Stop Worrying!
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.
I. The Anxiety
Let’s
look at the word “careful”. Greek: merimnao (pronounced - mer-im-nah’-o)
AV-take thought 11, care 5, be careful 2, have care 1; 19
1) to be anxious
1a) to be troubled with cares
2) to care for, look out for (a thing)
2a) to seek to promote one’s interests
2b) caring or providing for
QUOTES ON WORRY:
“Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry,
frustration and resentment.” – Dale Carnegie
“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story
of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his
life, most of which had never happened.” – Winston Churchill
“Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”
“If you treat every situation as a life and death matter,
you’ll die a lot of times.”
“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do
but never gets you anywhere” – Erma Bombeck
“One of the biggest concerns to people that worry is the
frustration of those that won’t worry with them.”
What do people worry about?
Look at Matthew 6 (same Greek word CAREFUL) “take no thought”
What to eat, what to drink and what to wear:
·
Matthew
6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall
eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is
not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
·
Matthew
6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
People worry about tomorrow:
·
Matthew
6:34 Take therefore no thought
for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
People worry about what they are going to do and say if
they are arrested for being a Christian:
·
Matthew
10:18-20 And ye shall be brought
before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the
Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall
speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit
of your Father which speaketh in you.
The ministry
·
Luke
10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful
and troubled about many things:
II. The Antidote
Notice the ALL INCLUSIVE WORDS used in this verse:
Be careful FOR NOTHING. – no exceptions
But in EVERYTHING – no exceptions
What is the antidote to worry? What is the cure for anxiety?
Is it drugs? Is it gossip? It is calling your friends and
worrying the life out of them? Is it wringing your hands?
No – it is prayer and supplication
As the old saying goes – Why pray when you can worry??
Let your request be made known unto God!!
·
If it is bothering you, GO PRAY!
·
If you can’t sleep, GO PRAY!
·
If you feel that you need to talk to someone
about it, GO PRAY!
III. The Attitude
With thanksgiving – that is the attitude we should have
INSTEAD OF WORRY AND ANXIETY.
But – what if it is something bad?? What is your definition of bad? Something you don’t like?
What if it is bad to you but God is working all things
together for good? Is it still bad???
We are commanded to be thankful – PERIOD!
·
Ephesians
5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ;
·
1
Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Conclusion: 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
