Overcoming Worry - Part 2

Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Friday, December 8. In the season that's supposed to be full of peace and joy, why is there so much stress and anxiety? Today's podcast helps us see what the Bible tells us about overcoming worry. When you think about worry, what do you think about? The very word itself means to be drawn apart. When people begin to worry, something inside of them happens.

They get drawn in two different directions. And usually it's because of something you hear, some circumstance that causes you to have a sense of feeling of danger or threat in some fashion. So it's this being drawn and pulled apart. And all of us at some time in our life or the other have worried about things that we look back and say, well, you know, that was absolutely unnecessary. But at the moment, we were caught up in it. And we felt the pain of it.

And we and we suffered as a result of it. And there's some people who are chronic worriers, and they are bending down emotionally and mentally over these things that they're so concerned about. It's not just a legitimate concern, but now it's a very weighty thing in their life. Worry doesn't fit a child of God. If you're not a Christian, you have lots of things to worry about, fret about, become anxious about.

Lots of things to be fearful of in life. But if you're a child of God, He said, do not worry, do not worry, do not worry. He didn't say it to make us feel good. He said it because it is not necessary.

It doesn't fit who we are. As those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, has forgiven us of our sins, our name is written in Lamb's Book of Life, and God the Creator is our Heavenly Father, who calls us His children, and He's committed Himself to taking care of us and given His whole Bible to us to remind us over and over and over again, that He loves us, cares for us, and have no need to worry. Now, worry is the choice we make. Now, as we said, when you get hit on the blind side, there may be those momentary moments of anxiety when you hear this news or whatever. But a child of God, listen, who is following Jesus knows you may get hit on the blind side by it, but those moments of anxiety and worry are very, very brief. And I want to show you toward the end of this message exactly why you do not have to worry. You do not have to worry. It is not normal and natural for a child of God.

It is normal and natural for humanity. But you don't have to if you understand the truth. Now, let's look to see what Jesus said about the reasons you and I need not to worry. So, this is not my reasons. These are His reasons. So, when you look at these verses, I want you to see a little bit of the background for a second because you'll notice He says in verse twenty-five, for this reason.

What is He talking about? Well, notice if you will, the same chapter now, verse seven. He says, when you're praying, do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do. They suppose that they'll be heard for their many words. That is, He says, the ungodly, He says, now don't act like them.

So, do not be like them. Your Father knows what you have need of before you ask Him. Now, think about this. Remember this. Before you and I ever come to Him with any need that we have, He already knows exactly what we need.

Now, watch this carefully. Sometimes what I think I need is not what I need. Sometimes what you tell God you need is not really what you need. He knows exactly what you need. So, sometimes we are in agreement about what we need. Sometimes He knows what we think we need is not what we need, but He knows exactly what we need.

So, He reminds us of that. Then if you'll notice in verse nineteen, He says, do not stir up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. Stir up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart be also. That is, don't focus your attention on things material.

Focus your attention upon things spiritual. Lay up treasures in heaven, right thinking, godly thinking, walking in the Father's will, doing His bidding in our life. So, He says, look, the Father knows all your needs. Don't spend your time laying it up, getting more and more, because listen, how much is enough?

You know what? Materialism, material things are not the solution and the answer to the needs of our life, because you see, if the only needs we have, if our only needs were material, even that wouldn't be adequate, because what's enough? Our needs are spiritual, as well as material needs.

So listen to what He says now. He says in verse twenty-one, your treasure is there where your heart is. He says, the eye is the lamp of the body, so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness, and then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? For example, if your focus of attention is upon material things, He says, you know what?

It's going to show up. He says, the eye is the light of the body. If you want to know what somebody's feeling, if you want to know what they're really like, if you want to know something about their personality and their whole aspect on life, why do you look at their hand? No. Feet?

No. What do you look at? You look them square in the eye.

You know what? Because we reveal what we are in our eyes. And so He says, look, He says, have singleness of eye, not upon these things, because if you're interested and you're living, if you're living in the circle of material things, and that's what your interest is primarily, you're going to have reason to worry. And then notice what He says in the next verse, no one can serve two masters. Either he'll hate the one and love the other, or he'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve God in wealth. That is, you're either going to be mastered by the material or mastered by the Spirit, one of the two. Then He says now, first of all, He says, it's needless. Look at this, verse twenty-five.

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life as to what you'll eat or what you'll drink, nor for your body as to what you'll put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? He says, look, you're worried about all these things. What's really important is life. And God created you and me. He created us, listen, and He gave us the gift of life. And so what Jesus is saying is, look, you're worried about these things.

