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Don't Let Worry Kill You. Let The Church Help. |
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Written by Pastor Darrell Cooper
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Friday, 06 March 2009 09:54 |
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Philippians 4:1-9
October 12 - Lindsborg Cov.
“Don’t Let Worry Kill You. Let The Church Help.”
(Worry/Prayer)
Sermon Outline
Let me ask you a question. Do you ever worry? Do you ever feel anxious, nervous, stressed out about anything? Raise your hand if you have ever felt that way in your life. (Pause for response) OK, now, please keep your hands up if you are a worry-wort, you tend to worry almost all the time about almost everything. (Pause for response)
All right, let’s be honest. We all worry. All of us, at times, feel overwhelmed with anxiety. And that makes sense, because, after all, there are so many things that might cause us to worry. For example, in a few days we are going to elect a new president of the United States. We could worry about that. You could worry about your health, or lack thereof. You could worry about the health of a friend or loved one. You could worry about your finances. And if you were ever going to worry about your finances, now would be a good time to do it. It seems that almost every time we turn on the radio or TV we hear rhetoric like “Worst economic crisis since the Great Depression” That is very strong language. The list could go on and on. The point is that there is no end to the things we could choose to worry about.
Now, let me ask you another question. When this happens to you, when you get all nervous and worked up and stressed out, do you enjoy that feeling? Do you like feeling anxious? Is that a pleasant sensation for you? Probably not. If you are like most people, the answer is “No”.
So, I have a suggestion for you. Why don’t you just stop? Just stop. Don’t do it anymore. How about this, from this point forward for the rest of your life, just stop feeling that way, OK? There, problem solved! Now some of you are looking at me and thinking, “Oh great, that was a helpful sermon!”
That isn’t very helpful is it? For me to suggest that you simply stop feeling anxious doesn’t help much. To explain why, I want to tell you a story. I know I have told it before, but it illustrates my point so well.
When I was in Jr. High I was in band, believe it or not. One year our band director assigned each of us a piece of music to memorize and perform at the upcoming regional music contest. To help us prepare for the contest, he required that each of us take turns performing our piece as a solo in front of the rest of the entire band, a prospect that absolutely terrified me. I was mortified at the thought of doing anything in front of a group of people. When it was my turn and the director called me up to play my piece, I was so nervous I was physically shaking so hard I could barely hold my instrument. My director was a very kind man, so he put his hand on my shoulder and said softly, “Now Darrell, don’t be nervous.” Then he smiled and admitted, “But that is probably not very helpful, is it?”
And you know what? He was exactly right. It wasn’t helpful at all. I could not choose to simply stop feeling the way I felt because I did not choose to feel that way in the first place. Pastor Steve is famous for a phrase that I have come to adopt as my own. The more I have thought about this three-word-quote, the more I have come to believe it, so I want to submit it now to you for your consideration. And the phrase is this: “Feelings come uninvited.” Have you ever heard him say that? Feelings come uninvited.
In other words, we do not choose the way we feel. Feelings just happen to us. We are the passive recipients of our own emotions. One of the implications of this is that we are not ultimately responsible for how we feel. We neither choose our emotions nor can we change them. We all know this somewhat intuitively.
For example, let’s suppose that someone in our congregation loses a friend or loved one. They are absolutely devastated as they grieve the loss of one they loved so much. Now, in our efforts to comfort and console our brother or sister, none of us would walk up to them and say something like, “Well, cheer up! Stop being so grumpy! Wipe that frown off your face and just snap out of it!” None of us would say something like that to a person who is deep in grief. Why not? Well, partly because it is incredibly insensitive, but more precisely, because we intuitively know that it is not their fault. Something very significant and tragic happened to them to make them feel this way. They cannot choose to stop feeling sad, hurt, angry, confused, scared, or lonely any more than they chose to feel that way in the first place. Feelings come uninvited. We are not responsible for how we feel.
Now, I want to draw a distinction that I hope is as helpful for you as it is for me. This is where the sermon outline picks up, so you may follow along if you like. It has to do with the difference between two words which we often consider synonyms: “anxiety” and “worry”. They are often used almost interchangeably, but they are actually not quite the same thing.
Anxiety is something we feel with our emotions. If you look up anxiety in the dictionary you will discover that it is a noun. Merriam-Webster defines the term this way: Anxiety is “a painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill, a fearful concern or interest” So, anxiety is a noun.
Worry is not a noun. It is a verb. Worry is something we do, usually with our minds. The dictionary defines it as, “Persistent mental uneasiness” and I stress the word mental. It is “a source of nagging concern or uneasiness”.
So, once again, anxiety is something we feel with our emotions, and therefore a noun. Worry, on the other hand, is something that we do, and therefore a verb. The reason I am making such a big deal out of this is because we have to approach our feelings differently from the way we approach our behavior. Anxiety, like all emotions, is something that happens to us, whether we like it or not. Worry, on the other hand, is something we can choose to do or not. Anxiety often (and naturally) leads to worry, but it does not have to. We will get back to this in just a moment.
