When Anxiety Attacks

Introduction

Matthew 26:36–47 KJV 1900

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Jesus was a little stressed

Philippians 4:6–13 KJV 1900

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We live in a stressed out society.

•According to the American Institute for Stress, About 33% of people report feeling extreme stress, 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health, 73% of people have stress that impacts their mental health, 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress, and stress is the leading health concern for people ages 12-18.

•Can you even wrap your mind around these mesmerizing numbers?

•The statistics are staggering, but we must also remind ourselves that each statistic tells a story.

•Every percentage point represents thousands of real people just like you. •They’re struggling to sleep at night, they’re feeling overwhelmed, and they don’t know when relief is going to come.

•Truly, the tragedy of anxiety has consumed our world.

•Together, we are about to embark on a practical study about a persistent problem — stress and anxiety.

•First things first, let’s define some key words.

•The National Institute of Mental Health defines stress as “the physical or mental response to an external cause,” such as managing responsibilities,meeting expectations, or dealing with sickness.

•Stressors are usually one-time, real-life occurrences that consume your emotions. People often use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably, but they are distinct.

•Different than stress, anxiety is known to occur without a current threat or stressor in place.

•Basically, stress is triggered externally and anxiety is triggered internally.

•An Important Disclaimer

•Anxiety is a loaded topic as it can range from manageable anxiousness triggered by stressors to an actual mental illness that needs professional help.

•For the sake of this study, we are discussing everyday stress and anxiety, not an anxiety disorder.

Some of us can deal with our anxiety and stress with healthy spiritual and physical habits.

•Others have an actual chemical imbalance within their body where their stress messengers are constantly sending false signals to their brain.

•They need people on their team to help fight that battle. Anxiety and depression go much further than nervousness and sadness.

•For some people, these feelings can be debilitating

Anxiety is a bully.

•Using the magic of your imagination, anxiety can make your heart race and your palms sweat.

•It makes simple tasks feel like mammoth responsibilities.

•It encourages us to procrastinate for months until even starting the task seems impossible.

•It makes us lie awake all night thinking about past mistakes or the worst-case scenario for the future.

•Anxiety rears its ugly head when we face stress at school, conflict within personal relationships, pain from past experiences, fear about a future event, or even just a general sense of uncertainty.

•We know how it starts, but how do we make it stop?

•Tonight we are going to unpack the fourth chapter of Philippians, coined as “Paul’s Pathway to Peace.”

Let’s go back in time to ancient Rome. Gladiators, soldiers, and colosseums surround the most congested corners of every metropolis.

•At the corner of Rome’s empire sits the thriving city of Philippi.

•Christians in this city received a deeply personal letter from their pastor,friend, and mentor — the Apostle Paul.

•Philippians is one of Paul’s most personal writings, as he longs to visit his church family.

•The Philippians are experiencing emotional turmoil as the culture around them dramatically shifts.•Emperor Nero went on a violent rampage with one single goal —exterminate the Christian movement.•Because of this, the church was working through a collective trauma.•They were suffering, scared, and unsafe, so Paul wanted to help his hurting friends.•You can sense the sorrow in this Scripture as these dear friends may never see each other again. Why?•Because Paul is writing this passage from a prison cell.

Prayer: It Connects Us to the Present•Wait, is Paul just saying to pray the pain away?•This verse can come across as an oversimplification of a complex problem.While it may seem too easy or obvious, prayer is a pivotal step towards peace.•Lay your burdens, concerns, and fears before God.•Give God the pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future.•Prayer is powerful because it brings you into the present moment. It’s not just theologically sound— it’s psychologically sound too.•In counseling textbooks, this is called “grounding.”•This process allows us to stabilize our stress reaction by connecting with the present moment.•It brings us out of our heads and into our current surroundings.

- Ask God to bring you peace into this 1 present moment. Don’t get caught up in the future or the past. Just focus on connecting with God here and now.

Thanksgiving: It Gives Us Confidence for the Future•Thanksgiving is way bigger than a holiday with turkey, football, and pie.•It should be a daily rhythm within your routine, especially when facing anxiety.•When stress strikes, count things you’re thankful for.•Some days you may only be able to come up with a roof over your head and some snacks in your cupboard, but that’s a great place to start.•Thanksgiving reminds us that God provided in the past, and He’ll continue to provide in the future.

•Gratitude will help you contextualize the past, connect with peace in the present, and cultivate optimism for the future.•Landing:Prayer and thanksgiving offer us a path to inner-peace.•It’s something every human craves, but few actually encounter.•Authentic peace is life-changing.•Peace happens when we are set free from our stress, worry, and uncertainty.•It’s not based on our surroundings. It’s based on our standing with God.•Prayer connects us to God’s presence, and God’s presence is our source of peace.