You're distracted by the material in life. I created you. If I created you to be one of My children, can I not take care of you? Can I not provide for all your needs? He says, do not be worried about your life.

God created you. He'll provide for you. But if you're living in disobedience to Him, and you've refused to accept Him as your Savior, and you've decided that you're an atheist or an agnostic, or you're prideful and arrogant, you don't want any church and Bible and any kind of religion in your life, then expect the consequences. He's talking to His children, a child of God, those who've accepted Christ as their Savior. God is their Heavenly Father.

He says, look, you don't have to worry about things because look who you are. Look in verse twenty-six. He says, look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Here's what Jesus says. He says, look, if the birds of the air have enough, they don't sow, reap, gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not worth much more than they? Do you know what the crowning pinnacle of the whole creation is? It's you. God created you. He says, listen, let us make man in our image. God made you in His image, that is in the way we operate, not to look like Him necessarily, but we can believe, we can trust, we can be grieved and happy and all the rest. He made us in His image. And so we're the crowning jewel of God's creation. And He created you and me to bring Him honor and glory. He desires that we obey Him. And He said, listen, in the eternity future, He will point to you and me as His children and declare over and over and over again the greatness of His power and of His grace that He reached out and saved sinners like us. Listen, if God loves you enough to send His only begotten Son, Jesus, which He did, to die on a cruel cross, which He did, in order to atone for your sin in mind, which He did, will He not then take care of the material things in life, those emotional trials and difficulties and hardships we face in life?

Yes, He will. And Jesus is laying these down as arguments. He said, look, it's needless. He says, it's senseless for you to be worried about something. When the Father takes care of birds, then notice what He says in the next verse. And who of you, by being worried, can add a single hour to his life? Now sometimes, for example, the King James Version says a single cubit, which is about eighteen inches.

But the word statue and cubit, a statue and the whole issue of the single hours here, a time, statue and time, same Greek word. So more than likely He was saying this, why are you worrying? How useless it is to be worried because, for example, He says, can you add any time to your body? Now watch this, not by good health, but by worrying about it. So afraid I'm going to get sick. You know, I could come down with a disease. Worrying about it doesn't lengthen your life, nor does it make you healthy.

It'll make you unhealthy. So He says, therefore, listen, He says it's useless, it's senseless, it's needless. And then listen to what He says. He says, it's faithless. Look at this, verse twenty-eight.

Why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They don't toil, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all of his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow, is thrown in the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

And what is He saying? We don't have to worry about material things because we have a Heavenly Father who's already demonstrated that He's willing to do this for birds and for flowers. And you're the crowning glory of God's creation. And you're worried about material things, that God won't take care of you, that He can't answer your prayer. You're concerned that, well, maybe you're an exception, not exception. If you're a child of God, you have a loving Heavenly Father who is absolutely committed to meeting your needs. You say, well, I have needs that are not being met, and I'm worried about them. Well, what you have to ask yourself the question is this, am I walking obediently before God? Am I trusting Him?

Am I manipulating my own circumstances and doing it my own way? So He says, look, it's absolutely useless and it's faithless. And then He says, it's excuse-less. He gives us all, listen, all of these arguments and then He comes to this. He says, the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things.

Your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. And He says, look, look where their mind is. Look where their heart is. Look what they have their attention upon.

What is it? I'm worried I'm going to have enough. I'm worried I'm going to lose it. I'm worried about losing my job. I'm worried about this. I'm worried about that. I won't have enough. Can't pay my rent. Can't do this.

Can't do that. Where's God? You say, all right, Jesus said we should not worry. There are consequences.

There are reasons for it. Now what do I do about it? Now I want you to listen very carefully. This isn't some pie in the sky. This isn't just another sermon. This is the truth.

Practical, livable, workable, powerful, life-changing, worry-vanishing truth. So I want you to listen carefully. Now watch this last verse I'm going to read here. Watch this.

Verse thirty-three says, on the basis of all this, but instead of doing the other, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. And let's explain that. I want you to be sure to get this down. I'm going to give you three things, very important things. When it comes to the solution of getting worry and anxiety out of your life, remember this now. This is number one. When you are tempted to worry, something hits you in the blind side.

Number one, now get this down. Remember this. Remember that your Father, your Heavenly Father knows exactly what the need is. He sees the need and He is with you in that need. Remember that He sees it. He knows exactly what it is and He's with you. So whatever you face, you're not facing it alone. He knows better than you do exactly what the need is.

