War and Worry
Philippians 4:4-7
In this series called “Prescription for Joy,” we have worked our way to the final chapter of the book of Philippians. We have been moving through the book from beginning to end from verse to verse, but I want to make a slight change this morning.
I want to stay in the book of Philippians but, if you don’t mind, I want to skip down to verses 4-7 of chapter 4. We will come back next week and cover the first few verses of chapter 4. They are very important, but with the situation in our world, I think it is more appropriate that we skip those verses for now and deal with verses 4-7.
It has been a tense week for all of us beginning with President Bush’s comments on Monday night when he gave the final ultimatum to Sadaam Hussein and continuing with the “opportunistic strikes” Wednesday night and the subsequent bombing that has continued.
Most affected have been the families of those who are serving in our military as they have no doubt been on a roller coaster emotional ride that may not be over for quite some time. For those reasons, I want to talk with you this morning about war and our response to what is taking place in the world.
I have not made any comments about war or the politics of the war, and I don’t intend to wade into the political aspects of our current situation. But I do want to make some general comments about war and what the Bible says about war. The Bible is not silent when it comes to the issue of war, and it is always important to get God’s opinion on issues like this one.
Let me begin the message today by giving you some general thoughts on war.
First, God does not delight in war and neither should we.
The last part of Psalm 68:30 says, “Scatter the nations who delight in war.” God takes no pleasure in war, and He opposes nations who do. That seems to indicate that war should be a last resort. It should never be the first response of a nation, and it should not be a cause of celebration or joy on the part of an attacking nation.
As I hear the tone of rhetoric around our nation, as I hear our president speak, as I watch news reports, I don’t sense that anyone is rejoicing in the fact that we are at war. Regardless of whether you think this is a justified war or not, none of us are happy to be at war, and that is God’s attitude as well. God takes no delight in war.
At the same time, God says there is a time for war.
As devastating and difficult as war is, God says in His Word that there are times to take up arms and go to war. Ecclesiastes 3:8 says, There is “a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:8
As much as none of us want it to happen there are times when war is a step that must be taken. David even writes, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” Psalm 144:1 There is a time for war and God even prepares people for war. Isaiah 13:4 says, “Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war.” Isaiah 13:4
Revelation 19 describes Christ as the Faithful and True and says “With justice he judges and makes war.” Revelation 19:11 God takes no delight in war, but He clearly says that there are times when war must be waged.
The Bible also teaches us that In this life there will always be war. We should work for peace. We should promote peace. We should work diplomatically for peace, but we will never be free from war in this life. Daniel 9:26 says that until Christ comes back “…war will continue to the end.” Daniel 9:26
We should not adopt a fatalistic view of war, but war will always be a part of this life. Jesus affirmed this when He said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…Nations will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Matthew 24:6-7 This is a part of the fallen world that we live in. War will continue to be a part of the landscape of this earth.
Unfortunately, In this fallen world, the path to peace is sometimes war. Because we live in a world where evil is real and at times strong, in order to establish and preserve peace, sometimes we must wage war. You don’t need a history lesson this morning, but event he relative short history of our country is filled with numerous examples of war leading to peace.
Where would our world be today if courageous men and women had not answered the call to defend peace and freedom in the world during World War I and World War II? If tyrants and dictators and evil men had been allowed to continue their conquest, this would be a much different world. Because our world is made up of sinful people who have the capacity for great evil, there are times when the only way to peace is through war.
However, the Bible makes it clear that Leaders should seek guidance before going to war. War should never be entered into without careful consideration and much advisement. Proverbs 20:18 says, “Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.” Proverbs 20:18
Regardless of your position on the war with Iraq, we should all be praying that our president and military leaders are getting good and Godly guidance. Proverbs 24:6 says, “for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.” Proverbs 24:6
Not only should we pray for guidance for our leaders but for the leaders around the world. The international community is in more disagreement than it has been in some time, and we need to pray that somehow all of the leaders of the world would receive good and Godly counsel.
One more comment concerning war, and this war in particular, Only God has all the information. We have all formed our opinions about this war based on limited information. None of us know everything that our military men and women know. Some of you have talked to loved ones in the military and they can’t tell you everything they know.
They are operating with limited information because their superiors know more than they can share. The president knows more than he can tell us. Sadaam Hussein knows more than he is telling. And the truth is no one knows all of the truth except God. We have our opinions and perhaps our suspicions. We debate with each other and on talk radio, but none of us know exactly what the truth is. Only God knows that.
I do not endorse political parties or platforms or candidates, but, as an editorial note, if we have to be at war, I’m glad that there is a man who is open about his faith like our president is making the calls.
I don’t know what kind of weapons Iraq has or exactly what has been done to the people there, but I know God knows and I can trust God with the way He chooses to direct history.
Give me one more editorial privilege here. I do find it interesting to see the people who claim to know so much about the direction our military should take. I never realized that when you pursue an acting career you also get a full education in political science and military strategy. Apparently all of the actors and actresses in Hollywood personally know Sadaam and can attest to his character and integrity.
