Worry Wart
Thesis: Too many Christians have been trapped in the mind-set of worry and the anxiety of this world is choking out any joy in their life.
Illustration:
A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road when the wagon fell over in front of a farmer’s house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying and said, "Son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner’s ready. Why don’t you come in and eat with us and then I’ll help you put the hay back on the rack." The boy said, "No, I can’t. My father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Now don’t worry, just come in and have some lunch and you’ll feel better." The boy said, "I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, "Now, son, don’t you feel better after that great meal?" The boy said, "Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?" The boy said, "He’s under that wagon."
Texts:
Message Matthew 6:25-34:
“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
“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.
Matthew 6:25 (NIV)
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?
Matthew 10:19
19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Matthew 6:27
27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Opening Video Illustration: City Slickers- Mitch has become a worry wart and it’s draining the joy out of his life.
Do you see what worry and anxiety can do to your life? It robs you of living-instead you just exist – you end up with no joy and no hope. It’s a sad state to be in.
Introduction:
I reviewed my sermons for the last 18 years and was amazed to discover I never preached a whole message on worry. Worry or in other words anxiety has become the robber of joy in most Christian’s life. I know that we all need a Biblical perspective on dealing with this deadly disease of worry and anxiety. Our society is being tormented and destroyed because anxiety is sucking the life out of people – even God’s people.
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.
Havner stated, “ Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.”
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.
A certain well-controlled care-free-ness may well be an asset. Normal sensible concern is an important attribute of the mature person. But worry frustrates one’s best functioning.”
• 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.
In or out of water:
All the water in the world
However hard it tried,
Could never, never sink a ship
Unless it got inside.
All the hardships of this world,
Might wear you pretty thin,
But they won’t hurt you, one least bit
Unless you let them in.
Worry is a destroyer of the soul.
If unchecked, it results in great anxiety or even mental illness. You get a warning first, often with a physical problem. Worry in the mind causes shock to the body, Prov. 12:25: An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. But we need to remember that God is able to deliver us from worry. Jer. 17:7-8, But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Story of J.C. Penney
In 1929, J.C. Penney’s business was highly unstable. And so he began to worry and became sleepless. He worried to the extreme and contracted shingles, which is the severest pain known to man. Into the hospital, Penney was given medicine to tranquilize him, but it was no help. He still worried about his business. One night, he felt that he would die before morning, as he was lying on the bed, he heard singing from the hospital chapel next door: ‘No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you…”
Suddenly he leaned up, thinking: ‘it is real! God loves and cares for me.’ In no time he had jumped out of his bed and entered the chapel. And then a miracle took place in his soul, as if he were a little bird suddenly freed to fly out of the dungeon into the sunlight, from hell to paradise”(1648, Paul Lee Tan)
For us to live the abundant life God desires us to live we must be joyful. We need to learn to prevent anxiety and worry from invading our lives. Let’s look at 8 ways to prevent anxiety and worry from ruining our lives. These points are gathered from the book “Worry Free Living” by Minirth, Meier, and Hawkins.
T.S.- Let’s look at the first key to preventing worry and anxiety in our lives.
1. Meditation is one way to prevent anxiety from over running your life.
a. The Bible tells us to meditate:
i. John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
ii. Psalm 103:12: as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
b. It’s important to note that just reading Scripture is not meditating!
i. Reading for the sake of reading rarely brings the benefits that meditating on the Word brings.
c. To meditate do the following steps:
i. You need to have no timeline
ii. The place needs to be quiet
iii. We need to be relaxed
iv. We should be a comfortable position
v. We must have no goal in mind.
vi. We need to start reading Scriptures that apply to our current life scenario.
vii. Read the text and pause and think calmly on what you just read.
viii. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you what he wants you to see and learn.
ix. Listen for God’s response to you
d. Jesus promised to leave us peace but most never have it because they are moving a mile a minute and they never take time to meditate on the Lord’s Word.
i. Remember Jesus got away and meditated on the Word.
T.S.- The first step is to meditate and the second step is to make sure we condition ourselves to relax. We have to train to get where we want to be.
2. Condition yourself to relax by working at it.
a. Psalm 23: A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
* David got to this position in life by conditioning himself in the art of meditating on the Lord and His provision and goodness.
b. One way that has been helpful for individuals to learn to relax is by using a phrase and repeating it several times to oneself to calm down.
i. For Christians learning to repeat relaxing Scripture texts has great relaxing benefits.
ii. It helps us to remember that God loves us and desires what’s best for us.
c. Remember worry and anxiety is a signal to relax.
d. Some of the most refreshing times in my life have been during praise and worship when we repeat a phrase over and over and it finally sinks in singing it.
i. Now some of you get impatient when we repeat phrases because you are thinking lets get through this song and move on to the next.
ii. Here’s a suggestion relax – this is a time to reflect on God and relax not rush through another song.
T.S.- When you become anxious it’s time to meditate and relax and also allow the power of uplifting music to soothe your anxiety.
