Anxiety

This was from Brio on April 8! Enjoy!

Philippians 4:6-7 (our own emphasis)
Do not be anxious for anything
But in everything
By prayer and supplication (more prayer) and with thanksgiving,
Let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus


What does it mean to worry?
Worry- anxiety, to be troubled by something
Specifically, in the Greek, it means a distraction, to be pulled in a different direction
The word literally means "to be troubled by something that is pulling you in a different direction"


What could be pulling you in a different direction? (From God of course)
Money, things money can buy, things that provide you with money
School, grades, tests
life, clothes, food, drink
Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Wife, Husband
Career, the World

(In Brio, we made everyone write down what was making them anxious, feel free to think about this thing/these things as you continue to read. BE HONEST!)


Worry makes you do one of two things, or even both if you are talented.
You can either do nothing and hide from the world. For example, people who get worried about money sometimes hide from their problems. They might want to do nothing in order to feel like they are doing something, like withholding tithes from the church, so they can hold on to more of their mone.
Or
You can overwork or overanalyze. Some people work crazy hours in order to "provide" or "make enough money". Some people will even go to the extent of stealing things or doing other things that are against the law to try and get what it is that they are worried about.

So what should we do instead?
*CROSS-REFERENCE*
Matthew 6:33

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A few things Jesus said (Our opinion)

1. Perhaps by worrying about your possessions, you are allowing yourself to become a slave to them. ("You cannot serve both God and your possessions. Therefore, do not be anxious about your life.") 

2. They understood that eating and drinking came by sowing and reaping as farmers. They understood that clothing came by toiling and spinning (sewing) as sewers. Both birds and lilies do not work for what they possess, yet God provides for them. If we are his children, why would he skip out on us? Aren't we more valuable? ("Your heavenly Father knows everything you need.")

3. Jesus repeats your heavenly Father again and again because he wants us to know that we have a father who loves and cares for us in Heaven and he takes care of the things we need.


Worry vs. Concern
Can you be genuinely concerned about something without being worried about it?

Worry
- Immobilizes you
- Says, "I do not know, therefore I am sad, depressed, impatient, unkind, etc."
- Can be diagnosed as a medical condition, with some of the most prescribed drugs being used to treat it

Concern
- Focuses you
- It says, "I do not know, therefore, I will pray for God's help and wisely prepare for the future."  

So how do we deal with worry?
Consider the Ant
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! {7} It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, {8} yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

The ant does not know how the winter will be, yet, it carefully plans, makes adjustments, and prepares for the future

Preparing/Planning

- Working hard and planning responsibly is good

- However, when you are planning because you are worried or worried while planning, you are giving way to sin

- John Piper says, "When you put a stop to worrying, you put a stop to a lot of sins." 

Back to Paul in Philippians:

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

Instead of worrying, we have another option. God says through Paul that since worrying has such a detrimental effect, we should bring the things that are troubling us to Him instead and then THE PEACE THAT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE GUARDS OUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS

The peace that comes from knowing that our God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly ( above all we can ask or think, will protect you from worrying.

Summary:

Trust in the Lord- having your trust and faith in Jesus is vital. Without burdens being placed on him, you will forever be burdened by life and its troubles.

Perspective on problems- know that your problems do not end the world. If you have submitted your plans and worries to the Lord, trust his outcome. Believe that everything works for your good

Community of encouragement- you need a community of believers around you that remind you to keep your eyes focused on Jesus and what he can do. 

God loves you. A recurring phrase is repeated by Paul and Jesus in two passages we mentioned tonight, "Your Heavenly Father". Jesus tells us to consider him and Paul tells us to pray to him. God wants you to know that you have a loving father in Heaven ready to receive you and all your troubles, if you let him. “Come to me, all who are heavy burdened… take mine, for it’s easy.”


Love you guys! 
Lise

P.S. Next week is the last Brio, feel free to come through to fellowship with us as we close out the year! 6:30 on Wednesday in the upper room above the gym in the FLC!