Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying,
pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God
know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything
coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what
happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Phil.
4:6-7; The Message)
The idea had captured
the hearts and imaginations of scientists all over the world: an eight-story,
glass-and-steel dome in which eight scientists would live a self-sustained
life. The outside elements of the Sonora Desert couldn’t touch them. Let the
sun blaze. Let the winds blow. Let the sand fly. Because safe within the dome these researchers would live untouched. So, with the hope of developing a
space-colony prototype, the scientists entered the $2 million, three-acre
terrarium in 1991. They planted seeds and grew their own food. Scientists
watched with fascination, and some of us felt just a tinge of envy. Because who
hasn't longed for a rotunda of relief? Not from an Arizona desert, mind you, but
from the harsh winds and hot sun of what we all call life.
The bank demands
the mortgage each month. Hospital bills pack a knockout punch. Semester finals
lurk around the corner. Federal workers without a paycheck. And just look around you. You have good reason to
worry. The sun blasts cancer-causing rays. Air vents blow lung-clotting molds.
Potato chips have too many carbs. Vegetables, too many toxins. And do they have
to call an airport a terminal? Why
does the pilot tell passengers, "We are about to make our 'final' approach"?
Even on the ground, the flight attendant urges us to stay seated until we have
reached a "complete stop." Is there any other kind? Do some airlines
have "sort of stops," or "partial stops"?
Some of us have
postgraduate degrees from the University of Anxiety. We go to sleep worried
that we won't wake up; we wake up worried that we didn't sleep. The mother of
one teenager lamented, "My daughter doesn't tell me anything. I'm a
nervous wreck." Another mother replied, "My daughter tells me
everything. I'm a nervous wreck." Wouldn't you love to stop worrying?
Could you use a strong shelter from life's harsh elements? God offers you just
that: the possibility of a worry-free life. Not just less worry, but no worry.
He created a dome for your heart. "His peace will guard your hearts and
minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7) Interested?
“Don't worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and
thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace,
which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will
guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7) The
Christians in Philippi could’ve used a biosphere. Attacks were coming at them
from every angle. Preachers served for selfish gain. (Phil. 1:15-17) Squabbling
church members threatened the unity of the church. (4:2) False teachers
preached a cross-less gospel. (3:2-3, 18-19) Some believers were struggling just
to find food and shelter. (4:19) Persecutions outside. Problems inside. More
than enough troubles to make even the most mature Christian worry. Folks in
Philippi had them. We have them. And to us, God gives this staggering proposal:
"Don't worry about anything." Right. Are you kidding me, God? No, he’s
not.
Two words
summarize his opinion of worry: “irrelevant” and “irreverent.” "Can all
your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not." (Matt.
6:27) Worry is irrelevant. It alters nothing. When was the last time you solved
a problem by worrying about it? Imagine someone saying, "I got behind in
my bills, so I resolved to worry my way out of debt. And, you know, it worked!
A few sleepless nights, a little nausea and hand wringing. I yelled at my kids
and took some pills, and – glory to worry – money appeared on my desk." That just doesn't happen. Worry changes nothing. You don't add one day to your life, or
one bit of life to your day by worrying. Your anxiety earns you heartburn.
Nothing more.
Here’s some
statistics about worry. 40% of what we worry about never happens. 30% is stuff
that happened in the past that we can’t change. 12% focuses on the opinions of
others which we can’t control. And another 10% centers on our health, which only
worsens as we worry. The remaining 8% are real problems that we can influence.
In other words, 92% of our worries are needless. But not only is worry
irrelevant; worry is irreverent. It’s a distrust of God. “And why worry about
your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make
their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as
they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and
gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!
(Matt. 6:28-30)
Worry betrays a
fragile faith; it’s like an unconscious blasphemy. We don't intentionally disbelieve
God. But don't we, when we worry, essentially doubt God? We assume the attitude
of a kid asking Michelangelo, "You sure you know what to do with that
rock?" No wonder the apostle urges us to "be anxious for nothing."
(Phil. 4:6) But Paul’s not promoting an irresponsible, careless life. We aren’t
to be like the procrastinating preacher. “I won't worry,” he told himself. “The
Holy Spirit will give me my message.” So, all week long he avoided studying,
saying, “The Holy Spirit will give me my message.” Finally, on Sunday, he stood
before the church and prayed aloud, "All right, Lord. Give me a
message." Much to the surprise of the church, a heavenly voice filled the
sanctuary. "Tell them you didn't study."