•As Paul lays out the pathway to peace for his friends in Phillipi, he encourages them to break negative thought patterns.•He encourages them to replace negative thoughts with positive virtues.“Whatever is true, noble, pure, right, admirable and lovely — think on these things,”•This passage offers a replacement for mental torment. We stop stressful thoughts by focusing on virtues. We can’t just reject them; we must redirect them.

Reject the negative, and meditate towards the positive.

•Here is a breakdown of the virtues to use as a filter: •True: This means reliable and honest. We often fill our minds with lies,accusations, and worst-case scenarios. Paul encourages us to focus on what we know to be true and that alone. Stress is a waste of imagination.•When stress strikes, it’s easy to believe lies. This passage urges us to focus on the truth — the truth is found in the Word of God.•God’s word is a weapon! It’s a weapon against the lies of the enemy and even the lies we make up in our own mind.•Fill your mind with God’s truth and you won’t have room for all the lies.•Noble: This means something that’s worthy of respect. Don’t disrespect yourself and fill your mind with self-destructive thoughts. Focus on what’s noble and respectful— of others and yourself.•It seems like it’s almost a right of passage for young people to talk down on themselves. I hear them say stuff like “I am so terrible, I am so ugly, •Why is this the norm? Self-destructive language is just that —destructive.•The same is true for others — show mutual respect to everyone.

•Speak kindly always. Be slow to anger. Don’t spread gossip.•When we focus on noble thoughts, we are freeing ourselves from the cycle of cynicism that’s so normal within our culture.•It’s a cycle that quickly turns into a down-spiral.•Right and Pure:These thoughts focus on honoring God and others.Actively fight the urge to fill your mind with unrighteous and impure thoughts. Rather, think on what’s right and pure.If you wouldn’t want someone to read it, you don’t want your mind to think it.

•ILLUSTRATION: Talk about how damaging gossip can be. There are numerous examples online of bullying leading to tragic outcomes.•When you focus on doing what’s right and pure, you use your words to help people.•Use your platform online to heal - and never hurt.•Use your influence to spread hope.•Use your words to bring encouragement

.•Admirable and Lovely:These are things that are pleasing or enjoyable. This simply means to think of things that make you happy.•Don’t sweat the small stuff; rather, focus on all the amazing things around you. From puppies to pizza, there is so much that’s wonderful in our world.•Here is a simple exercise. Whenever you feel anxiety attack, start to think of things that make you happy. For me, I always imagine being someplace I love — from the mountains to the seaside.•What do you blame for your stress?•It’s easy to blame stress on outward circumstances like relationships,school, or money. However, those things didn’t cause your stress. They merely triggered it. Your stress started between your ears. A positive life starts with positive thoughts. Notice Paul didn’t just say, “Stop negative thoughts.” He suggested that we redirect them. Don’t just reject negative thoughts; redirect them.

•Reject the chaos of worry, and redirect your thoughts to the peace found in God. Be still.

•Reject critical self-talk, and redirect your thoughts to the love and affirmation of God. Show yourself the same compassion God shows you. Be kind.

•Reject negativity, and redirect your your thoughts to all the amazing blessings God has put before you. Be thankful.•If you want to change your life, change your thinking. Center your thoughts on God. Reject the negative, and meditate on the positive.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has over 24,000 locations all over the world. The company is worth over 7.3 billion dollars. What’s the secret to their success? Well, it is a secret recipe. Colonel Sanders’ handwritten secret recipe can only be found in one place --locked away in a high-security vault. The secret script touts eleven confidential spices and herbs. It's such a secret, that the seasoning mix is created in different factories and sent to restaurants in separate batches.

We have been working through the fourth chapter of Philippians together.•Paul saw the pain, trauma, and suffering of his friends in Philippi, so he wanted to share how he overcame similar situations.•In his pathway to peace, he taught them about the power of prayer,gratitude, and a positive perspective.•In the closing of the letter, he shared his secret recipe for overcoming stress.•With chains bound to his bruised wrists, Paul should have been stressed, discouraged, and anxious.•However, he wrote a surprisingly optimistic closing of Philippians to tell his friends how he overcame stress and continued to stand strong.•What is his secret recipe for overcoming stress?

As you'd expect, Paul's incarceration proved to be miserable.•Twenty-four-hour surveillance stripped him of any shred of privacy.•Spoiled food ensured he was constantly sick and suffering.•Heavy chains caused his skin to bruise and blood to flow from his cuts.

