Stop Worrying
STOP WORRYING!!!
When we look around and become consumed by our circumstances, we forget that the spirit of Christ within us is greater (1 John 4 v 4) than our circumstances of financial insecurity, job insecurity, health issues, relationship issues, our studies and uncertainly about the future.
When we look around and become consumed by our circumstances, we open ourselves to the spirit of fear attaching itself to our minds. We don’t allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds by reminding ourselves that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of a powerful, loving sound mind (2 Timothy 1 v 7) but we choose instead to allow ourselves to become overshadowed and consumed by worry.
Worry becomes anxiety! God is serious when He says “Have no anxious thought”. “Stop worrying.” Anxiety has negative symptoms that include depression, withdrawal from the support networks of church, family and friends. We develop phobias, have panic attacks, experience changes in character and behaviour, possibly fall prey to substance abuse such as overdependence on prescription or over the counter drugs, develop addictions such as overeating and attract potential health issues like high blood pressure and depletion of serotonin and increase of cortisol in the brain.
This is not God’s plan but the devil’s plan for our lives. He roams around like a roaring lion looking for those he can kill and destroy (1 Peter 5 v 8). We often make the mistake of wanting to blame God when life becomes a challenge but it is written that:
“The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” Proverbs 10 v 22.
When we look around and become consumed by circumstances, we easily forget that God has given us winning strategies to walk through our valleys and dry places with Him.
Where do we go to look for God’s winning strategies to overcome our worries? We look in the all-powerful, life changing Word of God. Turn to what our Father God says in the Bible. Jesus used the Scriptures from that all-powerful life-giving Word to rebuke the devil when he tried to tempt him in the desert after 40 days.
“And when the Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan, He said: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
He refuted adversity with a direct reference to the Word of God. He did not get entangled in opinions, justifications or arguments. It is abiding in the Word and confessing ‘It is written’ that makes us more than conquerors and overcomers.
We may find ourselves in a physical, spiritual, emotional, or financial desert, but like Jesus we can prevail and win by confessing with our mouths “IT IS WRITTEN…” In doing so we employ winning strategies.
STRATEGY:
TRUST GOD:
Don’t try and work it out in your own mind, talk to God. Wait and trust Him to answer.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3 v 5 - 6
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27 v 14
“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10 v 36 (NIV)
STRATEGY:
CAST YOUR BURDENS ONTO JESUS FOR HE CARES FOR YOU
“Our Lord we belong to you. We will tell you what worries us, and you won’t let us fall.” Psalm 55 v 22
STRATEGY:
SEEK GOD’S FACE
Get into God’s presence and change your focus.
“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 than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Mathew 6 v 25 – 34
King David wrote Psalm 91 recognising that God was his refuge and fortress when he felt challenged and stressed by the worries of life. Positions of authority can be lonely places when you are weighted with the responsibility of leadership. Who would a child of a king go to but to the King of Kings for support and guidance. Likewise, we are adopted as co-heirs into the spiritual family of the King of Kings. We should go to Him on every occasion when trouble arises.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 1He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91 v 1 - 16
STRATEGY:
TAKE ACTION AND COME TO GOD THE FATHER.
He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11 v 28
“The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” Isaiah 58 v 11
STRATEGY:
LOOK UP!!!
Turn your eyes, mind and heart towards heaven.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. “Psalm 121 v 1 - 8
STRATEGY:
PRACTICE LEARNING TO HOPE
Take personal responsibility to be self-motivated and encourage your soul with a good talk to.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him
For the help of his countenance.” Psalm 42 v 5
Modern translation:
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.” Psalm 42 v 5
“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Psalm 37 v 25
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to Him as righteousness.” Romans 4 v 3.
Our righteousness is a result of our trusting child-like faith in our Father God.
STRATEGY:
GET DRESSED
Put on your full armour to protect yourself.
“Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6 v 13 - 17
STRATEGY:
PRAY:
Develop your relationship with God. Talk to God EVERY DAY with your mouth, your heart, your spirit, your soul and when you do not have words ask the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5 v 16 - 18
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Even Jesus, our shepherd, continually intercedes for us on our behalf.” Romans 8 v 26
STRATEGY:
OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND LISTEN TO YOURSELF PRAISING & THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS & FAITHFULNESS
Praise elevates us into God’s Presence and Power. Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles by exercising their faith through praise and worship. It provided God with a gateway for His power to operate in their circumstances. The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of praise that is directed towards Him.
The psalmist states:
“It is written that we should “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.” Psalm 100 v 4
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night.” Psalm 92 v 1 – 2
“I will praise thee, O lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels.” Psalm 137 v 1
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”
Hebrew 13 v 15
“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5 v 19
STRATEGY:
SPEAK A BENEDICTION OVER YOUR LIFE AND THOSE AROUND YOU ASKING GOD TO POUR OUT HIS RICHES BLESSINGS ON ALL OUR LIVES UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.
“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Ephesians 3 v 14 – 21
SUMMARY
Strategies to defeat worrying:
- Trust God – Don’t try and work it out in your own mind
- Cast your burdens onto Jesus for He cares for you
- Seek God’s face – get in His presence and change your focus
- Take action and come to God the Father
- Look up – turn your eyes, mind and heart towards heaven
- Practice learning to hope – take personal responsibility
- Get dressed – put on the full armour to protect yourself
- Pray – Develop your relationship with God
- Open your mouth and praise God with thankfulness
- Speak a benediction over your life and the lives of others
Amen xxx