Anxiety

You've likely seen this on a t-shirt or a poster. I don't struggle with anxiety. I'm actually pretty good at it.

Unfortunately, sometimes break down to that point where you feel like you just being overwhelmed and it constantly is taking advantage of us. 30 million Americans are diagnosed with anxiety disorder. That sounds like a lot, but we're talkin about the disorder, not having anxiety about battling with anxiety. But those people who are really battling with anxiety and depression in parallel, and we don't really know what the difference is between serious and ordinary and it really lies in the fact of event, entity, and frequency. And so, can you get to the place where just feel like you're being overwhelmed? Some hard moments that are there, maybe you today or at that place, where you don't want to get out of bed in the morning and it's not that you don't want to start the day. It's not that you don't want to do what you have to do that day. It's just that there's so much threatening in the world. And being where you are as pretty comfortable and it would be very inviting to just spend a long time, will the rest of the day taking care of the anxiety, that's in your life.

We are anxious about a lot. Jesus says to Martha, you you're anxious about many things and then Martha situations. The thing she was being angry angry anxious about it really not important. Just want to go back for us to look at a passage that directs this idea really in Focus, the passage that they do before. My to know many of you could probably repeat it. And it's Paul's writings to the church at Phillipi and it starts at 4, and we'll go down to 47. And look at the verses 8-9. Little bit later on. Paul says, rejoice in the lord always, I will say it again. Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation by prayer, and petition with Thanksgiving, present, your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. What a pick out, three topics ideas that come from this passage and the first is what I would call the prohibition of worry. Nepal does a polar body together. See if you're battling or if you're Battling worried the stress anxiety. Here's what I think might help. And he gives them some strategies to deal with. You noticed he doesn't do that. This is not a suggestion.

This is a commandment. Do not be anxious.

You go to Matthew chapter 6 and Jesus says, do not worry. Why is it such a big deal? But they were anxious. It limits Us in. So very many ways when our anxiety is leading in our lives but we can't do things, he wanted to physically, we can't do things going to do commotion. Ali we withdraw, I pulled back because there are so many things that are threatening us. And we just feel all this coming at us and we really get neutralized. And I think it's one of Satan's biggest and most useful tools because it helps keep us isolated. And disable it. So positive that I want to tell you don't do it, you know, it's not a good idea physically. We know it's not a good idea. Spiritually and so, Across people. The question would be okay ball. How do you deal with it? How do you focus on and cope with this anxiety, their life? And if you noticed in that passes he provided some answers. And he started with a couple of things. He says rejoice in the lord. Always I will say it again rejoice. Who's it? Twice is what he's saying? What does he mean by rejoicing? Often I hear people say well, he's talking about safety to you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, feel it. He's talking about being a glad-hander or somebody that hurts everybody up and energy level off and all those things. And I think, honestly, that's one of the Biggest substitutes that we've been sold. Because if we looked really at joy and we like really at rejoicing, we're not talking about his external things.

Is that place in your life were in your spiritual poor, you've come to the place where you manage things, because of what you've learned, and because of what you practice because of what you've helped other people, learn and practice. And so it's not about something artificial, so that you can see it's looking for your core everyday, good day, bad day, update on day, and saying, what can I Rejoice about today? What can I go to God and say, thank you, God, that I have this today. And that's where it is. It's a lot easier to change the outside than our culture. Is just really, really good at that, but it's so hard to really come from the inside and I think that's where it all begins. Let Your gentleness be evident to all. Lowrance jr. Nearby. Jesus coming back. Just be gentle about that.

when Cherry was seal, we have been to the doctor. We were going over into the hospital area and we passed one of the nurses from the doctor's office. And she stopped to since you said, you all are being too nice. You're on the back burner. You don't turn a few chairs over the lobby and you'll get it, get somebody to help you or, or do more of what you want to do. And it's sad when we get to places in our lives, gentleness causes us to be ignored. You know, I don't need patience.