Manage your
problems? Of course. But let your problems manage you? The worrisome heart
does. And the worrisome heart pays a high price for doing so. “Worry” comes from
the Greek word, merimnaó, meaning "to
divide the mind." Anxiety splits us down the middle, creating a
double-minded thinker. Rather than take away tomorrow's trouble, worry voids
today's strength. Perception is divided, distorting your vision. Strength is
divided, wasting your energy. And who can afford to lose power?
But how can we
stop worrying? Paul offers a two-pronged answer: God's part and our part. Our
part includes prayer and gratitude. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you
need, and thank him for all he has
done." (Phil. 4:6) Want to worry less? Then pray more. Rather than look
forward in fear, look upward in faith. This doesn’t come as a surprise.
Regarding prayer, the Bible never blushes. Jesus taught people that "it
was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit." (Luke 18:1)
Paul told believers, "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a
thankful heart." (Col. 4:2) James declared, "Are any among you
suffering? They should keep on praying about it." (James 5:13) Rather than
worry about anything, "pray about everything." Everything? Everything.
"In everything . . . let your requests be made known to God." (Phil.
4:6) Worry diminishes as we look upward. God knows what can happen on this
journey, and he wants to bring us home. So Pray about everything.
And don't skip
Paul's ingredient of gratitude. "Tell God what you need, and thank him for
all he has done." Do what the shepherd boy David did when he faced
Goliath. David didn't cower before the giant's strength. He focused on God's
success. When Saul refused to let him go head to knee with Goliath, David
produced God's track record. “I have been
taking care of my father's sheep," he said. "When a lion or a bear
comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and take the
lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club
it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this
pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord
who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this
Philistine!" Saul finally consented. "All right, go ahead," he
said. "And may the LORD be with you!" (1 Sam. 17:34-37)
Are you afraid
of a giant? Then recall the lion and the bear. Don't look forward in fear; look
backward in appreciation. God's proof is God's past. Forgetfulness gives birth
to fearfulness, but a good memory makes for a content heart. It works like
this. Let's say a stressor comes your way. The doctor decides you need an
operation. She detects a lump and thinks it best that you have it removed. So
there you are, walking out of her office. You've just been handed this cup of
anxiety. So, what are you going to do with it? You can place it in one of two
pots. You can dump your bad news in the vat of worry and pull out the spoon.
Turn on the fire. Stew on it. Stir it. Mope for a while. Brood for a time. And
it won't be long before you'll have a delightful pot of pessimism. Frankly, some
of us have been sipping from that vat for a long time, and the stuff is getting
to us. So how about a different idea? The pot of prayer. Before the door of the
doctor's office closes, give the problem to God. "I accept your lordship.
Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through you."
Then, stir in a
healthy helping of gratitude. You don't think about a lion or a bear, but you
do remember the tax refund, the timely counsel, or the suddenly open seat on
the overbooked flight. A glimpse into the past generates strength for the
future. Your part is prayer and gratitude. God's part? Peace and protection.
"If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more
wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts
and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7) Believing prayer
ushers in God's peace. Not a random, nebulous, earthly peace, but his peace.
Imported from heaven. The same tranquility that marks the throne room, God
offers to you.
Do you think God
battles anxiety? Does he ever wring his hands and ask the angels for some Tums? Of course not. A problem is no
more a challenge to God than a twig is to an elephant. God enjoys perfect peace
because God enjoys perfect power. And he offers his peace to you. A peace that
will "guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." And
to make his point, Paul employs a military metaphor. The Philippians, living in
a garrison town, were used to the Roman sentries maintaining their watch.
Before an enemy could get inside, they’d have to pass through the guards. God makes
the same offer. His supernatural peace overshadows you like a protective dome,
guarding your heart.
After
twenty-four months, the biosphere in Arizona proved to be a total disaster.
Biological balance between the plants got all out of whack. Oxygen dipped
dangerously low. Researchers squabbled among themselves. The ants ran amuck and
conquered most of the other bugs. The experiment failed, and the dome was
abandoned. But the dome of God still stands. We need only to stay beneath it.
Are you tied up in knots? "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares
for you." (1 Pet. 5:7)
Strong verb
there - cast. Not “place,” or “lay,” or “occasionally offer.” Peter enlisted the same verb
that the Gospel writers used to describe the way Jesus treated demons. He cast
them out. An authoritative hand on the collar, another on the belt, and a
"Don't come back." Do the same with your worries. Get serious with
them. Immediately cast them upon God. Worry is an option, not an assignment.
God can lead you into a worry-free world.
So, be quick to
pray with thanksgiving. Focus less on the problems ahead and more on the
victories behind. Do your part, and God will do his. He will guard your heart
with his peace . . . a peace that passes our understanding.
Grace,
Randy
No comments:
Post a Comment