So He sees it perfectly and He knows all about it and He's with you in it. That's number one. Now watch this next very, very important part. Watch this. If you're going to cause anxiety and worry and caring to vanish from your life, here's what you must do. You must view, listen, you must view the circumstance, the problem, the heartache, the cause of worry. You must view every single circumstance in your life in the context of your faith. Now watch this carefully. That is in the context of your understanding of who God is and His promises.

You must view everything that way. Now watch this. When your focus gets off of the cause of worry and you focus on your Heavenly Father, here's what happens. Your faith goes into action because now you're looking at things from His perspective. And this is why He says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things should be added to you. Now watch this. I'm not finished.

Watch this. So first of all, I'm going to remember that my Heavenly Father knows the need, sees the need and is with me in the need. The second thing I'm going to do when this anxiety hits me, I'm going to view that in the context of my faith, in the context of my Heavenly Father, who He is, my relationship to Him.

As His child, He's my Father, from my provider. The third thing that's so very important is what He says in this verse. Let me explain it and I'm going to apply it. He says, seek ye first the kingdom of God. Now kingdom means rule. If He's ruling in my heart, I'm walking in obedience to Him. So the rule of God in my heart is I'm acknowledging Him as my Lord and Master and I'm submitting to His rule.

I'm obeying Him. He says, seek ye first the kingdom of God, His rule and His righteousness. Now when you got saved, God clothes you in His righteousness and therefore we're accepted before God because of the cross and the gift of righteousness. But there is a righteousness that is growing each day in your life and in your mind. That's the work of the sanctifying process of the Holy Spirit, doing what? Listen, maturing us into Christ-likeness. That is the character of Christ in our life. So here's what He's saying. You want your needs met?

You don't have to worry. Make, listen, seek ye first priority. Number one, above everything else in your life, here's what He says. You live daily, uppermost in your thinking, to obey God today and to grow in Christ-likeness.

God, whatever you need in my life to bring me into Christ-like character, so do it. He says, when you seek first the rule of God in your heart, that I want to be obedient to Him above everything else, I want the righteousness of Christ, the character of Christ to be mine, seek ye first the kingdom of God, His rule, His righteousness, His character and all these things. Listen, this is a promise of the sovereign God of the universe. All these things, all these circumstances, you do not need to worry about that because He is going to take care of it.

That is exactly what that passage of Scripture means. Now, Jesus says, do not worry, do not worry, do not worry. Don't do it.

You know what He's really saying? Trust Me, trust Me, trust Me. You decide whether you want to keep worrying or whether you want to live in victory. You say, but you don't know my circumstances. Wait a minute.

What's the first step? My Father knows my needs. He sees them and He's with me in them. Nobody else has to know them. He knows them.

You do not have to worry. It is a matter of focus. Listen, not when you get in trouble, seek ye first. Make it the priority of your life every day to walk obediently before Him and ask Him to, listen, to recreate the Christ-like character of Christ in you, His rule, His reign in your life.

And you know what will happen? You'll have to spend time thanking Him, praising Him, making requests, interceding for other people. Then when it gets down to your worry list, it'll be gone. God will take away your worry list and replace it with joy and contentment and peace. I promise you in the name of Jesus, He will do exactly what I've said.

So you have to make a choice. Today I stop worrying and I set my focus on the living God who loves me unconditionally. Amen? Now, maybe you're one of those persons and you've never trusted Jesus as you say to me, so how does all this fit me?

It doesn't fit. Because you see, you can't focus on God until first of all you deal with a sin problem in your life, asking God to forgive you on the basis of what He did at the cross, surrendering your heart and your life to Him and saying, all right, Lord, I've blown it, I've messed it up, I've sinned against You, I'm asking You to forgive me, not on the basis of my goodness, but on the basis that Jesus paid the penalty two thousand years ago at the cross. I'm asking You to forgive me of my sin, receiving You as my Savior, accepting the gift of eternal life. At that moment and from that moment on, you have the right to focus upon Him and watch Him do His awesome work in your life.

Listen, you'll be surprised at how free and liberated and joyful and happy and peaceful your life can become. And Father, how grateful we are that in a single verse you can say so much. And I pray the Holy Spirit will seal this message. Do not let one person escape it until we become your joyful, contented, happy, excited, productive followers of Jesus Christ. In whose name we pray.

Amen. Thank you for listening to part two of Overcoming Worry. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.