11 - Don't Worry About It! 2012 By Pastor Jeff Wickwire Notes

Philippians Series

Part 11

“Don’t Worry About It!”

Last time we saw that Paul directly addressed two women in the Philippian congregation, encouraging them to stop squabbling. The Great Apostle knew the power of unchecked dissension in a body of believers and sought to nip it before it grew worse.

Now this time, Paul moves on to the problem of worry. His words could not be more practical or needed in our day of national angst, fear, uncertainty, and yes, run-away worry. We all struggle with worry. It can strike from nowhere and rob us of our peace and joy.

The word “worry” in the Greek language means, “to be divided, distracted, drawn into different parts.” In other words, “worry” means that we cannot fully concentrate on something because our minds are pre-occupied with other things.

Worry divides the mind, splitting our thoughts between today and tomorrow. Today stands no chance against it.

Worry affects our job performance, relationships, walk with God…everything. Have you ever been unable to sleep because you were thinking about something that was bothering you?

Have you ever left your house, driven to the store, walked inside and suddenly began worrying whether you turned off the coffeepot? Or locked the door? Or made sure the pets had water? Worry over even silly things can wear you down emotionally and physically.

A respected biblical scholar wrote about a woman who realized that fears were ruining her life. She began to keep track of what was worrying her and she found:

40% of the things she worried about were about things that would never happen.

30% of the things she worried about were about things that had already happened, water under the bridge.

12% of the things she worried about were about others' opinions, and when she thought about it she realized that criticisms are often made by those that are jealous or insecure and therefore unjust criticism is a disguised compliment.

10% of the things she worried about were needless health worries, which made her health worse as she worried.

8% of the things she worried about were "legitimate," since life has some real problems to meet.

There are many ways that you can deal with worry, but the Bible way is the best way, and Paul shares it with us. He begins with:

4:6 “Be anxious for nothing…”

So God doesn’t want us even worrying about the 8%! “Do not worry,” says the Bible, “about anything…”

Jesus commanded us several times not to worry. In His masterpiece on life and living—the Sermon on the Mount—He said:

Matt. 6:28 “Why are you worried about your life?”

Matt. 6:27 “Can all your worrying add a single moment to your life?”

Matt. 6:31-32 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”

Something dominates everyone’s day. The Gentiles, Jesus said, were preoccupied with material things, but those who know God as their providing Father should be occupied with the affairs of His kingdom.

Our thoughts can be dominated by what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (Phil.4:8), or they can be dominated by destructive worrying. It’s our choice.

Someone said, “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” Another person quipped, “Worry is a dark room where negatives are developed.”

Jesus taught us not to worry about three things: material provisions—what you will eat, drink, and wear, things you cannot change—like your height, and tomorrow—for it’s not here yet.

Concerning our worry over material provisions, He turns our attention to our loving, caring, providing Father in heaven “I tell you this: Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about what you are going to eat and drink. Do not worry about what you are going to wear. Is not life more important than food?”

“Is not the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds?” (Matt. 6:25-26).

We are to view our heavenly Father as He Who shall take care of our basic needs. That doesn’t mean we’re not to work, for “If any man refuses to work, he should not eat” (2 Thes. 3:10). What it does mean is that God will provide for us the basic necessities of life as we seek Him, and as we do what we know is right.

The old nursery rhyme says it best:

Said a robin to a sparrow:

“I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.”

Said the sparrow to the robin:

“I suppose that it must be

That they have no heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.”

Concerning the things we cannot change, Jesus says, “Which of you can make himself a little taller by worrying?” (Matthew 6:27) What’s the use in worrying about things you have no control over? asks Jesus. Worrying doesn’t change a thing! It is a useless waste of time and energy. Worry all day about it, but you’re not going to grow after all your effort.

I have found that there is great peace in accepting that which I cannot change. If I can’t change it, then God’s grace will sustain me. If I can’t change the way I look, for instance, then I should learn to accept how God has made me.

The bottom line is: worry changes nothing. It is not an answer to your problem. It is like running on the proverbial hamster’s wheel, going nowhere fast.

Finally, Jesus addressed the problem of worrying over tomorrow. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own worries. The troubles we have in a day are enough for one day” (Matthew 6:34).

Worry is interest paid on tomorrow’s imagined troubles. We fear we’ll lose a job and expend energy, sleep, and peace worrying about it. We fear that something is wrong with us physically and worry for weeks before getting exam results back.

We pay interest on troubles that may or may not come! Since we don’t know what tomorrow brings, and God is in charge of all our tomorrows, we should trust Him with what we don’t yet see. The Psalmist said, “He prepares a table before me…” not a land mine.

Think this way: There will be plenty of things to come along today to occupy your time without borrowing from what you fear tomorrow may bring. James wrote, “Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow” (4:14). Tackle life, says Jesus, one day at a time.

Next, Paul directs us to the things we want, and what to do about them:

4:6 “…in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”

Prayer is one of the great mysteries of God’s administration of the universe. We don’t really know how prayer works, but God arranged it to encourage us to come to Him. He wants to hear from us often, and loves it when we linger long. Our requests are known to God already, yet He loves to hear us ask.

And He loves to answer us. Nothing is more dishonoring to God than His children begging someone else for what is His joy and responsibility to provide. In a day of “entitlement” thinking where so many look to the government to take care of them, this truth should ring a bell for all God’s children. The government is not our provider, Jehovah Jireh is!

We are to come to God about everything. “In everything by prayer….” He cares about every detail of our lives. He has flung wide open the gates to His presence. He says to us, “Come, tell me all about it. Tell me about your needs both small and great. Tell me about your worries, fears, and doubts. Lay the full weight of your burden onto Me.”

Next, Paul gives to us the secret of a guarded thought life:

4:7 “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Once we have placed every care and need into the nail-scarred hands of our Redeemer, God’s peace will floods our hearts. This same divine peace kept Paul’s mind and heart. The word translated “guard” means “kept with a garrison” or “kept in custody.” Between us and threatening circumstances is a garrison. God’s peace keeps us in custody!

How does this happen for us? Paul says, “Through Christ Jesus.” This is the only way. It is what the drunk is searching for in the bottle, the drug addict in his next hit, the philosopher in all his search for meaning, and the lonely person’s desperate quest in all their relationships; the peace that passes understanding.

Peace, true peace, peace of soul and mind that is no longer at war with God, is found only in Christ. It was Christ Jesus Who brought the peace of God down to earth. The angels announced to the shepherds by night, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

The peace Jesus enjoyed was unshaken by conflict, criticism, crisis, or cross. At all times, in all places, under all circumstances, Christ rested in His Father’s perfect will. And when he appeared to His frightened disciples in the upper room following His resurrection, His greeting was, “Peace!” This peace is ours as praying children of God!

This is the secret of a GUARDED THOUGHT LIFE. Next time we will look at the secret to a GUIDED THOUGHT LIFE.