Remember God's Word in Times of Stress

Getting Attention

Mindset: A mental attitude, an inclination, or a fixed state of mind.

Question: What are examples of a mindset? (positive, pessimistic, etc.)

How would you complete this sentence: An anxious mindset describes someone who __________.

Thriving Light Principle: Thriving in stressful times requires the knowledge, application, and practice of God’s Word.

Knowing & Understanding the Bible

The Christian desiring to thrive in stressful times must remember God's Word as a daily provi­sion that gives a godly perspective on both the com­mon and the unusual stresses of life. (Last week we talked about focusing on God during stressful times.)

First, the believer must remember to trust in God as the mindset needed for all of life. Then the believer must remember to bolster this mindset by heeding practices that tangibly demonstrate a trust in God.

I. Mindset Needed (Matthew 6:25-34)

In Matthew 5:1-7:29, often called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the life of faith.

In verses 6:25-33 Jesus addressed the issue of daily and ordinary life needs. People in His day, as are people today, were concerned about the basic necessities of life: food, drink, and clothes. These concerns were (and are) legitimate and worthy of appropriate at­tention. That people are concerned with these needs is not the focus of Jesus' message in verses 25-33. The priority and intensity of the concern is the focus of His teaching.

Don’t worry! (6:25)

Matthew 6:25 KJV 1900

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Jesus gave a simple and profound directive:

"Take no thought for your life." These words could un­derstood to mean do not be careful, or don't be anx­ious, or don't worry about these things.

Worry is unnecessary.

Would you agree with that statement? Why or why not?

Jesus went on to challenge His hearers with a rhetorical question: "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Of course it is!

Do consider your worth. (6:25)

While this is the point that was in the material, I don’t like this point. In fact, I believe it to be a dangerous point if understood incorrectly.

There is much talk in our world and society today about the need for individuals to focus on their self-worth. I’ve even heard Christians make this statement, We need to love ourselves more.

That, however, is not Biblical!

The teachings of self-love, self-esteem, and self-worth have been brought in from the world rather than gleaned from Scripture. They are products of humanistic psychologists, rather than the truth from the Word of God.

Bobgan, Martin; Bobgan, Deidre. PsychoHeresy: The Psychological Seduction of Christianity (pp. 159-160). EastGate Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Matthew 22:37–40 KJV 1900

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Philippians 2:3–4 KJV 1900

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

No where, in Scripture, are we commanded to love ourselves or to increase our self-worth. No, quite the contrary. We are to love God more; love others as we love ourselves; and we are to esteem [value] others more than ourselves!

Now, back to Matthew 6...

First of all, verse 25 doesn’t speak, at all, about our worth.

The phrase that they are focused on is at the end of vs. 25:

Matthew 6:25 (KJV 1900)

Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

That question has little to do with our worth and more to do with our perspective upon the things needed to live.

Do we need food? Yes.

Do we need clothing? Yes.

But...

Luke 12:15 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

As Christians, our perspective should not be a physical perspective but an eternal perspective.

Why are we so predisposed to focus on our physical needs?

I believe that one reason is for the fact that our faith in God to truly take care of these needs is lacking.

We see this in vs. 30 when Christ says, O ye of little faith?

To help us understand this...

Do consider these things. (6:26-32)

Barn-less birds (vs. 26)

Matthew 6:26 KJV 1900

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Insufficient stature (vs. 27)

Matthew 6:27 KJV 1900

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Temporary lilies (vs. 28-30)

Matthew 6:28–30 KJV 1900

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Worry as a mindset of life is, on the one hand, a statement of one's in­ability to provide for his or her needs and, on the other hand, a statement that God also can't provide.

Worry is, Jesus taught, a faith issue.

Worry says,

"God, I don't think You can provide, and I am not sure I can either. And this worries me."

Believers must adopt a mindset that refuses to let worry control their life to the point of having no time for God and His work.

Jesus' teaching is quite clear: Don't worry! (Pagans worry, because they have no god to provide for them.)

Jesus then stated what was surely obvious, but was good to hear.

God knows your needs.

Matthew 6:32 KJV 1900

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Do seek God! Don’t worry! (6:33-34)

Matthew 6:33–34 KJV 1900

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God does know our needs. Therefore, we are to replace the attention we give to worry with a higher and nobler pursuit.

The believer is to seek God; that is, he or she is to be concerned with the things of God.

The mindset of the believer thriving in stress­ful times is God-centered and worry free.

It is the way a person of faith thinks.

Additionally, Jesus reminded His hearers of a truth that seems just as applicable today.