I also think it is unconscionable that anyone would use the occasion of this war for personal or political gain.
The truth is no one has all the information but God. Only God knows it all, and I can trust Him.
Transition: But even if you buy everything I’ve just said, it is still hard to deal with the emotions that we are feeling right now. Maybe you feel some of the things that the people in this next video feel. (video)
So what are we to do? How do we deal with our feelings and our concerns and all of the unknowns of this war? That’s where Paul’s words in Philippians come in. He gives us a plan for surviving these times. I want to begin with the last few words of verse 5.
My translation reads, “The Lord is near.” Remember that the Lord is near. That’s a pretty good place to begin dealing with this war. No matter what you’re feeling, remember the Lord is near. Even if someone you love is far away, the Lord is near. When you cry at night the Lord is near. When you don’t think He’s listening, the Lord is near. When words like chemical weapons and terrorist attacks and scud missiles fill the air waves, the Lord is near. Let that sink in this morning.
Don’t rush past those words to get to the next verse. Let the thought settle on you this morning. The Lord is near. You and I can’t change the situation, but the Lord is near. You might not be able to reach out and hold your loved one, but the Lord is near. He hears every cry and knows every anxious moment. The Lord is near.
Students who are unsure of the future of this world or this country the best thing I can tell you is the Lord is near. He really is. And because of that, Paul can say, Don’t worry. Our ability to not worry does not come from our president or our military leaders. It’s because the Lord is near that we can have hope and confidence and security.
Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” That’s a pretty strong statement. Don’t worry. Don’t be anxious about anything. If the situation in our world was different, I would probably be talking to you about all of the things we worry about that really aren’t worth worrying about. I’d talk to you about all of the small things that we spend so much time worrying about.
But I think we already realize that. Faced with the realities of a war, we clearly see how much time we waste worrying about little things that really don’t matter. But today, this verse is harder to deal with. We could easily admit that we really shouldn’t worry about problems at our job or disagreements with our friends or small issues with our children. We know we shouldn’t worry about those things.
But Paul says, “Don’t be anxious about ANYTHING.” Included in that is the war with Iraq. Paul says don’t worry about it. Now I don’t know about you, but I need a little more help than that if I’m going to stop worrying. Telling us to not worry while we are at war with Iraq is like telling someone who is suffering from grief or depression, “You should just be happy.” It doesn’t work that way.
Just telling me to stop worrying does not help me stop worrying, so I’m glad Paul kept writing. He tells us how to control our worrying. He writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.”
That is the formula for dealing with worry, whether it’s little issues or big issues you’re worried about. They can all be brought under control through prayer. Instead of worrying, Paul tells us to pray. Paul uses three words for our prayers. The NIV translates them as “prayer,” “petition,” and “requests.”
Prayer=general praying
Petition and Requests=specific praying
When you have nothing to worry about you can pray general prayers. You can cover adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. You can pray through the missionary birthday list. You can pray through all the sick in the church. You can pray broad general prayers that cover a wide range of topics.
But when you are beginning to worry about something your prayers get very specific don’t they? When the bombs started falling, we got real specific in our prayers. Our Wednesday night prayer meeting this past week was very specific in our requests.
Paul says that when you begin to worry start praying. Pray general prayers and pray specific prayers because that is how you are going to unload your worries. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Philippians 4:6 reads, “Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers.” Philippians 4:6 The Message
That is the idea. As soon as worry comes into your mind, make it a prayer. When you begin to worry about a loved one who is overseas, immediately shape that worry into a prayer. When you begin to worry about our safety here in America, immediately shape that worry into a prayer. When you begin to worry about our leaders or our direction or our future, whatever you worry about, shape it into a prayer.
That is the path to worry-free living. Here are three specific ways to pray for the world situation that can help you fight worry.
1. Pray for our military personnel
2. Pray for our president and his advisors
3. Pray for our enemies
Paul encourages us not just to pray but to Pray with thanksgiving. What does thanksgiving have to do with worry? I think Paul tells us to pray with thanksgiving when we’re worried because thanksgiving takes our mind off of our situation. When we are worried we focus only on the problems in our life.
When we are anxious our attention is on nothing but the source of our worry. We don’t step back and get perspective. We don’t see before or after the impending problem. We just focus on the problem.
When we begin to thank God, we are able to pull back from the problem and see the bigger picture. Often, when we are in a difficult situation, our view of God is influenced by the situation we’re in. The anxious situation can cause us to doubt God’s love for us or doubt God’s goodness or doubt God’s sovereignty. Instead of a wide angle panoramic view of God, worrisome circumstances can cause us to have a zoomed lens, snapshot of God.
When we begin to thank God we remember that not all of our life has been characterized by the current crisis. We can thank God for His character which reminds us that God is loving and kind and good and faithful and worthy of our trust. We can thank God for His blessings in our life which reminds us that thought the current struggle is hard, we still have much to be thankful for.
