What Is Eating You Alive? Worry, Anxiety

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.