3 ADVENT 06 C

As we approach Christmas it occurs to me that a message on worry, stress, and anxiety might be in order. People are more susceptible to stress during this season than any other. Primarily, this is because we become so much busier this time of the year. We have parties to go to and shopping to get done. For many businesses the December workload increases substantially. On top of that, visiting relatives and financial pressures add to our stress.

Plus, there is something about the holiday season that makes difficult times seem even more difficult. We have such high expectations for this time of year. We want peace, happiness, joy and good will; if things aren’t right in our lives, we feel especially let down.

With this in mind, today we will look at our second lesson today to get Paul’s advice on how to eliminate anxiety. Some counselors talk about “how to cope with stress.” I’ll be honest with you; I’m not interested in “coping” with stress. I want to eliminate it. I don’t want to get used to it, I want to get rid of it. In Philippians 4, Paul shows us how to do just that. He begins by saying…

“Do not be anxious about anything…” Now this is easier said than done. Everyone knows that worry isn’t good, yet everyone does it. The only thing more futile than worry is telling someone not to worry. But Paul does much more than just say “Don’t worry.” He tells us exactly how to stop worrying. Do you have worries? Here’s how you get rid of them. First of all…

1. Make everything a matter of prayer. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

When I read the writings of Paul I quickly come to the conclusion that I do not pray enough. Again and again Paul commands us to pray about everything.

We have the tendency to want to handle the little things ourselves and only “bother” God with the big stuff. There are two problems with this line of thinking. First, it’s all small stuff as far as God is concerned. Secondly, if we don’t let God help us through the day-to-day problems, how can we trust him to help us tackle the toughies? When you pray about everything, you will begin to see God’s power at work in your life – in little problems and in major crises. The Apostle Peter reminds us in his first letter that we are to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

In fact, Paul takes it a step further. He said, “Present your requests to God.” That means, in any problem you have, or any situation you encounter, you have permission – no, you have a direct order – to make a request to God, telling him exactly what you would like to happen.

That’s quite a privilege, isn’t it? What if you request something that isn’t in line with God’s will? Well, don’t worry about that. God will take care of it. He will not give you something he knows isn’t best for you. Besides, the more you pray about something the more you will learn to discern the difference (when there is one) between God’s will and your desires.

Don’t be afraid to ask God for help. Twenty times in the New Testament we are commanded to “Ask God.” The Book of James says, “You do not have because you do not ask God: (James 4:2).

A professional political fundraiser recently said that the number one reason people do not give to a political campaign is because they are never asked to give. This is obvious: if a person is never given the opportunity to give, they cannot give!

As we prepare today for the ingathering of our pledges to the ministry of St. Anne’s for 2007, people sometimes wonder why we have to collect pledges. The answer is that we do not have what we do not ask for. Even though St. Paul trusted God and believed God was going to provide for his needs and those of others, he sometimes asked the church for money. He was reminding them of their responsibility as Christians.

We need, from time to time, to be reminded of our responsibility as members and regular attendees of this church to support the ministry of St. Anne’s through our tithes and offerings. As the pastor of this church I have to be careful not to get anxious about the finances, but to really pray about God’s provision for this church through our members. That is why I always encourage you to pray about what God would have you give to the church each year. If it were left up to us as human beings, we might simply give the least amount we can get by with. But God does not think on the scale of supply (how much we have). He thinks on the scale of sacrifice. Sacrificial giving has always taken precedent over percentage given in the Bible.

We have ben asking God’s help for us to be able to meet our budget and for an increase to do more ministry. So far, God has provided for St. Anne’s financial needs through his people. I’m convinced that God’s blessings have come about, in part, because we have been praying.

Maybe you need help in a certain area of your life. Could it be the reason God hasn’t helped is that you have never given him the opportunity? Think about the biggest problem you are facing today. Have you asked God for help? I’m sure many of you have. Now, think about the smallest problem you are facing. Have you asked God for help with that? It is okay to pray for parking spaces and office conflicts and financial problems and rebellious children and… healing from cancer. If it concerns you, it concerns God. Bring your requests to him.

The first step of getting rid of worry is to pray like you ought to pray – make everything a matter of prayer. Secondly,

2. Point your thoughts in the right direction; think about the right sorts of things. Our thoughts control us. Emerson said, “You become what you think about all day long.” In the Bible, King Solomon said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov.23:7). So many people’s problems are rooted in thinking patterns that actually produce the problems they experience in their lives.