Matthew 6:34 KJV 1900

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Worry over what may happen tomorrow is senseless. There is enough to occupy our attention each day.

So, believers are to approach each day with their minds set on God and not on worry. This mindset will need to be a conscious decision and will (most likely) need to be affirmed throughout the day as in­vitations to worry invade this sense of trust in God.

In four words or less, summarize the mindset God desires for the believer.

Don’t worry; Seek God!

II. Practices Heeded

Heeding the following four practices as tangible expressions of replacing worry with trust can bolster your potential for thriving in stressful times.

These four practices put feet to the don't worry, seek God mindset called for in Matthew 6:25-34.

They describe the activities chosen by Christians who desire to thrive in stressful times.

The four practices are not presented as a formula or plan or strategy. They are not to be thought of as a sequence of practices to be observed. Instead, consider them to be tools in your toolbox that can be used as needed.

Also, don’t assume that these are the only actions that you can take when tempted to worry. They have been selected, however, to represent a fair and concise list of the more commonly and typically needed actions. I’m sure that you could think of others.

Don’t worry; pray instead.

Philippians 4:6–7 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.

Anxiety seems to be the "default" emotion of life for most. Paul encouraged that prayer be the chosen "default" activity of the believer.

Anxi­ety is never appropriate. Prayer is always appropri­ate.

Thanksgiving to God is, as well, always appropriate.

The result of prayer instead of anxiety is the peace of God, plus answers to prayer. Peace is a nice bonus. While the believer waits for God's answer to prayer, His peace is present. Peace dispels anxiety.

Don’t keep it; cast it.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV 1900

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Cares of life are like loads on one's back. They need to be carried, but not by the believer. Peter did not describe or define the cares he had in mind when he wrote. Perhaps, given the larger context of the book, he was thinking of the general stresses of the godly person living in a fallen world.

Giving one's cares over to God is an act of the will. It is a choice that is in response to the truth that God is aware of the burdens of living. God cares for those who have put their faith in Hirn.

Don’t fret; keep perspective.

Romans 8:18 KJV 1900

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

As joint-heirs with Christ the believer is called on to suffer with Him (Rom. 8:17). The reproach of the cross (1 Pet. 4:12-14) is a part of Christian living. But focusing on it-fretting over present suffer­ings-is not to be part of the Christian's way of life.

Romans 8:18 shares Paul's considered conclu­sion:

Present sufferings, as bad as they are, are no match for the glory that awaits the Christian.

No comparison!

The bad of the bad is insignificant when compared to the good of the good.

Keep a per­spective on life today by weighing it against the life to come.

What Paul taught regarding suffering with Christ can be applied to general stresses of life.

Don't fret. Keep perspective!

2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV 1900

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Don’t worry; be happy.

Proverbs 17:22 KJV 1900

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: But a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 teaches that the inner life affects the physical body.

This is true of worry, which leads to physical breakdown, or of happiness, which pro­motes well-being.

A "merry heart" contrasts with a "crushed spirit." The "merry heart" sustains a per­son in the midst of stress. But a crushed spirit has an adverse effect on the health of the body. (This has been scientifically proven to be true!)

Happiness is a choice of life. It works in har­mony with the believer's choice not to worry, but to seek God instead.

Choosing happiness in the face of stress opens up the believer to see God's good and delightful blessings in life.

These four practices are to be heeded when needed. They may be generally applied to daily life, but they will surely need to be specifically employed for particular moments of stress.

Thriving in stressful times requires the knowl­edge, application, and practice of God's Word.

(That is Biblical wisdom in a nutshell!)

These things begin with a mindset of "don't worry, seek God" (Matt. 6:25-34). This mindset is bolstered by our heeding, as needed, the practices of

Don't Worry, Pray Instead (Phil. 4:6, 7);

Don't Keep It, Cast It (1 Pet. 5:7);

Don't Fret, Keep Perspective (Rom. 8:18); and

Don't Worry, Be Happy (Prov. 17:22).

How well have these practices worked for you in the past?

Applying the Bible

Thriving Light Principle: Thriving in stressful times requires the knowledge, application, and practice of God’s Word.

How does this thriving light principle promote the mindset and practices taught in this lesson?

What can and should believers do to apply this principle to their own challenge to have a “don’t worry, seek God” mindset?

What one practice, if consistently applied to your life, would most help you to have a “don’t worry, seek God” mindset?

Practicing the Bible

Write down three steps you need to take to implement or affirm a “don’t worry, seek God” mindset.