Now, no one understands an invention better than the inventor. No one can fix an invention better than the inventor himself. Think about this: God is the one who created us, so no one understands us better than He does, and when we are broken, no one can fix us better than the Creator can.
When I read the Bible, I often marvel at the keen insight into the human condition, and I find it interesting that the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, very rarely commands us to feel a certain way. I can only think of one exception. The Bible almost never commands us to feel something.
For example, we are often commanded to rejoice, but did you ever notice that we are never commanded to feel happy? Those are two different things. We are commanded to love other people, but we are not commanded to feel warm fuzzies for everyone we encounter. We are commanded to forgive people when they hurt us, but we are not commanded to like the person who hurt us. You see what I am saying? The Bible almost never tells us how to feel. I think this is because God is the master psychiatrist. He knows how we are wired. He knows that we cannot choose how we feel, nor can we change it. But He also knows that we can choose how we will respond to our feelings and we can choose what we think about. This will become important in a minute.
So, what do we do about it? What are we supposed to do when we feel that familiar twisting in our stomach, that anxious knot in our gut? First of all, let me say that I believe this is absolutely natural and normal. It is normal to feel anxious from time to time. In fact, I would argue that if you never feel anxious at all there is something wrong with you. We all feel that way at times, and it is OK to feel that way, but we don’t want to stay there, so what do we do about it?
Well, in Philippians 4:6-8 Paul gives us what I call the remedy for worry. Listen as I read it again now. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
In these three short verses Paul gives us three antidotes for worry, and they each begin with the letter “T”. The first remedy is to simply Tell God. Just talk to Him. Tell Him how you feel. He already knows anyway, so you might as well tell Him. Go to God and lay it all out on the table as honestly as you know how. Say, “Father, I am scared! I don’t know what to do! I am so upset about this. I need You to listen to me. I need You to help me.” Go to God and tell Him all about it. Tell Him how you feel, why you feel that way, and what you want Him to do about it.
God encourages us to do this. In fact, He commands us to do this. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Similarly, 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Cast all your anxiety on Him. Why? Because He really cares for you.
I like to think of Jesus as the ultimate example here. When you imagine Jesus during His earthly life and ministry, do you think of Him as the nervous type? We probably don’t think of Him that way too much, but He was human, right? Surely there were times when he felt stressed out. How about the time that mob surrounded Him intending to stone Him to death. That would probably do it.
But the one time we can know he felt anxious was the night He was betrayed, when He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. How do I know He felt anxious? Well, for one thing, He said so. Remember, at one point at the height of His agonizing in the garden He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (Mt 26:38) That is really strong language coming from a person who never lies or even exaggerates.
The other major hint to Jesus’ mental and emotional condition is when we are told that “His sweat was like drops of blood.” (Luke 22:44) Many doctors and other scientists have studied this account and come to the conclusion that Jesus was likely suffering from a known medical condition called Hematidrosis. Hematidrosis is very rare, but it has been documented in patients who have experienced extreme stress or shock to their systems. The capillaries around the sweat pores become fragile and leak blood into the sweat so the victim actually begins to sweat blood. Some people have even sweat to death. If this was indeed Jesus’ medical condition at the time, then it is safe to say that He was experiencing extremely high levels of anxiety.
So, what did He do about it? He prayed. Remember? At least three different times we are told He withdrew from His closest friends to have a heart-to-heart with His Father. He begged God to rescue Him from His impending doom, but He also surrendered His will to that of His Father. And what was the result? God granted Him peace in His heart. How do I know that? I know it by observing his behavior the rest of the day. Jesus went from petrified to peaceful in a matter of minutes. He was calm and collected. He was resigned to His fate, and, I would argue, He was even in charge of the proceedings.
God is the master psychiatrist. He knows that when we feel anxious, it helps to talk about it with someone else. Haven’t you ever experienced that? Can you remember a time when you were all worked up and all stressed out about something, and then you told someone else and you felt a little better just by talking about it? Well, God is offering Himself to us as our best and primary conversation partner. So, the first thing we can do when we feel anxious is to tell God.
The second thing is easily overlooked, and that is to Thank God. Look with me again at Philippians 4:6. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
It may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but when we are filled with anxiety, it is good to thank God. Here is what happens. When we worry, we are looking down and in, down and in. It begins a downward spiral into the darkness of despair. But when we thank God, we look up and out, up and out. It begins and upward spiral that leads to peace and hope.
Again, God is the master psychiatrist. He knows that when we begin to fill our hearts and minds with thanksgiving, something fundamental begins to shift deep down inside of us and we open ourselves up to receive His peace. If you don’t believe me, you should try it sometime, even as an experiment. The next time you feel anxious, begin to thank God for all the good things He has brought into your life. If you can’t think of anything, then begin by thanking Him for all the bad things He has kept out of your life. Thank Him for everything you can think of an you will soon feel something shift in your spirit and the peace of God begin to fill your heart.
