THE EMOTION QUOTIENT – PART FIVE
“DON’T WORRY – BE HAPPY!”
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 - ©LARRY L. THOMPSON (2003)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Introduction
What do all of these things have in common?
• Fear to take action
• Cowardice to deal with difficult situations
• Withdrawal from daily life
• Depression and discouragement
• Distrust and unbelief
• A defeatist attitude
• A Family Crisis
• A Terminal Illness
• Unwise and harmful decisions
THE CAUSE OF GREAT ANXIETY in an individual’s life. After the events of 9-11, it is safe to say that we have become a nation even more controlled by the anxiety of the unknown.
Illustration of anxiety level in USA:
73% of Americans now believe they will become a victim of terrorism. The current poll shows 7 of 10 Americans saying they are either "very" or "somewhat" anxious that they or someone in their immediate family will become a victim of terrorist activity. This number compares with 42% who expressed that view in April 1995, shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing.
How can we as Christians deal with the reality of anxiety? How can we live without anxiety becoming a stronghold in our life, our family, our marriage, our work, our church and our nation?
I. THE REASON OF ANXIETY (1 Peter 5:7)
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
In order for us to be freed from the bondage of anxiety we must first examine the reasons for the apprehension in our lives.
a. IMPROPER EVALUATION OF OUR SITUATION
We classify all of our problems as situations in which we anticipate anxiety rather than opportunities to see the hand of God in our lives. The simple fact is that we insist on clinging to our difficulties. We refuse share our problems with other members of our Christian family. Even more tragic we do not share our problems with God. Is it any wonder why we feel so overwhelmed by the stronghold of the emotion of anxiety so often?
Holding onto your anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its SORROW, but it does empty today of its STRENGTH. Embracing your anxiety does not make it possible for to you escape the evil; however, it does render you unfit to cope with the evil you may face.
b. INABILITY TO EMBRACE GOD’S STRENGTH
When we hold onto our anxiety we rob ourselves of the blessing of Divine assistance. We fail to embrace or believe the miracle power of God available to us as Christians. We try to face every situation that brings cause for alarm in our life as though we can only have victory if we face the situation with our own power and human reason.
Every problem in your life is an opportunity to prove God’s guidance, His love, His provision and His grace. The fact remains that when we attempt to solve our problems on our own we normally find that matters get worse instead of better.
It is the will of God to lift your burden from your life. God wants us to give Him the anxiety which fills our life and torments us. God knows everything. He knows your sins. He knows your pain and hurt. He knows your needs. HOWEVER, He is waiting for you to come to Him. WHY? Because UNTIL YOU COME TO HIM AND CAST YOUR ANXIETY UPON HIM YOU HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED YOUR OBEDIENCE AND FAITH THAT HE WILL HONOR HIS WORD!
God wants you to give Him all of your anxiety. God cares for you! God has a deep love for you. He created you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows all of your failures as well as your fears. He loves you in spite of it all. He is now calling you to enter His love and trust Him with your greatest worries.
II. THE REWARD OF ANXIETY (Prov. 12:25)
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”
The first reward of you banking anxiety into your life is…
a. INCREASE IN MORE ANXIETY
Never forget the “Law of the Harvest!”
• You reap what you sow
• You always reap more than you sow
• You never reap until you sow
Who wants to sow anxiety in your life only to know you are going to grow an even great crop of anxiety? Anxiety is worthless and the only dividends anxiety pays is the emotional burden that robs you of all that God intended for you to be in His strength. There is zero value in worry. It does nothing good for us. The words of Jesus in the great Sermon on the Mount express this truth completely: Matthew 6:27 (NIV)
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
b. INCREASE IN MAN’S ACTIVITY
Let me tell you an absolute truth about those who are captured in the bondage of the stronghold of anxiety. Instead of increasing their dependence upon God who has invited them to give Him their burdens, they invariably increase their own activity. How many times have you heard a Christian say this about their troubles, “Well, you don’t understand I have tried everything!” When a Christian refuses to let go of anxiety and let God have their burdens then they find the reward of their anxiety is increased activity with absolutely no results or resolve. Consider these facts regarding the average person’s anxiety…
• 40% related to events that will never happen
• 30% regarding situations in the past that can’t be changed
• 12% related to criticism or gossip, which is mostly untrue
• 10% about health, which gets worse with added stress & anxiety
• 8% of anxiety is related to real problems that we face
It is true what Chuck Swindoll has written about anxiety, “Worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine.”
Listen to what God has offered us in His word regarding our anxiety:
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Deut. 7:21 (NIV)
“Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.”
Phil. 4:19 (NIV)
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Good news – God always keeps His word!
Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
III. THE RESOLUTION OF ANXIETY (Phil. 4:6-7)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
a. REPLACE YOUR ANXIETY WITH GOD’S AUTHORITY
We are to allow the PEACE of God to replace our PROBLEMS that are causing anxiety. However, here is A KEY word regarding the Peace of God…We will NEVER have the PEACE of GOD in our lives until we have first made PEACE with GOD…then the peace of God is available to rule our life. You must transfer your life to Christ by faith before you can ever begin to transfer your anxiety!
There was reason for the Christians to be anxious. The church was facing: severe persecution, disunity within the church, carnality of some members, false teachers and some members who were struggling just to survive in this environment. Paul is reminding the Christians that God will enable every believer with HIS PEACE to endure and survive the problems that we face in this world.
