Antidotes for Anxiety
Notes
Transcript
Mt 6:25-34
Antidotes for Anxiety
Intro: This morning we are looking at what the Bible has to say about anxiety. Scripture says that anxiety is a real condition that many people find themselves in; it’s poisonous to our faith, but there are antidotes.
(Not anecdotes—a brief story we share in a conversation to be relatable; antidote is a medicine you take to counteract a poison)
Speaking of poison:
A few months ago our family had some “critter issues” in our house. We had a couple of companies come out to diagnose the problem and offer their solutions. One company’s approach was trapping, the other was poisoning.
When I heard about the poisoning approach, I needed to clarify: “So that means that the critter may get poisoned, die inside my house walls, then I have dead critter stuck in the walls of my house?”
So not only do I have a critter problem, but now an anxiety problem!
But my thinking nails anxiety exactly: fear over what may happen in the future-(v34=anxious about tomorrow)
Anxiety is like poison. It has the potential to eat away at our discipleship
However, Jesus gives us some antidotes:
When I was a kid, very young like 5 years old the instruction I received if I ever caught fire: Stop, Drop, Roll….
I never got caught on fire, so I have no idea if I would have instinctively done those things;
To keep is simple, the antidotes for anxiety:
Stop, Look, Seek
STOP (V25, 31, 34)
STOP (V25, 31, 34)
As we start, it’s important that we see that this teaching logically connects with what we heard last week (Therefore)
The teaching on treasures tees us up for the teaching on anxiety
Often is is our our treasures (possessions) cause us the most worry—
Apply: It’s almost sounds like Jesus is telling us: If you want to center your life around earthly treasures, then be prepared for a lot of worry. That’s the natural outcome!
When the topic of anxiety comes up, often the first question: Is anxiety a sin? Or, when does it become a sin? How much anxiety is too much?
First, anxiety us a subcategory of fear.
God knows that we can be a fearful, fretting people—so the most repeated command is: DO NOT FEAR
Yet not every fear is bad.
Fear of God is a good thing
Fear can instinctively put us in a self-protective mode that can be life saving
If you are driving at night, and you see headlight coming directly at you, you will get a rush of dread, the bottom of your stomach may feel like it falls out, but you react to avoid a head-on collision. No one will fault you for the fear. It’s not sinful
Some immediate situations trigger responses…where our blood pressure get elevated, and can’t relax….and we either flee of fight.
Now There is one common word for anxiety used in the NT—It can mean care, anxiety or concern.
It’s used to describe anxiety in Mt 6, but also in other situation—
It can be used positively—when we care deeply about something that our emotions are moved.
And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
I don’t think Paul is confessing sin here; he is saying that he cares, he cares deeply, his emotions are stirred in a godly way….
For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
But then there is a line that can be crossed—when our cares, concerns about the things of this world weight us down, easily distract us
Or, when we become emotional about the wrong things....
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Again, the same word is used in to refer to people not ready for the second coming:
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
which disturbs our joy in God, and is a damp upon our hope in him; which breaks the sleep, and hinders our enjoyment of ourselves, of our friends, and of what God has given us
Jesus gives the first antidote in a simple clear, straightforward exhortation: Stop.
Apply: Don’t be poisoned by worry. Don’t be a prisoner of anxiety.
**In other words, don’t accept that anxiety needs to be “normal” part of you. Jesus wants you to flourish in your discipleship.
3X the command is repeated: Do not be anxious. Stop.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So the first antidote is stop, but not just stop, stop & pray
LOOK (V26-30)
LOOK (V26-30)
The second antidote is to look—at birds and flowers.
Now let’s not think that Jesus was a tree-hugging environmentalist….just stare at nature and take deep breaths.
These examples point to God’s control in the created order
Look at your Creator God!
Apply: Having a robust trust in the sovereignty of God is a bedrock to dealing with anxiety according to Jesus
(V26) Your Father feeds the birds
Birds are a great example—b/c unless they are in a cage or domesticated, they always seem busy doing something to survive. Yet it’s not the hard work of the bird, but the Father’s provision
(V28) Consider the Lillies
What’s similar in these examples is how Jesus uses the lesser-great argument
If God controls and cares about small birds, and the wild flowers that grows….does he not also control & care about things in your life?
You may notice where the upper and lower parking lots connect, there is small dip in the asphalt where water can pool.
As I was pulling back into the church parking lot after lunch this week, I noticed a nice red cardinal was taking his little birdbath in that pool of water.
Anyhow, I didn’t hit the accelerator on my truck, but I didn’t slow down either. The bird will fly away when it get close enough (I hope)….
**But if that was one of the TRB kids, or any child—-I’m going to be real cautious….each child has immense value; their life matters.
How much more does God care about the needs of his children!
Yet there is another word we need to hear if our struggle is with anxiety:
Look again at vs 30: “O You of little faith”
Jesus describes disciples that way a few times Mt….and it’s not a compliment
It’s like if a man walks past another on the gym and says: You have tiny muscles;
What is he saying: You are weak!
Apply: So sinful anxiety is when I’m weak in my faith; I’m not trusting God’s providence or promises. All I can see in front of me is the worry.
Some have called worry “practical atheism” and that seems to fit.
The poisonous root of anxiety then is a lack of faith
Faith is never a blind leap....its trust based on evidence
What’s the way to strengthen faith? What evidence are we looking at?
--First, Look at God’s World
See his awesome hand in creation. That he upholds all if it…at this very moment, but his powerful word.
See his glory in it! The heavens declare the glory of God!
*It’s hard to be worried when we are consumed with God’s glory
--Secondly, Look at God’s Word
Faith comes by hearing.
God’s Word is like the protein we need;
Man does not live on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mt 4:4)
SEEK (V31-33)
SEEK (V31-33)
We now come to the climatic verse in this section.
First, Jesus paints a picture of what it was like to live under the pagan regions—it was very anxious living
—Anxiety would dominate.
—Everything depended on if the gods were in a good or bad mood, or if you appeased them enough so that your crops grow.
The final antidote: (v34) : Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.
What does it look like?
—Go back and review:
Seeking to be meek, merciful, hunger and thirsting for righteousness,
peacemakers, pure in heart
Seeking to be salt and light
Seeking to be a generous
Seeking God in sincere prayer without hypocrisy
The antidote for anxiety is to redirect the disciples vision (6:33)
Conclusion:
One time after my wife gave birth to one of our kids, she had excruciating back pain for several days. She got prescribed some powerful muscles relaxing drugs so she could function normally.
Those caused her to have double vision.
You can’t live with double vision.
You can’t serve God and Money
Neither can your discipleship bear fruit if it’s being choked out by the cares of this world.
Instead of being choked by the cares of the world, humble yourself & remember the who cares for you:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.