So, the first antidote to worry is to tell God. The second thing is to thank God. The third remedy is to Think God’s thoughts. This takes us back to verse eight. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things.”
Did you know that the human mind is not capable of thinking about two different things simultaneously? (Pause) I will let you consider that for a moment. You may think that you can multi-task with the best of them, but technically your mind is just flitting from one thing to another very quickly. God wired us to only be able to think about one thing at a time.
Consider the phenomenon of losing track of time. You know how it is. You are so engrossed in some consuming activity or fascinating preoccupation that you end up late for a meeting or a meal or something. You lose track of time precisely because you are not able to think about two things at once. This is one of the ingredients in this recipe.
Another ingredient is the fact that while we cannot control our emotions directly, we can influence them indirectly because our feelings generally tend to follow our thoughts. For example, I cannot choose to stop feeling sad, but I can think about things that don’t make me sad. You remember that great theologian who said, “When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.” She was onto something there. If we choose our thoughts wisely, we can eventually influence our emotional state.
I read a story several years ago, and now I can’t even remember if it is true or not. The story is told about a business man who traveled to a distant and unfamiliar city on business. One day he had the morning free so he decided to engage in one of his favorite pastimes: golf. Even though he was golfing alone, he was really enjoying himself until, as he was approaching a particular hole, he hit the ball so badly it flew off in completely the wrong direction and landed in a in a marshy area at the edge of the course.
Fortunately, he saw where his ball landed, so he went after it. He could see that his ball had landed three or four feet into the pond, but the water was quite shallow so he decided to retrieve it. As he did so, he quickly spotted two other balls lying near his. In the process of retrieving his ball he found dozens and dozens of them, some even in small piles, scattered all over the little pond. Most of them looked brand new, so he decided this would be a good way to save some money on golf balls. He quit golfing and started hunting. He waded around in the water for almost 30 minutes collecting wonderful specimens, feeling more and more astonished that previous golfers had so casually abandoned so many great balls in the shallow water.
When he got back to the clubhouse he was simply incredulous. He enthusiastically showed the manager his golf bag brimming with his treasure.
“Where did you find those?” asked the manager.
“In that pond on the West end of the golf course. Look at these. These are brand new! Some of these balls were only a few inches from the edge of the water. Some of them were not in the water at all! What is wrong with the golfers around here? Are they lazy or something?”
“No, they are not so much lazy as they are scared.”
What do you mean?” inquired the puzzled golfer.
“That pond you refer to is known as the snake pit. It is infested with two different breeds of deadly, poisonous snakes. Everyone around here knows that, so if one of the locals hits a ball even in that general direction they typically don’t risk even looking for it. You didn’t see any snakes?”
“Snakes?! No.”
“That is very unusual. You are very lucky, sir.”
Now the golfer turned about as white as his collection of new balls. He is deathly afraid of snakes. Even though he is perfectly safe now, he is alarmed at how close he came to death and it takes him several minutes to calm himself down.
Now, what just happened here? Why is it that while he was wading around in snake-infested waters he was as happy as a clam, and when he was back in the safety of the clubhouse he was scared to death? The reason is that his feelings were simply following the train of his thoughts. When he was searching for golf balls he wasn’t thinking about snakes. They never even crossed his mind. He was thinking about his unbelievable discovery, and excitedly congratulating himself on his good fortune and diligence. However, when he was back in the safety of the clubhouse, he was filled with fear and dread because he was meditating on the extremely dangerous situation into which he unwittingly placed himself. His feelings, whether rational or irrational, were following his thoughts.
God is the master psychiatrist. He knows that our feelings tend to follow our thoughts, and He knows that we can only think about one thing at a time. So, He advises us to choose to think about the things that will lead to peace, hope, and joy, the kinds of things listed in verse eight!
So, when we are feeling anxious we can tell God about it, thank God for the good things, and be very intentional about thinking God’s thoughts after Him. And what will be the result? We find it in verse seven: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Now, that is a wonderful promise, but it is a conditional promise. Computer programmers might call it an if-then statement. IF we pray to God with a thankful heart, THEN God will guard our hearts and minds with His peace. I like to call it the peace that doesn’t make any sense, because from the perspective of an outside observer, they just can’t figure it out. “Crisis looms large on the horizon of your life. Tragedy has struck hard, and yet you seem to have a real peace about your life. How is that?”
The reason it doesn’t seem to make any sense is because it doesn’t. It is not like the peace the world has to offer. It is the kind of peace only God can give us. It is the peace that transcends understanding.
So, again, we cannot control our emotions, but we can control how we respond to them. We cannot control our emotions, but we can control our thoughts. If we will turn our worry into prayer, God will take our worry away.
So, the next time you are filled with anxiety and are tempted to worry, I hope you can remember to tell God all about it. Tell Him how you feel, why you feel that way, and what you want Him to do about it. Thank Him for the many good things He has done in your life, and be very intentional about meditating on things that are true, noble, right, and pure, and may the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
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Last Updated on Friday, 06 March 2009 10:22 |
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