What do you think about all day? When you wake up in the morning, what thought go through your mind? How you think during the first few minutes of the day can set the pace for the entire day.

The Casoslov, the daily prayer book used in Russian Orthodox monastic communities, gives the following instruction for the beginning of each day: Upon rising from sleep, pray “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” Then, stand for a few moments of silence until you have achieved interior calm and you are recollected. Then, with three reverences, begin your prayers.

Norman Vincent Peale said to begin each day by boldly stating “I believe! I believe! I believe!” Of course, this begs the question: “I believe what?”

That’s a good question. What do you believe, and how are you going to let it affect your life? Most people’s lives are not governed by their beliefs; they’re governed by their feelings. People allow feelings, not their beliefs, to dictate the direction of their thoughts. How much more effective would you be if you began everyday thinking through your personal statement of faith – and let our beliefs control the way you think?

You could begin each day by saying, “This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in him. I thank you Lord that I am above ground and my heart is still beating, so it’s a great day. I’ve got many things to look forward to. Today, I’m going to make progress on my problems. Today, God will be with me every step of the way. Today, God will cause all things to work together for good. Today, God will give me the opportunity to serve him in some capacity. Today, I will encourage my family and friends. Today, I will show God’s love to everyone I meet.”

Do you see how empowering this can be? If you point your thoughts in the right direction at the beginning of each day, your worries will not have room to squeeze in. This is why Paul says…

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

These eight things serve as filters that help us reject certain thoughts and prevent us from putting garbage into our minds. For example, much of what is offered on TV and in the theatre simply cannot pass through these filters. Much of the music that gets played on the air will not pass through these filters. You don’t have to throw your TV and radio into the trash, but you do need to be selective in what you put in your mind.

Paul teaches that a crucial step in eliminating worry or anxiety is to think the way you ought to think – point your thoughts in the right direction. Thirdly…

3. Take action against your worries. Many people resign themselves to their worries and do nothing. They tell themselves there is nothing they can do, and they wait for the worst to happen. As a result, their worries get bigger and bigger, and things get worse and worse. Doing nothing is fertilizer for anxiety – it causes your worry to spread out of control. Taking action is weed-killer. It removes worries once and for all.

Paul said,” Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Paul goes out on a limb with this statement. He was speaking to a church that knew him well. He had lived with them and served with them. If he said, “Do not worry” but was himself always stressed out and full of anxiety, they wouldn’t have bought what he was saying. However, Paul’s life did match his message, and he could say with confidence, “Follow my example. Do what I do, and you’ll have God’s peace in your life.”

There is a principle here for us to learn. Do you know someone who has handled stressful situations without coming unglued? Then handle your problems the way they handle their problems.

What I see in the lives of people who do not seem to worry very much is a commitment to take responsible action. Doers aren’t worriers, and worriers aren’t doers. If you take action in the direction of whatever it is that worries you, your worries will begin to disappear. Paul said, in effect, “You’ve heard me say it, you’ve seen me do it, now – put it into practice yourself – take action.”

What kind of action should you take? Well, what are you worried about? Is it your marriage? Then do something that will strengthen the bond or open the lines of communication. Are you worried about losing your job? Make an effort to protect yourself and get your resume ready. Are you worried about your health? Take steps to become healthier. It‘s as simple as this: Taking action destroys worry.

When our worry begins to diminish then we begin to learn, as Paul did, to be content in whatever circumstances. Why? Because we know that God is with us and that He loves us, and that nothing shall ever separate us from His love.

This all seems so obvious and elementary now…during the light of day… on a pleasant Sunday morning. But what about later this week, when you wake up in the middle of the night and our worries refuse to let you get back to sleep? What then?

That’s when you’ll have a chance to put this into practice. You will see how quickly your worry and anxiety will disappear. When your worries keep you awake, pray. Give your troubles to God, tell him your requests, and ask him for his wisdom. Pray like you ought to pray. Then think about the problem in light of your faith, not your feelings, knowing that God will take care of you. Point your thoughts in God’s direction, and think like you ought to think. Then, make a list of things you can do. Maybe you can’t solve the problem completely on your own, but do what you can. Take action; act like you ought to act.

It comes down to this, the cure for worry and anxiety is to pray like you ought to pray, think like you ought to think, and act like you ought to act. You worries will disappear, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.