Behind maximum-security prison bars, Paul penned a quirky sentence.•He wrote,"I have learned the secret of being content" (Philippians4:12).•His use of the word "secret" is strange.•Interestingly, he only uses this word a few times in his library of letters. I find it curious because he could have phrased this in many ways.•He didn't proclaim, "I've found the principle" or "I want to share an idea." Paul proudly explained, "I have learned the secret to being content."

If your happiness depends on where you live, whom you date, or where you work, then you are dealing with discontentment.•A lack of gratitude remains the perfect breeding ground for stress because it makes us focus on what we perceive as "missing."•Why is that dangerous? Stress blinds us by making us fixate on what we lack instead of what we have.•Materialism is like a mouse trap. It's enticing while simultaneously harmful.•There will always be a better job, a more gifted athlete, or a fancier car. You cannot win, my friend.•Since this process is impossible, it's a set up for stress.•Paul proposed a new strategy for anxiety - be content with where you are,what you have, and whom you have become.•Paul learned how to be grateful for what he had which is impressive when you realize how little it was.•He used to be a wealthy man, but now he lived in a filthy jail cell.

Contentment should be based on Christ, not circumstances.

If we try to find happiness in things outside of Jesus, it can cause us stress and anxiety.

He used to travel the world preaching, but now he was chained to a desk.•He used to have friends and family, but now he had an armed guard breathing down his neck.•How could he seem so happy? That brings us to our second point.

•Christ

•Paul's peace was not dependent on what he had. It was dependent on Christ and Christ alone.•If he looked at his physical benefits, the inventory would be dismal.•Fortunately, he looked at a different source for contentment.•He was given the love of Jesus, the acceptance of the Father,the forgiveness of sins, and the confidence of salvation.•Simply put, Paul had Jesus and that was enough.•Want to know something interesting about the book of Philippians? In this short book, Paul mentions Jesus in over forty verses.•Keep in mind, that the whole epistle only has 104 verses.•This means that Paul averages a Jesus-centered verse every 2.4 lines.•Most people assume the path to peace is the pursuit of happiness.•Who doesn't want to be happy?

•The thought is especially captivating in the context of an anxious mind. I'd like to suggest, that there is something more important than happiness though. It's joy.•Happiness is great, but it is based on the word“happen.”•Thus, it’s all built around things that happen to us.•Joy comes from within. It’s based on what’s happening within us, not around us. •As we recover from stressful thoughts, this proves something powerful for all of us.

•Joy is found in Jesus.•Happiness will come and go, but Joy stays.•Why? Since Jesus refuses to leave you, joy is always within you.•Certainly, there will be days when you don't feel joyful.•That's based on your mental energy, not your actual identity though.•Your joy is certain because Jesus is certain.

Contentment should be based on Christ, not circumstances.

Can failure deny your joy? No, because Jesus picks us up in His loving arms.•Can stress steal your joy?•No, because God's presence persists.•Can tragedy take you joy? Surprisingly, no, not at all.Because Jesus draws closest to the broken.•Can death destroy your joy? Nope, not even death. Why?•Because Jesus is greater than the grave.•Thanks to Christ, we can move onward in confidence, which takes us to the final item on Paul's recipe for overcoming stress.•Confidence•The closing thought of Paul's teaching on the "pathway to peace" is Philippians 4:13.•This mass-quoted verse reads,"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."•Isn't Paul's confidence contagious?•We can do all things with Jesus on our side.•This verse's context is often lost when quoted by itself.•Fortunately, we just studied this whole passage, so you can see the overarching theme of this feel-good message.•Paul is talking in the context of our thought lives, stress, and uncovering contentment.•Doesn't that make this phrase all the more encouraging?•Sure, this verse isn't a free pass to try dangerous things, but it's a reminder that God can bring you through anything.•Paul realized something that all of us should, true contentment isn't related to your current situation, it's anchored in Jesus.•Your circumstances are forever changing, but God never changes.•Paul was able to find true peace because his joy didn't rely on his situation.•This passage contains a peaceful promise. You can have complete victory over any circumstance because Jesus will give you the strength to succeed.

Contentment should be based on Christ, not circumstances.

You can have complete confidence in all situations because Jesus is on your side.•Embrace that truth.•When anxious thoughts come knocking at your door, remind yourself that you can do all things through Christ.•This simple God-inspired phrase gives us the confidence boost we all need.•When burnout tries to keep you in your bed, remember that you can do all things through Jesus.

•When uncertainty about the future consumes your mind, remember that you can do all things through Christ.•Whenever worry sweeps you away, remember that you can do all things through Jesus.•You have confidence in Christ.•Allow that confidence to be daily energy on your path to overcoming stress