Difficulties Week 6

6 Worry & Anxiety “I have a problem with worrying, what do I do?”

Two Types of worry
1. Worry as a benefit…we call it concern. “I am concerned that I may fail a test” the response is study. This is beneficial when you are dealing with a problem that needs and has solutions

2. Worry as a detriment… about things that we cannot control, happened already or may never happen. This is worry about things that have no solution or the solution is long gone.

“Good theology gets you through tough times”

Overcoming Worry

What causes worry?
-Irrational/rational fears: Mark Twain I am an old man and have known great many troubles; but most of them never happened.

Pliny the Younger: Grief has limit, whereas apprehension has none. For we grieve only for what we know happened, but we fear all that possibly may happen.

Heb 13:6 “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?”

-Wanting control Matthew 10:19, when we want to control a situation we often ignore the situation we are in.

-Lack of Faith: Romans 14:23 Worry is a lack of faith and it is sin
Don’t confuse people who don’t worry with people who don’t care and don’t lie to your self and say your worry is because you care so much.

-Wrong Focus: Luke 10:41 Martha (service for the wrong reason, worried about getting credit) also note Luke 12:26

-Won’t accept forgiveness Psalm 38:18 worrying about sin causes guilt

What worry does to you…

Wastes your time Matthew 6:25-34
Weighs you down Proverbs 12:25
Physically affects Proverbs 14:30 & 17:22
Martin Luther: Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed so in the body.

What to do… SPEW
-Surrender
Hands up…I give up
I can treat myself, my body, my loved ones and God like this.

Mary Crowley: Every evening I turn all my worries to God. He is going to be up all night anyway.

Swindoll “If you can’t handle it why are trying to handle it, if you can’t change it why are you worrying about it”?
1 Peter 5:7

Maybe you have not surrendered your life to Jesus. GOSPEL

-Prayer Phil 4:6
If you are consumed by worries use that time to talk to Jesus

-Educate
The more Bible you know the more you will be equipped not to worry.
Example
-2012, I don’t worry cause I know God’s plan taught in the Word
-When people are opposing me I know they hated Jesus first
-When I am trying to live a life after God I know I will have trouble
-When things are going wrong I know that Jesus works it out for His good which will ultimately be for my own good. Rom 8:28

Important verses to keep you free from worry
Jer 17:7-8, Psalm 55:22, Isaiah 26:3-4

-Worship
Daniel 6

Mary she had some serious things to worry about but she worshipped God for who he is. Rather then her situation. 1:46-49 replace worry with worship

Evidences of God’s Grace: (not power of positive thinking) but actually the reality of what God has done in and around your life.