Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Friday, December 27th. Are you feeling stressed out and a little uptight? If so, today's message is just for you. Here's a practical lesson on handling all our anxieties. When anxious moments just grab you and you have no warning that it's coming, how do you respond to that? You feel worried. You feel somehow fearful.
There's some bit of uncertainty about something you've heard or some situation you find yourself in. How do you handle anxiety? God's way of dealing with anxiety is not in the bottle. It's not by blame. It's not by stuffing and denying it and suppressing it. It's not any of that. Anything that you and I face in life, our Heavenly Father who already knows about it, who is the great physician, and who's the one who instructs us in the ways of dealing with every aspect of life, He's given us the ways of dealing with anxiety.
Well, the best place to find out is in the instruction book for living. That's the Word of God. So I want you to turn, if you will, to Philippians because the Apostle Paul certainly knew something about anxiety and he certainly knew something about how to deal with it or he would never have made the statement he makes in this fourth chapter of Philippians. And I want us to begin reading, if you will, in this fourth chapter.
And let's begin with the fifth verse and we'll read through the eleventh verse of the fourth chapter. And Paul says, Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing.
Don't be anxious about anything. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And he says, And when you do, and the peace of God, which is the very opposite of anxiety, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good repute, of good repute.
If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me.
Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. And then the rest of this chapter, Paul talks about the Philippian church and how they had to revive their concern for him and how they had begun to support him again in his ministry. And these two verses here that all of us know so well in the, in the thirteenth verse, he says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in the nineteenth verse, when he says, My God shall supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This fourth chapter of Philippians is a wonderful chapter and the apostle Paul says in this eleventh verse, not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in. Now, it would be one thing for some people to say that, but who is this man who's saying, I've learned to be content?
What he's saying is, you know what? I'm no longer anxious. He did not say simply, I am content. He said, I have learned to be content, which says this, that the apostle Paul was not always contented. And so when somebody says, well, let's look at this whole issue of contentment with the apostle Paul and he says, don't be anxious about anything. Was the apostle Paul ever anxious?
Yes, he was. He said, I have learned to be content in whatever state that I'm in. So I want you to go back, for example, to second Corinthians chapter eleven for a moment. And let's see, would you vote having read this, that the apostle Paul at some point surely must have had some very anxious moments in his life, remembering that anxiety is that emotion that you and I feel when there is uncertainty that looms before us, whether it's at a distance in coming towards us or it's right in front of us. Now think about what he says, beginning in the twenty-third verse of this eleventh chapter of second Corinthians.
Speaking of himself, he says, he says, are they servants of Christ? I speak as if insane. I'm also in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received the Jews' thirty-nine lashes. Three times, he says, I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren.
I've been in labors and hardship through many sleepless nights in hunger and thirst, often without food and cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern or, the word, the same Greek word, or anxieties upon me for all the churches. Now would you, what would you think about a fellow who'd been through all this? Do you think he'd ever been through any anxious moments? The truth is, if you read the book of Acts, his whole life, in other words, if it had been myself living in his situation, I think I'd have described my life as one prolonged anxiety because they tried to stone him, they tried to kill him everywhere he went, the Judaizers were always there. And so he says, you know, thinking about all the things that had happened to him, one of the greatest burdens of his life, the thing that caused him the most turmoil, oftentimes, was his concern over the churches. Now what was he concerned about?
Here's what he was concerned about. He would go and establish a church and begin to teach the people the truth of God's Word and help them to come into victory and out of the law and begin to realize it wasn't salvation by faith plus works but salvation by faith alone. Then here come the Judaizers, those from Jerusalem and other places saying no. Now you must have Jesus Christ, yes indeed, but you must add to that the keeping of the law because it was an absolute violation of everything they believed that he could just set aside the law. And it wasn't that he was setting aside the law so much as it was he was saying, you don't need to keep the law to be saved. If you've trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been set free. And that's why he says in Galatians, for example, he says, now look, you're going back in your old ways.
You're going back to get back into bondage that you've been delivered from. And so one of his great concerns was the fact that after he left these groups that he had established, the Judaizers were coming in oftentimes teaching all kinds of false doctrine and as he would say oftentimes criticizing him and trying to belittle him and to demean him in some fashion so that they would listen to false doctrine instead of him. So Paul, the apostle Paul understood what anxiety was all about. But what is it that he learned? What is it that he learned that made it possible for him to say, don't be anxious about anything? Well, I think the apostle Paul learned some things from the Lord Jesus Christ, though he certainly did not walk with him, but more than likely he listened to those who did.
