we must remember that Jesus is always nearby. In prison, in birth, in life, in death, in tragedy; in tryouts. He is always near. And as a result he says we should rejoice... Always.
2. Rethink your situation. Verses 6-8. It would be good at this point to focus on six words we really need-these are good words for all of us to live by-here they are:
WORRY ABOUT NOTHING, PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING
Would you say these words out loud with me? Would you say them again? Plant these words firmly in your heart and mind. Memorize them. Focus on them. Then ask yourself-what is it that qualifies as a worry? I would say that a worry is:
• anything that drains your supply of joy
• anything you are unable to control. This is what causes most anxiety attacks. Life feels out of control.
• Anyone or anything that frightens you, that keeps you awake at night
Paul says once you make that list, now switch everything on your worry and anxiety list over to your prayer list. Give every worry... Everything big, small you are anxious about... Give it to the Lord. Give away every worry... One by one to the father. Now don’t really mean to make this sounds simple. Because it is not. Because some of you are really good at worry. You’re like a professional. You should do it for a living. In fact some of us do. It’s like a 9-5 job. But is more like 24/7.
If you will look closely here Paul gives us several keywords. (1) Rejoice. Verse 4.
(2) Relax. V. 5. Gentleness means easy or easygoing. It is the idea of an easygoing, relaxed lifestyle. (3) Rest. Verse 7.
Paul writes here of a piece that will guard your hearts and mind. Nothing needs more protection. When Paul uses the word guard here he is using the word phroureo which means to be held prisoner. It is a military term and gives us a picture of a guard who is on sentry duty... And he is marching around something that is valuable to protect it. In our case, God’s peace is marching around our heart-to keep out trouble-to keep worry away. These are the three substitutes for worry. Rejoice. Relax. Rest. Not to do all of this, Paul gives us some advice.
2. Rethink your situation. Things are never as bad as they may seem. There is hope and even the worst of situations. When we rethink our situation, we are basically refocusing. I’ve been looking at this. Now I am looking at this. My thoughts were there... Now they are here. And here’s the list he gives us that should have our attention. He says whatever is TRUE, NOBLE, RIGHT, PURE, LOVELY, ADMIRABLE…..let these things occupy your mind and attention. Because:
• worry cancels out our ability to be thankful
• worry cancels out our ability to relax
• worry cancels out our ability to rest
But here’s the good news. These three will also cancel out worry. Count your blessings. Consider everything God has given you. Relax. Learn to laugh more. Watch less television. Stop reading the obituary every day. Stop being so serious all the time. Rest. Take a break. Most of us have earned it. Rethink your situation.
3. Remember to practice. Verse nine. Paul was reminding us here that it is one thing to know about something; to know the right thing to do, it is quite another to actually put it into practice. To actually do it. So what does it mean here? You see we need practice because the simply does not come naturally. We are born with a sinful nature-when we come to Christ we start putting on a new nature but here’s the problem-the old nature/guys still hanging out inside. And the old guy taught us some pretty bad habits. He taught us to focus on things that are FALSE, WRONG, UNHOLY, UNATTRACTIVE. Just the opposite of Paul’s list.
So man arrived at the doctor’s office for his 3 o’clock appointment. In fact he arrived exactly at 3 o’clock. Because the doctor was still involved with an earlier appointment, the man had to wait. In fact he had to wait for five minutes. He spent the time pacing in the reception area back and forth looking at his watch every 30 seconds. We was finally called to examining room question the doctor said sit down please. The man shouted back: I don’t have time to sit down! I’m too busy! The doctor said if you want me to examine you sit down. I what seems to be the trouble? Patient answered: well Doc, It’s like this. I’ve got troubles in my business, troubles at home, troubles everywhere—and I am just plain run-down!
The doctor proceeded with the examination, listening to the man’s pulse, taking his blood pressure and so forth. When he had finished the physician said to the patient, “you’re not rundown. Just the opposite-you’re wound up!” The man responded, “Well Doc, give me something to slow me down in.” “What do you want,” asked the doctor? “Give me a tranquilizer or something.” Very well, the doctor set down and began writing a prescription. The man took the prescription and stuck it in his pocket without even looking at it. He raced off to the neighborhood drugstore to get it filled. When he handed it to the pharmacists, the pharmacists looked at the prescription and said to the man, “I’m sorry but I can’t fill this prescription!” The man shouted at him and said “what do you mean you can’t fill the prescription?” This is a drugstore isn’t? He said yes. And you are a pharmacist right? And the doctor signed it right? He said yes. But I can’t fill it because we don’t keep this in stock at our store. If you want this filled you will have to go home and get your bible. The man looked at the prescription for the first time and it read: Take 3 doses of Colossians 3:15 every day. He got his Bible and read it out loud……. It says: “let the peace of God rule in your heart. Immediately the man called the doctor and said what do you mean by giving me this prescription? The doctor said, well your real trouble is not physical, it’s spiritual. What you need is peace. I can’t give it to you. The pharmacist can’t give it to you. Only God can give you peace. He is the one you need to see.
