Child of Theos

How To Be Worry Free in a Worry Filled World

By

Patrick Neiswinger

  One of the most common struggles that an average Christian may face is worry. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrows; it empties today of strength." All over this world peoples' lives have become overcome with worry.   AnxietyPannic.com says, "In a given year, approximately 40 million American adults 18 years and older are affected by anxiety disorders. This startling data means that anxiety disorders cost the United States more than 42 billion dollars a year." The article continues to say, "Those with anxiety disorders are three to five times more likely to seek medical treatment and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than people that do not suffer from anxiety."[1]

            Many people let anxiety overtake them. They try many things to overcome their anxiety. Some try to seek psychologists and psychiatrists for help, but find no relief. Some try pills, but find no relief. Some result to drinking, but the worry is still prevalent in their life. What is the cure? How can I overcome worry?  Today, I want to give you two characteristics of overcoming worry based on our text Philippians 4:6-7. In a message entitled: How To Be Worry Free In A Worry Filled World.

            First of all we will observe the command that believers must employ. In the first part of verse six, the Bible says, "Be careful for nothing…" What does this word careful mean? The word translated careful is from the Greek imperative merimano. This word literally means, to be troubled with cares, to worry. So Paul in this verse is telling the believers of Philippi not to worry. He then gives two ways of which this command can be accomplished.

            The first way is to accomplish this is to be prayerful. Looking at verse six we then observe two elements of prayerfulness. The first one is the word prayer. Verse six says, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer…" The word prayer in this verse is a little more in depth in its use than we observe it to be today. This word for prayer is proserkae which is a prayer addressed to God. Kenneth Wuest says, "the word 'prayer' is the translation of a Greek word which speaks of prayer addressed to God as an act of worship and devotion."[2] The moment we get on our knees we should start praising God. Praise him for who He is. Praise Him for what he has done in our lives. Praise Him for the current circumstances that He has placed us in. One of the greatest prayer warriors in the Bible was King David. David was very good at this act of worship in his prayers. Listen to what David prayed in Psalm 5:1-7:  "Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple."  In many of his Psalms, David opens his prayers with worship to God. Like David we must first of all go to God in worship. The second element is found again in verse six.

            Again the Bible says in verse six, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." The second element of prayer is the word supplication. This word in the Greek means seeking, asking or entreating. Kenneth Wuest says the following: "Supplication is from a word that speaks of supplication for one's personal needs. The word request is the translation of a word which emphasizes the objects asked for, namely, the things requested."[3] After we have worshiped the Lord, then we can give Him our requests. Continuing the account of Psalm we see David's prayer change in verse eight. In verse eight and following we read, "Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield." David gave his requests to God after he had praised and worshiped the Lord. So we can accomplish this command first of all by being prayerful.

            Secondly, we can accomplish this command by being thankful. Again in our text the Bible says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God." Be thankful for what? First of all we must be thankful for the good times/ highlights of our life. If you are a believer, the greatest thing that ever happened to you was your salvation. When was the last time you thanked God for saving your soul from hell? In church we many times sing the chorus Thank You Lord. A man by the name of Seth Sykes wrote the words to this song. Listen to the words of that he wrote. "Some thank the Lord for friends and home,/ For mercies sure and sweet;/ But I would praise Him for His grace/ In Prayer I would repeat:// Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,/ Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;/ Thank you, Lord, for giving to me/ Thy great salvation so rich and free.// Some thank Him for the flowers that grow,/ Some for the stars that shine;/ My heart is filled with joy and praise,/ Because I know He's mine.// Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,/Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;/Thank you, Lord for giving to me/ Thy great salvation so rich and free// I trust in Him from day to day,/ I prove His saving grace;/ I'll sing this song of praise to Him/ Until I see His face.// Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,/ Thank you Lord for making me whole;/ Thank you, Lord, for giving to me/ Thy great salvation so rich and free.[4] We should be thankful for the salvation that God has given us. We should be thankful for the good things He has done for us. Not only should we be thankful for the good times/highlights of life, but also we should be thankful for the bad times as well. Bruce Barns in his commentary notes says the following, "We can always find something to be thankful for, no matter what may be the burden of our wants, or the special subject of our petitions. When we pray for the supply of our wants, we may be thankful for that kind Providence which has hitherto befriended us; when we pray for restoration from sickness, we may be thankful for the health we have hitherto enjoyed, and for God's merciful interposition in the former days of trial, and for his goodness in now sparing our lives; when we pray that our children and friends may be preserved from danger and death, we may remember how often God has interposed to save them; when, oppressed with a sense of sin, we pray for pardon, we have abundant cause of thanksgiving that there is a glorious way by which we may be saved. The greatest sufferer that lives in this world of redeeming love, and who has the offer of heaven before him, has cause of gratitude."[5] So we have seen the command that all believers must employ now lets look at the second characteristic of overcoming anxiety.

The second characteristic of overcoming anxiety is the promise that all believers can enjoy. Let us read our text again, starting in verse six, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Now notice verse seven. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Wow, what a deal! Once we have prayed. Once we have worshiped Him in that prayer and thanked Him for everything. He then promises peace. There is a word in this verse that I love. Notice in verse seven the word keep. This is a very interesting word. This word is a military term which means, "To guard or protect by a military guard, either in order to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight."[6] This is the same word used in Luke 2:8 "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Those shepherds watched over or guarded their flock all night to make sure that no intruder would come in and hurt one of the sheep. That is exactly what God is doing in our life. With His peace He guards and protects us from the intruder of anxiety.  Kenneth Wuest said, "God's peace, like a sentinel, mounts guard and patrols before the heart's door, keeping worry out.[7]

            The peace of God is an awesome thing. Notice verse seven again, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding…" God's peace is beyond our comprehension. The peace of God is something that we, in our finite minds, cannot explain. It is just a since the sweeps through you. It is like the peace you receive when you see a beautiful sunset among a beautiful snow capped mountain range. You sit there looking at the splendor of God's creation, and you say wow. The peace of God is something of which is breathtaking. It is the feeling of which a huge burden has been lifted from your heart. The peace of God is beyond our comprehension. Thank God for the peace He gives to us.

            There may be someone reading or listening to this message that is overwhelmed with anxiety. There is some situation that has you so worried that you feel like you want to crawl into some hole and stay there for the rest of your life. Maybe you have lost hope because of your worry. You may say, "There is nothing else that I can do." My friend, yes there is. If you fall on you knees before the Lord, He will help you. Remember to think about who He is and worship Him. Then, pour your heart out to him and give Him your requests. Lay this burden of anxiety that you have at His feet. Be thankful for what He has done in you life, both good times and bad. My friend if you do this, I promise you that the peace of God, the kind that is beyond our comprehension, will guard your heart from the intruder of anxiety. That, my friend, is how you can be worry free in a worry filled world.