Dealing With Anxiety Series

Dealing with Anxiety

The Storms of Life

Anxiety

CCCAG June 16th, 2019

Scripture- 1 Peter 5:6-11

(“Problem” on Whiteboard versus single sheet of paper)

Intro:

In an issue of the AARP Bulletin, readers were asked to respond to the question: What’s your strategy for coping with stress? The answers ranged from "Eat a chocolate chip cookie" to "Have a stiff drink." But Don Betz of Oakdale, Minnesota, offered his own unique solution. Every January 1st, Betz says, "I give my wife $1, and she worries about everything for both of us." That is not the end of the entry, Betz added, "If someone else wants to be worry free, they can also send her a dollar."

It's Father’s Day, so I get to pick on the ladies a little don’t I?

Anxiety is the cause of worry, and worrying about things can cause serious physical problems, such as ulcers, heart attacks, and high blood pressure.

I had my physical this week and Dr. Anderson knows enough about me to ask the right questions about stress and anxiety. Both blood pressure and cholesterol are in the slightly elevated range , and although he is pleased to see things like blood pressure and cholesterol heading in the right directions, he counseled me to make sure to keep my stress under control otherwise even a decent level of either of these things can cause problems down the road when coupled with constant stress.

Another interesting fact about stress and anxiety-

A few years ago George Barna did a survey on American’s favorite sins.

What is the top sin of Americans?

Might think of pornography, overeating, or greed.

Top sin is anxiety and worry.

60% of Americans say they are often tempted to worry because of anxiety.

Anxiety and it’s byproduct of worry are the tools of fear.

We talked about fear last week, and today will tackle both the tools and the byproducts of fear in confronting the roots of this spiritual killer in our lives.

Because God has a better way for us to live

and we find some life changing truth in 1 Peter 5:6-11.

1 Peter 5:6-11

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer

What is anxiety? Let’s define it

Anxiety is distress about future uncertainties.

It is characterized by mental agitation and uneasiness. It primarily has to do with what may happen in the future, whether near or distant, whether real or imagined.

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is caused by real or imagined threats to our wellbeing. It causes us to feel vulnerable and inadequately protected against these threats.

Threats such as social rejection, physical injury or disease, poverty, death, and a wide range of other threats.

Anxiety has 3 main elements.

Insecurity: The belief that something bad is going to happen- it has everything to do with not feeling secure about something

Helplessness: There is nothing I can do to help the situation

Isolation: There is no one to help me even if I ask for it

All three of these things have one thing in common, and we saw it in verse 8- the devil is a roaring lion searching for whom he may devour

Anxiety and it’s consequence of worrying is listening to the lions roar instead of trusting your father.

Let’s talk about the devils roar

If you were not here last week, I purposefully scared the heck out of everyone here by using my sergeant’s voice to roar “Fear Not!”.

I did that to illustrate the three reactions to fear- freeze, flee, or fight. The vast majority of people will freeze or flee when confronted with an unexpected negative experience.

The devil uses the same tactic with his roars of fear, his roars of doubt and roars of unbelief. His goal is to get you to freeze or to flee.

That’s why the bible uses what would have been a common occurrence to people living in the middle east in the 1st century AD to describe satan’s tactics- a lions roar.

Lion’s roar to intimidate. They want you to freeze in place so they don’t have to expend a lot of energy to run you down.