The Crushing Pressure of Worry
Part I – Prayer is the answer
If prayer is the answer let’s start there
What do people worry about?
Here are the results of a national poll:
Industry Week Magazine
1. Own health and fitness - 73%
2. Lack of time for family or leisure pursuits - 49%
3. Their children’s problems - 43%
4. TIE - Job related stress - 43%
5. Personal investments - 39%
6. Estate planning - 37%
7. Relationship with children - 34%
8. Aging - 30%
9. Income Level - 22%
10. Their marriages - 21%
The findings from the study lead to a couple of interesting conclusions
1. Worry about estate planning comes before relationship development with spouse and children
2. The more important things such as relationships were low on the scale.
Is this a sign of under value? Perhaps – or maybe it’s simply that the material things get so noisy with worry in our heads that we neglect to focus on the more important details.
Broward County Florida School playgrounds
No swings, no merry-go-rounds, no teeter-totters, and heavens no monkey bars. Someone could get hurt! And this past year signs were posted that said, “No running on the playground”
I mean what’s the point? In the article I read reporting all of this (It was in the Lansing State Journal July 24) there was a description of a little girl who walked on a balance beam placed 4 inches off the ground for a while than began to play in the dirt because the dirt was more interesting and fun than the play equipment.
What is Worry?
Some have said that worry is the interest you pay on trouble that seldom comes. Psychologists have said that 90% of what people worry about never comes to pass.
Norman Vincent Peale said, “The word ‘worry’ is derived from an Old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to strangle or to choke. How well –named the emotion- it has been demonstrated again and again in persons who have lost their effectiveness due to the stultifying effect of anxiety and apprehension.
What is a worry?
Worry is a feeling of uneasiness about an uncertain or threatening future event. It also is a feeling of uneasiness about a past event. Some worried feelings are normal; it becomes a problem when it interferes with normal activities.
What symptoms can be associated with worry?
*Uneasy feeling
* Anxiety.
* Inability to relax.
* Tension headaches.
* Sleeplessness.
* Heart palpitations.
* Feelings of tightness in chest.
* Belching, nausea, diarrhea.
Dr. Charles Mayo
”Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands and the whole nervous system. I have never met a man or known a man to die of overwork, but I have known a lot who died of worry.
So what does the Bible say to do about worry?
Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.
Start thinking
Take the next few minutes and start thinking about how to do this. What do YOU do that helps YOU stop worrying so much?
Interactive Question
What do you do to that helps you stop worrying?
Part II – Biblical steps to conquering Worry
First Step: Deal with what you can!
Many worries could be eliminated by dealing with the problem!
Two points here – first – many problems can be dealt with if you just go to the people involved!
Matthew 5 and Matthew 18:5-20 both deal conflicts between people and both involve going to the person.
I’ve always been amazed and amused at how we would prefer to talk about another person instead of talking to them. Conflict never gets resolved by talking about someone.
Second – The next way to defeat and deal with worry and anxiety is to have a plan of action.
Meier says, “Do something to lessen your anxiety”. He also states, “Don’t just agonize over your circumstances”
Bottom line - “Do Something!”
• Study the options to correct the problem
• Select a plan of attack after careful prayer and study
• Then put the plan into action- do it
Second Step: Limit what you can’t deal with!
First: Worry about one day at a time.
We all need to learn to live one day at a time to deal with and relieve anxiety.
Matthew 6:25 25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Second: Make a goal of only worrying at a set time
The next step we can take in this battle over anxiety and worry is to learn to limit your worry. Set a goal to only worry 1% of the day.
When worry comes on you say “I am not going to worry about that right now I will deal with that tonight.
Guy who worried a lot without a care in the world
A friend stopped him and said what happened? You used to be constantly beside yourself in worry and now you’re singing and laughing. What gives? Fellow said, I met a man who is doing my worrying for me. He charges $10,000 a day. The other fellow said, How can you pay that? You don’t have that much money. The first guy said, “hey, that’s his worry!”
Maybe you can’t afford to pay some one to worry so just set aside time
Meier says three positive results will occur from allotted worry time:
• You will get more down in a day because worry distracts
• When the worry time comes you will discover that it is easier to deal with the problem because of a successful day.
• By the time your worry time comes often you will find that the worry has shrunk in size.
Third Step: Learn what God wants for you
The thing to do to defeat anxiety is cultivate the awareness of God’s presence in your life.
Discover that God is always with you- He will never leave you or forsake you.
Read Psalms 23
Read Philippians
Read John and focus on Jesus
Fourth Step: Praise God for what you have
Listening to praise and uplifting music will also help you defeat anxiety. Ever wonder why so many stores provide easy listening music to their customers? The reason is studies show that it relaxes them and actually people buy more when they are relaxed.
Music can alter a persons mind set from agitated to soothed by the power of its beat and message. On the other side of the coin certain music can agitate and cause stress in a person’s life.
The Bible offers the example King Saul in I Samuel 16:14-23:
Put your worry down
How Heavy is this glass of water?
The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
He continued, "And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on."
So relax and put down the load. You can pick them up later after you’ve rested and God’s strength is in you.
This life is short. Enjoy it!