3. Listening to praise and uplifting music will also help you defeat anxiety.
a. 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.
b. 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.
c. The Bible offers the example King Saul in I Samuel 16:14-23:
14Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
15Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”
17So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
18One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
23Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
1. When Saul was distressed he would ask for the musicians to come and play for him to soothe his spirit and mind. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
T.S.- Proper music can help us defeat the pressure of anxiety but so can learning to talk our problems out to the right person.
4. The fourth way to defeat anxiety and worry is to learn to talk through your problems with the right person.
a. Matthew 18:5-20 deals with how talking things out works in conflict management:
5“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.19“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
b. Meier says, “Anxiety and depression build because people don’t air their feelings daily” (112).
i. He also notes that a small problem turned inward can become a phobia that cripples that individual.
c. The Bible gives many OT and NT examples of the importance of confronting things in life with an attitude of love.
i. The problem today is many suppress their feelings and do not but deal with the issues in their relationships. Result one day they blow up and the relationship blows out.
d. The truth is worries and anxiety do go away when you talk about them to a trusted friend and or counselor.
i. Why do think people vent their problems to you?
ii. Talking things out is good for your health!
T.S.- Talking problems out is good but some of us need to limit our worry time in a given day.
5. The next step we can take in this battle over anxiety and worry is to learn to limit your worry.
a. Set a goal to only worry 1% of the day.
i. When worry comes on you say “I am not going to worry about that right now I will deal with that tonight.
b. Meier says three positive results will occur from allotted worry time:
i. You will get more down in a day because worry distracts you from accomplishing your goals in a day.
ii. When the allotted worry time comes you will discover that it is easier to deal with the problem because you have had a successful day.
iii. Truth is by the time you worry time comes you will find that the worry has shrunk in size and usually is no longer a major concern.
T.S.- Limiting our worry is another way to deal with worry and stress and the next point connects with this principle as well we really need to learn to focus on today.
6. We all need to learn to live one day at a time to deal with and relieve anxiety.
a. 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?
b. Don’t allow the past to play on your mind the “What if game of destruction.” What if this or that happens – you cannot control certain things in life and besides most will not come to pass anyway so live today and enjoy it while you can and forget about losing sleep over the future
c. Don’t allow the “If only game of destruction “ Our pasts can keep us in them if we let them and worrying about past mistakes only keeps us trapped in the past and gives us no future.
d. We need to start living each day and enjoy each day we have in this life.
i. The truth is most live in the past which takes you nowhere or they live in the future where their not there. We need to learn to live for today!
T.S.- We need to understand that God wants us to make the most of each day so live each day for him and anxiety will fade. The next point in the battle over anxiety is to make sure you have a plan to defeat worry.
7. The next way to defeat and deal with worry and anxiety is to have a plan of action.
a. Meier says, “Do something to lessen your anxiety” (115).
b. He also states, “Don’t just agonize over your circumstances”
c. Bottom line - “Do Something!”
i. Study the options to correct the problem
ii. Select a plan of attack after careful prayer and study
iii. Then put the plan into action- do it
d. Some people have discovered that exercise helps relieve anxiety and worry. But you have to find an action plan to defeat that which holds you back.
e. You can adapt some of the principles today in your life to win the battle over worry. But the key is -do something!
T.S.- Worry will not just fade away we have to have an action plan to defeat it then we can always ask for God’s help and presence to be victorious.
8. The last thing to do to defeat anxiety is cultivate the awareness of God’s presence in your life.
a. Hebrews 11:27 “See Him who is invisible”
b. Discover that God is always with you- He will never leave you or forsake you.
i. Great book to help you become aware of God is “Experiencing God “ by Blackaby.
ii. We need to never forget that God is always with His children as they serve Him.
c. Footprints:
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that at many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that is happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD... you said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I do not understand why You’d leave me when I needed You the most."
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child, I love and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.
- Mary Stevenson
d. We need to become like Elisha and see the army of the Lord who is with us. We are not alone as some of you think God and his force is with you.
i. 2 Kings 6:13-17:
13“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.
16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Conclusion:
Meier states, ‘God doesn’t want us to suffer anxiety. In fact, he commands us to “be anxious for nothing” This not a suggestion or a request. It is an order from God. In Matthew 6:25-34, Christ used the word worry six times, and half of those times he used it as part of an order. Do not worry about food, about clothes, about tomorrow, about your life. He told His disciples. To overcome anxiety and eliminate guilt we need to obey God in two important ways. First, we need to call a halt to the internal tug of war that exists between our conscience and our flesh. Tension is eliminated when we make the right choice. Second, we need to make a conscious decision to follow God’s explicit order not to worry. To continue to fret is a direct denial of a commandment from God” (117,118).
So today we need to make the decision to eliminate worry and anxiety from our lives as much as possible. When we do this we will become more joyful and life will be worth living and practicing the presence of God is a good place to start. How many would like to become more aware of the Lord in your life?
