Worry is, basically, a stress on the body. So when talking about worry, we are
talking about stress. Stress causes the heart rate to go up and the arteries to
constrict, which has the effect of increasing the blood pressure. And increased
blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Stress weakens
the body’s immune system, which makes the body more susceptible to disease.
Stress also increases the activity of the nervous system, which can lead to
increased muscle tension, muscle tension headaches, migraine headaches, ulcers
and skin rash. Short-term stress is not very harmful if it doesn’t happen very
often, but long-term stress can really take a toll on the body over the years.
Everybody experiences some degree of anxiety in response to life’s
frustrations, annoyances, and challenges. It is not unusual for us to worry at
times about our family, health, job, or other personal issues. However,
worrying can become a problem if it develops into a habit; when we find
ourselves spending most of our time speculating on what bad things might happen
in our life. Some warning signs include: feeling anxious most of the time,
having trouble pinpointing why you are feeling anxious, avoiding situations
that may be the source of your anxious feelings, and losing interest in
activities you once enjoyed. Excessive worrying can lead to the development of
an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly reported
psychological problems, effecting around 12% of Americans. All anxiety
disorders involve physiological symptoms such as heart pounding, chest
tightness, dizziness, and insomnia. That's what exteme worry can lead to and
you don't want that. In short, anxiety and chronic worry can prevent us from
living full and happy lives that God intends for us to live.
In Proverbs 12:25 we are told, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down.�?If
you are filled with worry and anxiety you are heart is going to be heavy. So
Paul tells us, “Be anxious (worried or stressed out) for nothing.�?
Worry is totally unproductive. Someone has defined worry as stewing without
doing. Worry is like a rocking chair: it requires an investment of your energy
but it doesn’t get you anywhere. You could say that worry is interest paid on
trouble before it is due. Worry never moves you one inch closer to a solution.
Worry can not change the past or control the future, it just makes you
miserable today. The only thing that worry changes is you. Corrie ten Boom
said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its
strengths.�?BR>
We’ve said that worry causes physical and psychological damage but worry also
is a spiritual problem. When you worry you are saying, “God isn’t big enough to
handle situations in my life. Instead of trusting God, I have to manage life
myself.�?You feel you are responsible for your life and the lives of those
around you. It goes back the original sin of mankind, that “T�?independent of
God shall be as god. You could say that worry is practical atheism, it is
acting as if there is no God. Worry is playing God, by assuming responsibility
that belongs to God.
Some of you have found your attempts not to worry to be very difficult. Because
if you aren’t worrying about things, you can feel like you’re in denial or
betraying people. The actual fact is that when you refuse to worry and trust
God instead you are doing the most sane and effective thing you can do.
Worry, anxiety, and stress are harmful to us physically, psychologically, and
spiritually. So Paul tells us to worry about nothing. Instead of trying to
handle life ourselves, we are supposed to trust God with the anxiety creating
things in our life. And the way we do that is through prayer. Let’s look at the
second half of Philippians 4:6. Paul writes, “But in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.�?
In other words, instead of worrying about it, pray about it. That is how we
release our worries, relieve our stress and put our trust in God. Turn your
anxious thoughts into prayer requests. In so doing, you turn your eyes off the
problem and on to God, who is the problem solver. Remember, “When we work, we
work; but when we pray, God works.�?When you pray about it you are taking your
problems out of your hands and placing them in God’s hands.
We have a God that wants to handle our problems for us. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says,
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.�?Giving
God your worry, anxieties and cares is an act of humility. You are saying,
“Lord, I can’t handle it, but you can.�?
A corollary verse can be found in Psalm 55:22. It says, “Cast your burden on
the LORD, and He shall sustain you.�?Cast your burden on the Lord literally
means to throw them down or slam them down on God. The way you do that is in
prayer. In other words, whenever a worry filled, anxious thought comes to mind,
instead of sitting and stewing on it, pray about it. Through prayer you can
tone down your worries.
That’s how you cast your burdens on the Lord. You do it through prayer. When
an anxious thought comes, instead of worrying about it, pray about it. But
there is one other key found in that verse. Philippians 4:6 says, to pray with
thanksgiving �?thank God in all things.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you.�?
It didn’t say thank God for all things because God isn’t the creator of evil.
Instead it says in everything (even in bad things or difficult things) give God
thanks. When I go to pray over situations in my life I say, “Thank you Lord for
you goodness to me, thank you that you are the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and
All-Wise God. You are a good God who has my very best in mind. I thank you that
you are faithful and gracious. I can’t handle the problems in my life but I
thank you that you are big enough, strong enough, and wise enough to handle
them.�?
As you give your worries to God in prayer and you do it with thanksgiving, you
get your eyes of yourself and place them on Him. Then you will discover, “the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.�?And the word guard is the same word used to
describe armed soldier on duty to protect a city. The old King James Version
says that the peace of God “shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.�?If you are applying Philippians 4:6, before a worry can overcome, it
must get through the peace of God. You are protected.
In conclusion, we have discovered three keys to finding peace in anxious times:
First, don’t worry about anything. Second, pray about everything. Third, thank
God in all things. When we do we will experience God’s peace in anxious times.
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