Worry Trail Illustration
- Moneys tight, how are you going to pay the rent and buy food?
-Maybe you are without a job, or your boss is threatening you.
-maybe your spouse works late a lot, what are they up to?
-what are your kids doing with their friends, and you can’t sleep at night until their home safe. But that’s not worry, that’s CONCERN.
Your saying I don’t understand, you love your children /spouse, and you just want what is best for them and your concerned about their best.
Here’s the catch, because Paul teaches us in Romans (8:23) For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. That’s right, whatever does not proceed from faith is SIN. Not a very common topic in our churches today, probably because it makes all of us uncomfortable.
I know I worry or should I say am concerned, And I think I have good reason to be, last week along the playground across the street, there was at least 1 used needle and several used condoms, I worry about the safety of my kids not to mention my wife who walks there. And whenever I find myself worrying it isn’t long and I’m playing the “what if” game. And it doesn’t help that I read The Shack this summer either.
And I have to confess to you and to God that is sin.
Or what about our finances here at St. David’s, this last year we did O.K. but we definitely didn’t have the income to support a full-time priest, are we going to be able to meet our budget this year? And we could be consumed by this worry. How are we going to pay for everything? What if the offering don’t go up, What if, . . .
We are baptising 4 beautiful babies today, what will the world they grow up in look like? What if the parents and God-parent forget to follow through on the commitments they are making to these children, what if we as a congregation . . . I’m doing it again. It’ s a game I’ve gotten very good at playing. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that I’m the best at playing the “what if” game, I know there are some very experienced players her today. And the Bible says that’s SIN .
But how do we stop playing? How can we stop worrying? Bills need to get paid, children need to be cared for and relationships need trust. How can we stop.
I’m no bird, I can’t just fly around waking people up in the morning with my singing, and play target practise with cars with bonus points for hitting the windshield.
As I look around I don’t see any bird’s of the air, I see people created in the image of God who are much more valuable to God the Father than the birds of the air. You are all jewels bought at a great price.
So what can we learn from the birds – to be diligent at doiing what God has called us to do. We are not called to be old crows but children of God.
Lilies of the field, never mind lilies of the field what about the lilies beside the ramp out front, aren’t the gorgeous when they are in bloom, I particularly liked the red ones. I don’t know who planted them but I am sure glad they are there. I do know that they don’t receive any special watering, they just kind of grow where they are planted making our church, and neighbourhood more beautiful, and I know some of you are already making this community a more beautiful place by doing what it is God has asked you to do. Imagine what our church, what our community would look like if everyone here today, “In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.”(James 1:21b-25, The Message).
But how do we stop the strangle hold of worry?
1. I will do what God asks me to do.
You see the problem often is we over spiritualize things, saying God’s gong to look after everything.
So your unemployed, and
I ask you are you looking for a job? ‘nope’
Is your resume made up? ‘nope.’
Are you networking? ‘nope.’
What are you doing? ‘ I’m just waiting for God to bring me a job’
Some people may be looking to get married and I ask them
Do you get out of the house much, ‘nope’
Are you meeting ssingle people, ‘nope’
Have you talked with anyone of the opposite sex ever, ‘nope’
What are you doing? ‘I’m just waiting on God to bring her to my door’ keep on waiting idiot, there are certain things God wants us to do.
Certain people are broke all the time and I ask them what’s their plan, God going to win the lottery for me. That’s over-spiritualizing, and that’s what James 1: 22 is talking about, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Now what is God asking you to do
A. God will ask you to think on the right things, take ever thought and make it captive to Christ. S when your mind starts to wander and you thinking your always going to be depressed, always going to struggle. We need to retrain our minds to stop thinking in worst case scenarios. And this may take some time.
Let me give you an example, have any of you ever learned another language? Maybe you took French in school for a few years. And then have gone to Quebec or France or even a home around here where French is the mother tongue, at first you find it difficult to understand what they are saying, but if you stay in that environment for a couple of days or weeks, months or years all of a sudden something changes you will find that you are no longer trying to translate what it is that people are saying , because you will understand them, you will have begun to think in French. This is the same thing we need to renew our minds. The same thing happens as we learn to be doers of the Word.
B. Secondly, we can do what is wise. Scripture over and over teaches us to do what is wise. If you don’t have a job, make a resume and get out there. If your kids are dishonouring God it would be wise to pray about it, it would be wise to talk with friends whose kids maybe went through some of the same stuff already. It would be wise to get a book on parenting. If your marriage is struggling, it would be wise to seek help, to join a small group as a couple. To pray together, It would be wise to spend time together not apart.
If your single and you are looking for a spouse it would be wise to brush your teeth and comb your hair and go out and meet other singles. There are things we can do that God may ask me to do
2. I will give God what I cannot do.
6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.(Phillipians 4:6,7)
WE are going to do what God asks us to do and
we are going to give God what we cannot do.
Now let’s see what happens. WE give it to God and nothing happens so we take it back. Problem is we have a big view of ourselves and a small view of God. Its completely out of proportion. We are going to do the little we can do and the rest we are going to give to God.
I want to ask you some yes no questions
Can you heal someone of cancer, No. Can God? Yes so we need to give that to God. Can you do some thing yes you can go to the doctors gets tests eat right excercise right live well but the rest goes to God.
Can you protect your kids from all danger, No Can God Yes, that’s something we need to give to God.
Can you change your spouse? You hesitated on that one, I saw that you hesitated. Some of you think you can but you can’t now no elbowing here, can you change your spouse? NO can God Yes and God can change you to. Can your worrys change anything at all can God change anything at all.
We need to do what God asks us to do and we need to give God what we cannot do.
So what happens, No matter what happens I will trust God But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33,34)
Don’t worry about tomorrow because time is not an issue with God.
WE are going to do what God asks us to do and
we are going to give God what we cannot do.
No matter what I will trust God.
If God does what I think he will do, i will trust him
If God doesn’t do what I think he should do I will trust him
Even if it doesn’t look what I expect it or want it to look like I will trust God.
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! (Proverbs 3: 5,6, 7, The Message)
I don’t know what your worrying about today, but it is the sin I refuse to live with. Because its the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God, and I will not continue to insult my God that way anymore.
I will do what God asks me to do
I will give God what I cannot do
No matter what happens I will trust God
And as if you put your life in him and, as you are hidden in him He will remove all worries.