God fills us with His peace because He overcomes the trials of life. We are called to be concerned, not anxious. Concern moves us to act with prayer and courage. Concern moves us to conquer problems and difficulties in life by following HIS WILL REVEALED IN HIS WORD.
b. REMEMBER PRAYER IS OUR WEAPON IN WEAKNESS
We are to use prayer as our weapon to fight the weakness we feel in the midst of anxiety. There is the charge: “do not be anxious” (merimnao - mer-ih-nah’-O) “take no thought about nothing.” The idea is that the believer is not to worry or fret about a single thing. The word “nothing” (medeis, may-dace’ ) “not even one thing.” Humanly speaking, the Philippians had every reason to worry and be anxious. Humanly speaking, a person is going to worry and suffer anxiety...
• When they are about to lose or lack food, clothing, or shelter.
• When they are persecuted, ridiculed, abused, or threatened.
• When they are surrounded by quarrels, disturbance, carnality, or false teaching.
In the midst of such circumstances, the only way a person can keep from worrying is to receive an injection of supernatural power.
This is the very point of today’s message. There is an answer to worry and anxiety, a supernatural answer: the peace of God. God will enable the believer to conquer worry and anxiety. God will overcome the trials of life for the believer, no matter how terrible and pressuring they may be. God will infuse the believer with peace—with the very peace of God Himself—a peace so great and so wonderful that it carries the believer right through the trial.
Of course, this does not mean the believer is not to be concerned about the problems of life. There is a difference between concern and anxiety. Concern drives us to arise and tackle the problems of life with courage and diligence. Concern drives us to tackle and conquer all that we can handle. Anxiety and worry cause all kinds of problems...
• Fear to Act
• Withdrawal
• Hesitation
• Cowardice
• Depression
• Discouragement
• Angry
• Defeatist Attitude
• Distrust and Unbelief
• Unwise Decisions
• Spiritual Decay
• Physical and Emotional Problems
Of course the list could go on and on, but the point to see is the seriousness of anxiety. Just take a moment and think about a few of the above problems: how anxiety can cause a person to act and suffer. The seriousness is easily seen. We all know people who suffer greatly because of anxiety; they simply lack the peace of God. Yet, the charge of Scripture is forceful: “be anxious for nothing,” not even for a single thing.
EXAMINE HOW PRAYER IS OUR DEFENSE IN THESE TIMES OF ANXIETY
1. “PRAYER” IS RELATED TO THE DAILY DEVOTION LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN
The word “prayer” (proseucheo – pross-you-kay) refers to the regular times of prayer
that we share in periods of devotion and worship. We are to have set times for
prayer, times that we especially set aside for devotion and worship.
2. “PETITION” IS THE FOCUS UPON SPECIAL NEEDS
We feel a deep, intense need in our lives that drive us to our knees as we go before God
and supplicate or we make our petitions known to Him. Petition means to pour out our soul to God. The need that confronts us is so great that we understand the only possible help and deliverance is God.
3. “THANKSGIVING” REMINDS US OF ALL HIS PROVISION IN OUR LIFE
We thank and praise God for all that He is and for all that He has done for us. Thanksgiving reminds us of the memory markers in our life when God has intervened and delivered us.
4. “REQUESTS” IS THE SPECIFIC & DEFINITE REQUESTS REGARDING THE ISSUE OF ANXIETY
Our praying is not to be general, but specific. We are to lay before God exactly what is needed and we are not to fear that we are being too detailed with God or bothering God. Neither are we to hold back from asking because we fear He will not answer something so specific. Too often believers fear not receiving the answer to a specific request, fear that it will show how weak they are spiritually if the request is not granted.
Notice what our scripture implores us to obey: “In everything” pray like this—use all four means of prayer and use them in praying for everything.
Stella Powers Testimony: Widow who lived in a shack in OKC next door to the Baptist Mission Center. Rode the bus to church and one day gave me her check book and told me to write out one check for $10,000 and another for $3,000. I personally thought she was getting to an age where she failed to understand reality. She insisted and told me to give the 10K to the budget and the 3K to missions. Mrs. Powers related to me that her brother whom she had not seen in 35 years passed away and left her $13,000. I encouraged her to keep some of the funds for her personal living and needs. She looked at me and said, “Young Pastor Larry I promised the Lord long ago, “I’ll do Your work and You do my worrying. We have both kept our end of the bargain.” Mrs. Stella Powers
Conclusion:
The reward of this obedience is the Peace of God!
We have the promise is peace. “Peace” means to be bound, joined, and woven together; that which is inseparable. Peace that is beyond understanding. Peace is the calm assurance and security that can only come from the love of God with the full assurance that He will deliver us, guide us, provide for us, strengthen us, save us and encourage us…THIS IS THE PEACE OF GOD!
The Peace of God is that which guards our hearts and minds.
The term guard means to garrison or protect. The peace of God is like an elite guard who protects a precious possession, your heart! However, we must remember, the peace is conditional; we must first have made PEACE WITH GOD before we can claim the PEACE OF GOD. Those who have no faith in Christ have reason to be anxious. They have no support in life. They have no strength from God’s presence during hard times. They have no power to overcome the challenges of life.
Many of you may have wondered throughout this message what this box represents. It has on the outside of the box these initials S.T.O.P. Why don’t we open it and find out…
(Use voice over to read the following script)
“I am your God. Today I am talking to you who KNOW ME and have trusted me. I will be handling all of your problems that you have first brought to me. Please remember that I do not need your help. When the Enemy delivers a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it. Obediently place that situation in the S.T.O.P Box. Which stands for, Savior Takes Our Problems. Once in that box your problem belongs to Me and it will be addressed in MY time, not yours. When the matter is placed into my box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it. Removing what you have entrusted to Me will only delay the resolution of your anxiety. Remember, I do not sleep or slumber, so there is no need for you to lose any sleep. When you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away. I love you and I will never leave you nor forsake you. I’ll be waiting so you can quit worrying.”
Invitation Hymn: “Trust and Obey”
