Three little old ladies were traveling down the road when they got pulled over by a highway patrolman. The patrolman walked up to their car and said to the driver, “Ma’am, do you know why I pulled you over today?”
“No, I don’t,” said the little old lady behind the wheel.
“Ma’am…I pulled you over today because of the speed you were driving,” said the officer.
“Sir…that’s absurd,” said the little old lady. “I was doing the exact speed limit.”
Well…the officer was confused and kindly said to the lady, “Ma’am…I’m sorry…but I clocked you on my radar going only 20 miles per hour.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” said the lady, “I was doing the exact speed limit. See, 20 miles per hour…right there!” she said while pointing to a sign on the side of the road.
With a chuckle…the officer told her, “Ma’am…that’s the sign telling you that you’re traveling on Highway 20. I’m going to let you off with a warning, but please be aware of the street signs.”
As he turned to walk away…he saw another little old lady in the back seat who was completely broken down…breathing heavy…and grasping her seat in distress. The officer then turned around and asked the driver, “Is she okay in the back seat?”
“Oh yes,” said the little old lady behind the steering wheel. “She’s fine…we just got off of highway 185.”
That little old lady in the back seat was experiencing something that is common to each of us. Distress.
See the word “stress” hanging out there at the end of “distress”? There’s a good reason for that:
Distress is defined as: a feeling of extreme worry, sadness, or pain. Exhausted or weakened with strain. Troubled.
Ships send out “Distress Calls” when they are in trouble at sea.
We’ve all probably seen a cartoon or old movie where the bad guy ties a woman to the railroad tracks. She is known as a “Damsel in Distress.”
A number of years ago…Parker (my son) and I refinished our dining room table. Rather than making it look brand new…we did what is referred to as a “Distressed Finish.”
My kids buy jeans that already have holes in them. They are distressed.
The most powerful of the powerful people of our world can’t escape distress.
The richest of the rich can’t avoid it.
The most spiritual of the spiritual are confronted with it.
Distress is common to all.
1 Samuel 30:6 tells us that “David was greatly distressed.”
In fact…Mark 14:33 makes it clear that even Jesus Himself couldn’t dodge distress. “He (Jesus) began to be deeply distressed and troubled.” So much so that He said in the next verse, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Folks…that’s some distress.
Distress is a common feeling / experience. When we are distressed…it affects us in a variety of ways.
(1) Sorrow - We just read where Jesus Himself…in time of distress was overwhelmed with sorrow.
(2) Weariness - The Psalmist said, “I am weary from distress.” (Psalm 57:6)
(3) Lack of Sleep - Psalm 77:4, David is going through a season of distress and says, “You don’t let me sleep.”
Proverbs 1:27 says that Distress can give us…(4) A Sense of Being Overwhelmed
In fact…in Psalm 77:4, David is so overwhemed by distress that he doesn’t even know how or what to pray.
But we’re not here to focus on the effects of Distress…instead…
I’m here to share with you that there is an answer to your distress.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote what 2 Corinthians…experienced all kinds of hardships:
Chapter 4 - “We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles.”
Chapter 5 - “We cry out in frustration.”
Chapter 6 - “Beaten up, jailed, slandered, ignored, beaten within an inch of our lives, immersed in tears, living on hand-outs, having nothing.”
In Chapter 7…He turns to the topic of distress.
Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 7:5-12. (Reading from The Message Bible)
Paul points out some common sources of distress:
(1) Change [Change is difficult for most of us...Paul often changed locations...typically under duress which caused distress]
"When we arrived in Macedonia, we couldn't settle down."
(2) Uncertainty
“We couldn’t relax because we didn’t know how it would turn out.”
The word worry comes from the Old English wyrgan…which originally meant “to strangle.”
Uncertainty…worry is distressing…because you can’t relax. It strangles peace.
(3) Fears in the Heart
“The fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles.”
(4) Tension / Conflict
“Fights in the church…”
(5) Misunderstandings / Correction / Discipline
Paul says, “I know I distressed you greatly with my letter.”
(6) Bad News
Philippians 2:26 - “He (Epaphroditus) was very distressed that you heard he was ill.”
Side Note: We all have a tendancy to magnify or exaggerate the source of our distress…imagining an unfavorable outcome…causing us to become even more distressed. Psychologist call it Catastrophic Thinking. It’s what Elijah did in 1 Kings 19 when after fleeing Jezebel following his showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel…he’s exhausted, discouraged, distressed. He says all the people of Israel have forsaken God…he’s the only one left who is faithful…and as a result…God’s purpose for Israel will fail. When the truth is…there are actually 7000 faithful people left and God is in complete control.
Here in 2 Corinthians 7…Paul goes on to say…that when Distress cast a shadow on things…God shined a light and brought delightful encouragement.
Paul mentions Two Key Ways for Dealing With Distress in our lives.
Two Powerful sources of Encouragement for those who are distressed.
(1) GOD
v.6 - “The God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts.”
1 Samuel 30:6 - “David was greatly distressed…BUT…David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”
(A) He did it through Prayer
Psalm 34:4 - “Listen to my testimony: I cried to God in my distress and He answered me. He freed me from al my fears.”
Psalm 118:5 - “In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.”
(B) And He did it through Rehearsing God’s Faithfulness & Remembering God’s Promises.
Psalm 77 (David spends the first 9 verses telling us how distressed he is). Then in verse 11…everything changes. David says, “I will recall all You have done…I will remember your wonderful deeds…I will fill my mind with your mighty works.”
When you are distressed…pour out your heart to God. And after you do…fight the urge to dwell upon whatever it may be that has you distressed. Instead…Soak Yourself In The Promises of God. Rehearse His Faitfhulness. Instead of magnifying the source of your distress…Focus on God’s power to work on your behalf…working all things together for your good and His glory. God wants us to trust Him. To come to personally know Him…like Paul had come to know Him…as “the God who lifts up the downcast.”
(2) THE BODY OF CHRIST
If you noticed…Paul’s encouragement came from both the arrival of Titus as well as the news He shared regarding the believers in Corinth.
Paul is distressed…and Titus shows up. Paul says, “We were glad just to see him.” Being with other…faith-filled…loving believers does wonders when you’re distressed. God never meant for us to go through life alone. It’s not good. Attempting to deal with distress on your own only leads to more distress. One of the best things you can do when you are distressed is to get yourself into the presence of a group of fellow believers. And not just any believers…don’t hang around pessimistic naysayers. All those kind of people do is feed distress. Instead…surround yourself with believers who carry a good and a positive message! It’s clear that Titus was that type of guy.
It wasn’t just seeing Titus that brought encouragement to Paul…it was titus’ good report. Paul was distressed…but hearing how much the believers in Corinth cared and were concerned for him…changed the dynamics. (Example of the the church texts recently)
Paul says, “I went from worry to tranquility in no time.”
CLOSING
There are two options when distress comes your way. Distress will either drive you from God or it will drive you to God.
Paul complemented the Corinthians who had become distressed because of Paul’s previous letter. He said to them, “You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from Him.” And Paul pointed out, “The result was all gain, no loss.”
Alternatively…Paul points out that when we allow distress to drive us away from God we are left with a life of regrets.
Distress causes us to feel as though we are at the end of our rope. Our troubles are real…distress comes to all of us…but it’s how we respond that determines whether we experience regrets or refreshment.
We may think we are at the end of our rope…but we are never at the end of our hope.