But that's what God calls us for. And the real connection is so important. Here is a lot of times when you're anxious, Don't feel like being gentle, you're in a hurry or you're pressured or this isn't going right at. That is not fitting together and then when somebody makes a mistake or being in the grocery store that you don't like driving on the interstate,

fall says, don't be anxious. About anyting.

The second thing that Paul, the piece of advice that he gives to us is the practice of Prayer. And I know you heard about Freer your whole life. Is a constant in religious circles. It's supposed to be, it's meant to be, it needs to be. But often we want to read a new book, we want to read a new approach. We need to we want to open up a

Who was all this stuff that I've been doing?

And Paul really is reinforcing even two thousand years ago. It's not about the easy answer, it's about the developing your core. It's not about easy. Answer is by building a relationship.

Relationship people in this world.

Pretty much it's the time and the quality of time that's put into the process. If we invest time, interacting with other people, then we get to the place where

You know, them, we care about that. We understand why they tick and why certain things cause it to react in certain ways. You know, if somebody comes up and says, you know, you may need to talk to somebody. Are usually, we mean that you need to find a professional somewhere and have a chat with somebody who can fix you. Paul's day here. You need to talk to God. You need to talk to Don about this. Don't be anxious. but in every situation,

if you go back to Paul's life you certainly see him doing that and you certainly see him in responding that way in terribly difficult situations. When they're singing in prison at midnight, Glorifying. The fact that they've been worthy to suffer for the word, this wouldn't be your usual kind of response. Houses. You can talk with God about it. Bring your petitions with Thanksgiving and prevent your requests to God. And I honestly believe that what he's doing here is trying to help us start conversations with God. Yeah, we can quickly say a prayer. We can say, our nightly prayers, we can say our formal prayers. We lose factor that time when we can just be in a situation where we're talking to God, This morning had car trouble, Albert Smith, very giving Lee. I came and brought me to church and it was great to have a ride but it was great to have a visit. Visit was wonderful. I want to take the long way home, you know, those times work just really precious. I've been to this over and over again, but we were very fortunate that was church building where we have a large expensive for you. We can visit as long as he will visit no matter what the weather is. Dodgers talk to me like that. Talk to me like that. Tell me what's going on in your life. Tell me where you are dealing with your feelings and what you're experiencing. I know. I know it. I love to hear you say it. And then I think this is the place where we frequently fall down and is it we don't give time for God to talk back to us. Yeah, we busily run and and and maybe have a few moments of prayer and God needs and wants to believe desires for us to calm down. Relax, and listen. The word comes back. a beautiful place in nature, don't you just feel like gods communicating with you, build you up encouraging you and when we create situations where we only do brief quick trigger. Is that wrong. But we only do that without giving iron pills time to listen to God feedback. We kind of just get lost in different kinds of circumstances.

We bring our fear. Berate everything were worried about. And we exchanged it for God's power. That's just bring me your position, really, your concern. Talk to me about it. I didn't wait and see the process Where I Leave You forward.

I mentioned this young man, several times before he said, I called him, my young prayer, Warrior years ago, 30 plus years ago. Terry was two in the

Land run at our house and the fifth and sixth grade was over to reenact land, run and do. It was a great day. Hell outside. There's a little boy there, he was 11 and his parents were the minister missionaries in Residence at OCC for that year. So, he was here going to school, he was in church class, and he was telling me about the mission field. I'm just listening to talk about the mission field. I was like, goodness gracious to see what he does and then he start talking about payday.

I'm just that people in our community have figured out what Daddy? What day my dad gets paid. So they line up in the front yard to ask for help. A, my dad always helps. sometimes my dad helps so much that we don't have any money left over a little What are you doing in prey? Like you non-believer, what if?

