Stop Worrying

Message 4 of 4 from the series Stop it!

If we are actually going to be bible believers, we have to stop it! The world and our culture may normalize worrying but as a people set apart, it is not a practice we can engage in any longer!

Worry (def.)

• give way to anxiety or unease (verb)

• Allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles (verb)

• A state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems (noun)

To stop worrying, we have to be reminded of the... 

Instruction

"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. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Worrying puts the pressure on you. Faith puts to pressure on God. A lack of humility says I got or have to carry this. Humility says God’s got this.

Worry is a trap. What you don’t give over will consume and devour you, including worry.

Combat worry: be firm (vigilant) in your faith.

Side Effect

"Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Stop being weighed down with worry and allow the Word to set you free.

Commands

"“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? 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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25‬-‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Worry robs you of your focus which hinders your ability to realize and pursue your calling/purpose, and as a result prevents you from fulfilling your calling and purpose. Focusing on what you can control (obeying His instructions and commands today) and not the things you can’t (the results or issues/troubles of tomorrow).

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Combat worry with rejoicing. Bring your awareness of the difficulties and troubles into the atmosphere of worship. Anxiousness is the manifestation of you holding onto what you should be released to the Lord.

Reassurance

"casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You will obey His instruction to not worry when you realize He cares for you.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Don’t just get free from worrying… stay free!

"When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul." Psalm‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Can you hear Him? When feelings of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and worry begin to arise, position yourself to hear Him so you don’t become it (anxious, fearful, or worried).

"“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”" Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

No More Worrying!

Feeling fear does not mean you have to be afraid/fearful. Feeling anxious does not mean you have to be worried. What you do with your feelings determines what you become: worried or full of faith.

When you don’t address the feelings and instead give into it, you begin to do the very thing the Lord commands us not to do: worry.

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Choosing to worry and holding onto it is sin and grieves the Spirit of God living on the inside of you.

Repent! Stop worrying. We all find ourselves dealing with worry and feelings of anxiousness sometimes but the Lord has given us a blueprint to realign ourselves with in Him and combat worry.

Stop Worrying Message Replay