Worry is killing many Americans today. In fact worry is a major killer.
- Worry kills us physically. Medical science has discovered that worry and stress affect virtually every organ of the body.
- The spiritual toil is even worse. When we are worried and stressed we cannot pray, we cannot study the Bible, we cannot memorize it and meditate on it.
- Worst of all we cannot witness of the victory in our lives.
In fact, perhaps the major reason Christians do not witness is because they do not have enough joy to witness. And how can a person witness whose face is a reprint of the Book of Lamentations. “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:10) and especially when it comes to sharing Christ. Illus: I mentored an earnest young man. God called him to preach, he resigned his job, worked his way through seminary and has already gone through three churches. Why? Because his face looks like he was baptized in vinegar.
In a word millions are worrying themselves into an early grave. But the good news is that worry does not have to be a way of life for a Christian. Let’s look at our text and see the key to living without worry.
The text begins with an amazing admonition, “Be anxious for nothing.” Note the word: Nothing is no thing – no single thing. The word anxious means to be torn apart and stressed. This does not mean that Christians should have a happy go lucky attitude and never give any thought to the problems of life. It means they are fully aware of their problems but they are not “anxious” or stressed out about them.
But our text does not just leave us with the command not to be anxious, but then it goes on to set forth six powerful weapons to combat worry:
Weapon # 1 is Praise – “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice” (verse 4). When Paul wrote these words he was facing execution – he was on death row. And Paul is not commanding that we rejoice in our dire circumstances but in the LORD. The Lord Jesus Christ. Why rejoice in the Lord? Because we know that in every situation He is in control and He will sustain us in the present and eventually turn them around for our good. Romans 8:28 – “God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love the Lord…”(NASB).
- Weapon # 2 is Presence. Note verse 5, “The Lord is at hand.” This is not referring to the Second Coming but rather to His presence which is with us at all times. The first title ascribed to Jesus was “Emanuel – God with us.” Illus: Joshua was naturally afraid as he planned to invade Canaan. But in Joshua 1:9, God assured him, “Be not afraid nor dismayed.” Why? “Because the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Illus: David had much to worry about but he did not. Why? Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” Why? “Because You are with me.” Illus: Writer of Hebrews command us not to worry about money or material things. Why? “Because Jesus had promised that He would never, never leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).
- Weapon #3 is Prayer. The word prayer is proseuke, which does not merely mean to say words to God in prayer but to fall before the Lord in utter brokenness and repentance. You see quite often people bring worries upon themselves because they are living in sin – often secret sin – or running away from God like Jonah. And they need not expect God to remove their worry until they turn from their sins.
- Weapon # 4 is Presentation. Note the text says, “Let your requests be known unto God.” (Verse 6). The word “let” means to “present” or “to transfer” all our worries from our shoulders to God’s. We are not merely to say a little prayer informing God of our problems, but we are to literally transfer or turn our worries over to Him. The same truth is stated in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast” all your anxieties upon Him.
“The only other place this word for “cast” occurs is in Luke 19:35, where the disciples threw their coats on the colt for Jesus to ride.
What worries does God aim to take from our backs and carry for us? Every kind. For example, anxieties about lacking necessities (Philippians 4:4-7), uselessness (Isaiah 55:11), weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), decisions (Psalm 32:8), opponents (Romans 8:31), affliction (Psalm 34:19); Romans 5:3-5), aging (Isaiah 46:4), dying (Romans 14:7-9), and not persevering (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 7:25), and even our lot in life (Psalm 55:22).
When George Muller was asked how he could be so calm in the middle of a hectic day with so many uncertainties in the orphanage, he answered something like, “I rolled sixty things onto the Lord this morning.” When Hudson Taylor was told about missionaries in his charge being in trouble, he was heard soon after whistling his favorite hymn, “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting in the Joy of What Thou Art.”[1]
“The Christian life is a life of being carried from beginning to end. We work. Yet it is not we, but God who works within us” (1 Cor. 15:10).[2]
- Weapon # 5 is Positive Thinking. “Whatsoever things are good – think, fill your mind, ponder on God and positive things – that which is true, noble, pure, lovely, excellent, praise worthy” “As a person thinks in his heart or mind, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
Most of us need to “unlearn” years of negative thinking and LEARN to think positively. The way to accomplish this is to internalize the Word of God until your mind and heart are so filled with the Word that you cannot think without thinking the thoughts of God.
- Weapon # 6 is Peace. “And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding will “guard” your heart, that is your emotions, and mind, that is your thoughts. You won’t understand and people will not understand why you are not worried. Illus: The word “guard” is a military word, meaning to “keep watch over.” Have you visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery? If so you saw soldiers or sentinels constantly guarding the tomb, day and night, without ceasing. So the Holy Spirit, like a soldier, guards our peace day and night with a peace which surpasses all understanding. This refers to the divine origin of peace. It transcends human intellect and insight.
Illus: A godly doctor had these words on the wall of his office, “Why pray when you can worry?” Indeed, unless you pray and use the weapons of God, you are bound to live a life of worry, worry, worry. Modern life consists of three ingredients: Hurry, Worry and Bury.
In the final analysis, worry is actually the absence of faith. You see, true faith and worry cannot coexist. If you are worried, it is evidence that you do not have faith that God is in control of your life. So we should ask, “How do we get faith?” “Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Hearing means more than hearing sounds, via our ear. It is hearing with the intent to obey the Word. Sounds like internalizing the Word, doesn’t it? To worry is a choice not to worry is also a choice. Which will you choose?
[1] John Piper, Pierced by the Word, Multnomah Publishers, Sistera, Oregon, 2003, p. 48.
[2] Ibid. p. 50