The Control of Worry
Back in January of this year, the 'Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' moved the hands of the 'Doomsday Clock' forward because of the mounting dangers of the war in Ukraine. The Clock was moved to 90 seconds to midnight - the closest to global catastrophe it had ever been.
Do you suppose anything has happened since January that might be... concerning? Unless you completely ignore national and world events - it's kind of hard to live in our current world and not have a bit of worry over what's happening. And many of you are old enough to remember many other crises in our world. And if you're a student of history, you know that wars and rumors of wars - troubles of all kinds - are really nothing new.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus was warning His disciples about the hard times they would be facing. Jesus told them that a time was coming when anyone who killed them would think he was actually offering a service to God. That sounds pretty awful. And then Jesus told them...
John 16:32-33 (NIV)
But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. (33) I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Jesus shared these things so that they would have peace - but they sound like things that might do the exact opposite. Being killed in a horrible manner sounds like something you might worry about... Are Christians supposed to worry about 'bad things'? Jesus taught His followers that even in the bad times, they can actually have peace through Him!
And if you look at the entirety of the Bible, it teaches that worrying or solely focusing on 'bad things' can actually be both physically and spiritually destructive. There is a relationship between...
I. Spiritual and physical health
That might surprise many.
A study from the journal 'Psychology and Aging' found that people with an upbeat view of life were less likely than pessimists to show signs of frailty as they aged. At the start of the study all the volunteers were in relatively robust good health. However, at the end there was a big difference in their weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength. They found that those who had a positive outlook on life were significantly less likely to become frail.
In the Bible, King Solomon, who was given the gift of wisdom by God, wrote this in Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)...
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
It's interesting that science is catching up with what was in the scriptures all along. Of course a cheerful heart alone doesn't magically cure all ills. But somehow, the way God designed us - as both physical and spiritual beings - there is a connection between the two. When it comes to our physical health, there is a link to our...
A. Spiritual attitude
God gave Solomon, the author of Proverbs, the wisdom to understand the relationship between emotional and physical health as well as the effect of despair or depression. Let's look at a few more of Solomon's proverbs...
Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 15:13 (NIV)
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:30 (NIV)
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart and good news gives health to the bones.
Proverbs 18:14 (NIV)
A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
And these are not just pithy sayings, just something for a motivational poster - but God inspired wisdom.
Everyone will have sad days - but wallowing in self-pity and worrying is ultimately self-destructive. 95% of the things we worry about never happen, and we can't usually do anything about the other 5% anyway! So why worry? Easier said than done... But there is an essential truth that those who follow Jesus must grow to understand and accept...
B. Joy is independent of circumstances
Happiness is an emotion. We can't control how we feel in any given situation. Emotions ebb and flow. Joy, however, is an attitude, not an emotion - and it is a choice. - Many times it's a hard choice - but still a choice. I'm usually not happy about hard times in my life, but I can choose to respond with joy. Doesn't mean I always do, but I should work towards that more often...
God wants us to have true joy that is not dependent on our circumstances, but based on our faith in Jesus! I may not feel happy, but I can respond with joy because I know that God is in control. You can choose to dwell on the emotion and the circumstances and stew and say "It's not fair" – which is kind of my default mode... Or - you can turn the situation over to God and respond with joy knowing that whatever comes your way – God can handle it!
I'm not suggesting you deny your emotions or that you can't ever feel sad. And I'm not saying that there aren't any bad things. I am saying that you can choose how you respond to those emotions or feelings or circumstances.
We have to acknowledge that 'life' has genuine problems. All of us are going to have struggles and all of us are going to have occasion to be depressed. We are all going to fall into a ditch on the road of life once in a while - but we don't have to live there! That's the point, it's not that we won't have problems, but we have to learn how to respond to those problems.
It's easy to get caught up in troubles to the point that we miss God's blessings! It reminds me of the words of the 'philosopher' Eeyore from the 'Winnie the Pooh' stories. "Good morning, Pooh Bear," said Eeyore gloomily. "If it is a good morning - which I doubt. I shouldn't be surprised if it hailed a good deal tomorrow, blizzards and what-not. Being fine today doesn't mean anything."
Does that sound like any of us at times? If we can learn to put our full trust in God, and not in circumstances or ourselves, we'll discover that even in the midst of trouble - God can bless us! But, if we're not going to look for those blessings - we'll probably miss them.
Some of the greatest blessings in our lives may come either right in the middle of trouble or right after. And there are many of you here today who can testify to that fact. You've come through really tough times only to discover the joy of a greater blessing on the other side.
As long as we live in the flesh, we will have to live with the limitations of the flesh. Take a look at God's Word and look at the history of those who have been God's faithful servants - all had lives filled with troubles! Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Solomon, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, John the Baptist, the 12 apostles, the apostle Paul, even Jesus Himself!