I know you told me several stories, she said, I needed a blue shirt for school with money for a blue shirt. But we prayed about it and somebody donated blue. Sure I was able to eat at least and I'm just going Paternity paternity paternity. I like to trade with. I'm sure you that you have Because I am not really connected to him but preferably I can fix it to him. You have any guess? What kind of grown man. He is.

It's amazing. It really is. He and his sister are just amazing people. They believed in the basics and got as far as turning his back to the basics year. So yeah, there's all kinds of things, they're all kind of things that look unique, they're all kinds of things that scratch are itching ears. What's a fundamental things of God? Are where we live and where we be. Anxiety.

What are we desperate to have what we want to have? We want to have peace. And we can look forward to a lot of places people go on Journeys, and they searched and places that are destructive. The piece that weird looking for comes through. And because of God. And that's the statement that he might remind him about. John 14 verse 27. See if this sounds like the piece you hear about in the world

Peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give you this Jesus who is Apostle. I did not give to you as the world gives Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. I'm afraid that we spent far too much time. Listening to the world's definition of peace. You got enough money, you're going to be satisfied. You're going to be taking care of it. If you got enough, Fame enough, people that are watching what you're doing, and you're being able to help them do things. Are you beneficial to you or whatever? That's the way. Peace works. And God comes along through his son and says forget about that. The world doesn't know how to define peace. You only find peace in your relationship. Forgot what you bring, how you approach, you, how you trust him. The time that you spend. Interacting with him.

First seven that we read earlier is in the peace of God. Which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ. Jesus. I understand for people who know much more about the original original language that I do that, this is a military word. That is symbolic of the army standing guard. Somebody with power and strength and the ability to make a phone, what needs to be done? That's the kind of peace that God is putting around this building. Are he's building a place for us. To be safe.

In 1st Peter chapter 5, it says cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you and I read that passage my whole life. And I think Joe has been a useful passes in my life. But in the last few years, I Rewritten that passage in my head. Cast all your anxiety on him because he is your kill you.

God's abundant takes the responsibility for providing all of our needs.

Was it supposed to rain balls? Great sacrifice. Even think about, he says to us,

I got you. Now, I'd know that by twisting that one Passage I can't use that as proof tags. Forgot. Being caregiver. But if you would like me to, I can start making a list on that wall, and, and you helped me. And we wouldn't be finished by dark. All the ways that God is our, he doesn't just care. He just said the other just have sympathy. He does. It just has input. See, he's not just compassionate. He says, I will take the responsibility.

For your care. I'm going to see the Lord. What if the caregiving doesn't fix me? He says, well I'll bundle you up and take me home with you. My father's house. It's like the end and then we'll go back to the Philippians chapter 4. And is this a perfect place with this first? We know both of these versus really, really well. But often we forget that they're tied together are linked together. Finally brothers or sisters, whatever is true. What a noble whatever is, right? Whatever is pure water's, lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy feed about such things. Whatever you've learned or received or heard from me or seeing me put into practice and the God of Peace will be with you.

That's one of those passages that over and over to get up in the morning. You say I'm going to live Why? Philippians 4:8, I'm going to focus on what's admirable and what, excellent, what's praiseworthy? And the people I run into, I'm going to look for those qualities in them. I'm going to look for opportunities for me to use those qualities. You might even want to see ghosts. If you're doing that particular thing, I believe it all of this one or reduce our anxiety. I think we truly want to spend more time with God and I know that we want to feel the rush of peace. Impulses, here's the word. Just do it. Would you go out with me?

Do God, our Father in heaven will be sometimes to Crush by anxiety the day. Today smaller things that shouldn't The strollers in mr. Write this. But they do. Those things that are serious and other sometimes things that are tragic. And we know that you understands our weaknesses. You understand. How much we are tempted and likely. Fall under the pressure of the Satan brings. We ask you for strength, we ask you for a commitment that allows us to prepare ourselves in the way you have instructed. So that we can be better prepared to deal with anxiety Supply. Father, we thank you for all you do for us. We asked you to forgive us, we pray this, or your son.