When we thank God for His promises we are reminded that we won’t always be at war. We won’t always be separated from our loved ones. There won’t always be evil and war because one day we will be with Him. Prayers of thanksgiving are a wonderful antidote to worry and they also produce joy in our hearts.
So as you are praying general prayers and specific prayers, remember to pray grateful prayers
I want to pause here and go back to the beginning of verse 1 because I think it comes into a little bit better focus now. Now that we’ve talked about our worries and anxieties and the weight that we all are feeling right now, it’s a good time to remember Paul’s theme throughout this book, and he emphasizes it in verse 4.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Our response to war should be to find ways to have joy. We quote that verse so flippantly sometimes. We put catchy little tunes with it and sing it. But the weight of that verse should be felt today. Rejoice in the Lord always. Even right now in the midst of war Paul would tell us to find joy.
He doesn’t tell us to ignore the situation or live in denial, but he does say, “Find reasons for joy in every single situation.” Even if your situation has the potential to make you worry, find joy. Again, that doesn’t mean that we won’t hurt at times. It doesn’t mean that we won’t ever cry. It simply means that on the good days and on the worst of days, find ways to have joy.
Give yourself permission to laugh and smile and enjoy the blessings you do have. And when we continue to have joy and turn our worries into prayers and remember to be thankful, this is what happens: “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let God replace our worries with His peace. When we are faithful to pray and be thankful, God begins to replace our worry and our anxiety with His peace. Paul says it is a peace that cannot be explained. This peace is absolutely unique to God. No one else can give you this peace. A pastor can’t give it to you. A friend can’t give it to you. A church can’t give it to you. Only God can dispense this kind of unexplainable peace.
And this is what God’s peace will do. It will guard your heart and mind. Appropriately for our context today, Paul uses a military term. When you find ways to rejoice through difficulty, pray specifically, and thank God continually then God’s peace establishes itself in your life like a soldier to keep out worry and fear and anxiety.
You and I can’t keep worry and anxiety out. If you have a loved one overseas, you can’t settle your own emotions and inner anxieties. But the peace of God can. His peace can guard your thoughts from always thinking about the worst. His peace can keep us from living in fear. His peace can guard our hearts and minds in this uncertain time.
Let me close by answering this question, What should we learn from war? I’m sure there are many things we should learn from war. This is not an exhaustive list, but I want to mention three things that we should all learn from war.
1. Most of the things we worry about aren’t worthy worrying about.
When we are forced to deal with the uncertainty of war, especially a war that could involve chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, we realize just how silly we are to worry about the things we most often worry about. Though none of us want war, we should use this time to evaluate our priorities.
Are we spending our time and our lives on things that in the end just won’t matter? Are we bothered by things and angered by things and upset by things that really don’t matter? If so, let’s ask God to change our attitudes and our priorities. Let’s use this time to refocus on the important things in life. And speaking of the important things, we should be reminded of…
2. The uncertainty of life
War is a reminder that life does not go on forever. We live our lives most days as if we were immortal. We live as if there is no limit or end to our days. But war is a startling reminder that life is uncertain.
C.S. Lewis wrote a masterful tale called The Screwtape Letters. It is the story of two demons. One is the elderly demon named Screwtape who is training a young demon protégé named Wormwood. Throughout the story Screwtape teaches Wormwood how to deceive mankind and what tricks to use to keep people out of heaven.
They have a struggle with the issue of war. There are many aspects of war that the demons liked. But Screwtape revealed this one problem with the nature of war:
“In wartime, not even a human can believe that he is going to live forever.” C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters
Let’s all be reminded this morning that life is uncertain and it is passing from all of us quickly.
3. The hope of Christ’s return
As much as I wish there was no war right now, I am reminded of what a wonderful day it is going to be when Christ returns. For on that day there will be no more war. There will be no more terrorism or chemical weapons or weapons inspectors or United Nations resolutions. Isaiah saw that day, and he described it like this, “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4
I am looking forward to that day. A day when there will be perfect peace. A day when evil will be destroyed, and there will be no more war. Are you ready for that day?
Paul said that this peace that guards our hearts and minds is in Christ Jesus. There is no other way to have peace apart from a relationship with Christ. You see, you can’t have the peace of God unless you have peace with God.
And peace with God comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ. Why is there evil in the world? Why are in a conflict with a man who brutally tortured and murdered his own people? One reason: sin. The Bible says that every person is a sinner, and because we have sinned evil entered the world.
Because we disobeyed God, we are separated from God and there is not a one of us who is without sin. The Bible says none of us are righteous. We have all disobeyed God. But God provided a way for us to have peace with Him.
The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God’s Son was crucified on a cross so that your sins could be forgiven and you could have peace with God. Have you ever received God’s peace? Listen, life is uncertain and Christ is one day going to return and time will end as we know it.
Are you ready for that day? Have you made peace with God by believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins? If not, you can do that today. If you want this peace, please come in just a moment as we sing.