God's people have never been exempt from troubles. He only asks that we trust Him by faith and allow Him to work in our lives in the midst of the troubles. When that happens, it becomes more evident than ever that it is God doing the work and it is God giving the blessing. If we never had any trouble, and life always went smoothly, we might be tempted to think that it's our own brilliance or talent that makes things go so well.
Take a look at the testimony of the Apostle Paul…
II Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. (9) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
God never said that we wouldn't have troubles, but He did say that we would also have blessings - if we trust Him and live by faith. It's always a good reminder that life does have blessings; we need to keep our eyes open for them. Focusing on the bad or worrying about circumstances may be tempting, but let's look at...
II. The problems with worry
There are implications of our tendency to worry that are ultimately incompatible with the Christian life. By worrying - you are not able to fulfill the purpose that God has for your life. Have you ever thought about the fact that worry demonstrates...
A. A lack of trust?
I struggle with that. 'Can't I trust God but still worry a little...?'
When we let ourselves worry, in a very real sense, we're showing a lack of trust in God's power to sustain us, in His ability to handle things. And again, it's not that we have to be completely happy with every 'bad thing' that, for whatever reason, God allows into our life. But we need to learn to trust Him through the bad things. And I'm not saying these things to make you feel guilty, or to shame you out of worrying – but we need to honestly look at the true implications of worry.
Jesus said, in Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)...
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (26) Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (27) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Have I ever worried about things like that? In the five years since I purchased a piece of land to build a home on for my family - and we're still not there…? In the past three years since trying to find a diagnosis and treatment for Benji's illness - have I worried about bills, or food or clothes or answers...? Yes - but God has provided. I haven't missed a single meal or missed paying a single bill.
And since Benji is now being treated by the #1 pediatric neurologist in the Midwest - and he's determined the best treatment requires traveling to Cincinnati every month for the next year - God has provided again. How do I afford the 500 some mile roundtrip 13 times? I got connected up with an organization called 'Angel Flights' and they have pilots who will be flying Benji and myself to Cincinnati every month - free of charge.
I don't have all the answers yet. But God has carried me this far… We serve a very BIG God! From a Biblical perspective, worrying is...
B. Pointless
Worrying doesn't change things, nor does it help us in dealing with problems. Things will be the way they are whether I worry about them or not. I have no control over many of life's circumstances. If worrying doesn't make a difference one way or the other – why should I waste my time with it?
And yes, there is a difference between being concerned over a particular situation – but don't use that as a rationalization to worry. Concern is usually accompanied by actions, worry is not. And look at it this way - worry burns up our mental and physical energy and keeps us from using it for more constructive actions such as actually dealing with problems. And not only does worry not lengthen our lives, it may actually shorten it!
The basis for our being able to be joyful even in times of trouble has to come from our confidence in God! God's highest purpose is not, nor ever has it ever been, our personal comfort - but rather the salvation of all mankind. That means that He has made more than adequate preparation for your salvation through His work of grace - so ultimately, you truly have nothing about which to worry!
As long as we allow God to be in charge of our lives, we give Him room to bless us! Remember - He can bless us even in the midst of the most traumatic situations of our lives! In fact, some of our greatest blessings may come in the midst of the darkest hours simply because we have to turn to God and quit trusting ourselves. We've tried everything else and are forced to fully rely on God.
The hardest thing about trusting God is to stop trusting myself! God's very presence is reason enough to find joy in our lives. God is able to bring the calm after the storm. He can bring joy in even the worst circumstances that life can throw at us.
So What?
When you put your trust in God, your situation probably won't change immediately, but your attitude toward your situation will. Worry and despair put up a wall that keeps us from seeing the blessings that God has in store for us. Worry destroys hope and keeps us from experiencing the peace that God wants us to have.
Is 'worry' controlling you or do you place your trust in God? And on a practical note - there are things that you can actively do in order to ward off worry and despair. Doing something about a problem about which you are concerned doesn't mean you don't trust God. I trust God to provide for me - but I still have chickens in my yard to provide eggs for my family. Trust God - but there are things you can do to control your anxiety or worry.
Dr. Karl Menninger, a famed psychiatrist, shared this bit of wisdom. When asked what someone should do when they felt that they were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He responded, "Lock your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need, and do something for him."
It's amazing how your problems and worry fade into the background when you are serving someone else. Part of your purpose here on earth is to serve others. Your purpose is not to worry to the point of exhaustion, but to serve others.
What was it that sustained Jesus when he was faced with the cross and all of the terrible things associated with it? He put His full trust in God's blessing and thought of us over Himself. What sustained Him was the knowledge that God was in control and that ultimately He would be blessed. Jesus said...
Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
And He said that knowing that the cross was coming... My guess is that right now, there's something in your life that could cause you to worry if you allowed it to do so. Right now you have an opportunity to put an end to all that! You can find reason to rejoice and you can find peace no matter the circumstance in which you find yourself. God wants to bless you, but He needs for us to quit trusting ourselves and turn to Him!