WHAT IS EATING YOU ALIVE? WORRY!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes
LET US LOOK AT FEAR, WORRY AND ANXIETY IN A BALANCED SENSE. HIDDEN TRAPS?
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE LESSON OF THE SICK, OLD LION
Years ago I read the story of a very old and sickly lion. The story tells the lion was so old that his teeth were broken out and his claws were worn to the quick. Old arthritis had so affected his joints he could not run anymore. The lion pretended he was very sick. The old weak lion sent out invitations to his old enemies for them to come and visit him. He let everyone know he was very sick. So the lion just lay in the mouth of a cave and he waited for visitors to come. One by one they came to offer sympathy to the old lion. As they came close the lion would grab them and eat them.
The story goes on that the lion had invited the fox to come visit him. The fox was wise from life’s experiences. Fox went to visit the old lion but he was very cautious for he knew the lion’s nature. The fox visited from a distance away from the mouth of the cave. Fox politely inquired how the lion was doing. The lion answered the fox that he was very weak and sick. Come a little closer said the lion so I can see you. The wise fox refused to come closer. The fox stayed a safe distance from the cave’s entrance. Fox thanked the lion for the invitation to come in the cave but the fox’s alarm knew there was something wrong.
The wise fox replied to the old lion: I WOULD BE GLAD TO COME CLOSER BUT I HAVE OBSERVED THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FOOTPRINTS LEADING INTO YOUR CAVE BUT THERE ARE ZERO FOOTPRINTS COMING OUT. The fox then said: Mr. Lion, how do your invited guess find their way out of your cave? BE WARNED ABOUT THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE CALL TO COME CLOSER TO THE WORLD.
LET US COME FACE TO FACE WITH A SPIRITUAL TRAP THAT WILL UTTERLY DESTROY YOU AND THOSE YOU LOVE. WORRY, FEAR AND ANXIETY WILL SEPARATE YOU AND ISOLATE YOU FROM GOD’S PURPOSE AND PROMISES, THE BOOMERANG OF FEAR AND WORRY.
Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
Job 3:25 (MSG) The worst of my fears has come true, what I've dreaded most has happened. 26 My repose is shattered, my peace destroyed. No rest for me, ever—death has invaded life."
Job 3:25 (NLT2) What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.
26 I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.”
HAVE YOU EVER MADE A LIST ABOUT WHAT YOU WORRY ABOUT? IS WORRY A LEARNED BEHAVIOR? CAN WORRY BECOME HABITUAL? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT WORRY? THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF WORRY: HYPOTHETICAL AND PRACTICAL.
Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 6:34 (MSG) "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
*WORRY: thought based, a chain of thoughts that negatively laden, to persistent nagging, to afflict with mental distress or agitation, to disturb, rough aggressive treatment, fret, GIVE WAY TO ANXIETY OR UNEASE, to feel concern, a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems, a sense of uneasiness, to lose control, lack of effort and a lack of faith, an emotional attachment.
*ANXIETY: INTENSE, EXCESSIVE, PERSISTENT FEAR, WORRY; physical and mental reaction that is persistent, FEELING OF FEAR, DREAD, UNEASINESS; MORE THAN WORRY, childhood trauma, negative life, stress.
*DEPRESSION: tiredness, fatigue, personality changes,
*PANIC ATTACK: Sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety causing physical or mental symptoms. You feel fine, then suddenly heart races, can’t breathe, chilled and sweaty at same time,
Worry, doubt and fear teamed together. Worry is bypassing God’s plan and saying I can handle this. God has always made a way for his people. The Bible would tell you anxiety is ultimately grounded in a lack of trusting God and his purposes. We must make the decision that God is faithful and that God will keep his promises.
FROM WHERE DOES WORRY COME? The NUTSHELL OR ROOT CAUSE --- YOU WANT TO BE IN CONTROL AND YOU CAN’T CONTROL SO YOU WORRY. BE HONEST DOES WORRY AND ANXIETY CHANGE ANYTHING? Can you learn to stop worry? Worry and fear cause a division of your heart and mind between yesterday, today and tomorrow.
LIFE IS NOT ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS GET. WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO GET WORRIED, ANXIOUS, OFFENDED, HURT AND DYING.
2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:7 (MSG) They get exploited every time and never really learn.
My dad would often say: People are learning more and more about less and less until they finally know everything about nothing.
DO WE FORGET ROMANS 8:28? HOW CAN WE FORGET WHAT WE KNOW?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE WORRIED HOUSE KEEPER… HER WORRY KEPT HER AWAY FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE SON OF GOD… REJECT THE GOOD PART?
Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
PANIC ATTACKS: WORRY MAKES GIANTS GROW BIGGER. Why do we focus on the champion giant? THE CHAMPION IN FRONT OF YOU GROWS THE MORE YOU FEED HIM. PIGS GET FED, HOGS GET SLAUGHTERED.
1 Samuel 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
1 Samuel 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
You cannot overcome 100’s of able bodied people with a negative attitude you must OVERWHELM them. The trained soldiers saw the SIZE OF THE GIANT. David believed in God’s POTENTIAL. By faith this problem is an opportunity to go down in history. Could this problem be a chance to open a door of PROMOTION?
1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
For 40 days the Israeli soldiers live under a panic attack and 40 nights they cried themselves to sleep. WHY WORRY, GOD HAS A PLAN. GOD HAS PREPARED A SHEPHERD BOY… THAT CAN SEE BEYOND THE SIZE AND VOICE OF THE GIANT. This boy will load his pocket with 5 smooth stones and HIS HEART WITH A TRUST IN THE HOLY GOD OF HIS PROMISES.
THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT? WORRY?
Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:2 (NLT2) It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luke 21:34 (NLT2) “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
WORRY DRIVES AWAY REST AND SLEEP.
Ecclesiastes 8:16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
Ecclesiastes 8:16 (NLT2) In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.
WILL WE REFUSE A FREE GIFT?
John 14:1 (NLT2) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
John 14:27 (NLT2) “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH IS COMMON, WE ALL FACE THESE GIANTS.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
CONCLUSION:
Phippians 4:6 (LB) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and then thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 (NLT2) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT2) Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Good things come to those that refuse to worry but rather believe. Better things come to those that refuse to worry and learn patience. The best things that God has for us will come if we refuse to worry and never, ever give up. As long as we are breathing. The journey of life has no finish line. Each day is a new gift of opportunity. DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