And he learned some things, not so much from Jesus as much probably as from his own trials and difficulties. So somebody says, well, I want great faith. You want great faith? Get ready to get thrown in the fire, because that's how we, you and I learn to trust him. You see, the only way we can face difficulty and hardship and trial and difficulty without being anxious is to have been thrown into enough difficulty and enough hardship in life that we begin to learn by experience, you know what?
He's going to see me through this no matter what. Well, listen to what he says in this passage. He says now, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. So what we have to ask is this.
Is this Paul's solution? Well, let me just give you a couple of things here. I think that learning how to deal with anxiety is extremely important. It is extremely important for a number of reasons. First of all, you and I are going to have to deal with it all of our life. All of our life until we die, we're going to be faced with those situations and circumstances and good news and bad news that will cause us anxiety. We can either submit to it, pay the price, or we can learn how to overcome it.
Number two, because of the destructive power in anxiety, we need to know how to deal with it. So let's think about some of the negative things that come as a result of it. First of all, it divides your mind. When you become anxious about anything, your mind gets divided. Whatever you're doing, there is a subtraction from it. Whatever you're doing, there is a distraction because that little Greek word in essence simply means distraction.
That is being pulled in another direction. When you and I are moving in a certain direction and we become anxious, our mind gets moved in another direction. And what happens?
Our mind is divided. The second thing that happens is this. It is an energy drain. When you and I become anxious in life about anything, it begins to take its toll on our whole energy and our whole system. There is something that begins to transpire and we may not always be able to explain it, but it happens. One of the things that happens, of course, is it slows down our productivity.
If you cannot concentrate on what you're doing and give it your full mind and whatever it may be, you're not going to do your best. And so what happens is it slows down our productivity. Another thing that happens is this, and that is it'll affect our relationship with other people. When a person becomes very anxious, oftentimes what happens? We say that they are, they get fidgety and they can just snap off at you and they become critical and they're looking for somebody to blame. And even if they're not looking at anybody to blame, somehow they become so dissatisfied and so upset that you don't want to be around them and they don't even want to be around themselves.
And so it begins to take its toll. Not only that, but when I think about people who become anxious and how it affects them, one of the things it does, it causes them to make very unwise decisions. When a person is not able to think properly, they will make unwise decisions.
And oftentimes here's the reason. Because anxiety, when it reaches a certain peak and a certain level, it almost paralyzes their capacity to make a good decision. And so they put things off and they become procrastinators. And so the longer they put it off, the more difficult it is. The more difficult it is, the longer they put it off and so what happens? Then there's this war goes on inside and anxiety begins to increase because they should make a decision. They can't make a decision.
Why? Because they are fearful of making the wrong thing. And so what happens? This apprehension just clouds their life and clouds their mind, clouds their heart. And so what happens?
They find themselves, listen, because they can't handle it, don't know how to handle it, usually their responses just create more and more of the same thing. But not only that, something else happens. And that is, it certainly steals a person's peace and joy. You can't be anxious and at the same time joyful. You can't be anxious and at the same time have peace. When Paul talked about the peace that passes all understanding, he just got through saying in this passage, he says, don't be anxious about anything. You see, when a person is anxious, think about this, when a person is anxious, listen, a lot of things can be going good for you.
You may be making plenty of money or you're doing well on your job and everything is just moving your way, your plans are working out. But if there's something back here that's causing you to be anxious and that anxiety is back there, it doesn't make any difference what you have, who you have it with, it doesn't make any difference, what happens? You can't really enjoy, you can't really enjoy what God has given you and what He's doing in your life until you deal with it. And I can think of some times in my life, I can, it just flashed through my mind, some times in my life when I have been very, very anxious and it didn't make any difference what else in my life was so very, very good, I really couldn't genuinely enjoy this because something on the inside of me was grinding away and what was grinding away is that I was very anxious about this particular situation.
It'll work on you. And so the apostle Paul says here, he says don't be anxious about anything. And so there are some very specific, some good reasons not to allow ourselves to do that and that's just a few of them and there are many, many more. Now, so how do we deal with it? How did the apostle Paul deal with it? What's his solution? So I want you to watch this if you will, because he does have a solution here and when you first read this you're going to say, well, man, I mean after all, there's got to be a better solution than that.
Well, let's see if there is and let's see if we understand what's involved in this solution. Look what he says. He says now be anxious for nothing or we would say don't be anxious about anything but. He says here's what you do. He says in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Now you say, well, now you mean to tell me that all I have to do is pray in order to get rid of my anxiety?
No, that's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying this, the apostle Paul said, prayer is a vital part of dealing with anxiety. But listen to what he said. And this is the key.
He said, don't be anxious about anything. Bring it to God. He says and bring it with supplication. And what does that mean?
It is a very clear, honest confession. God, I need you in this circumstance of my life. I need to understand what's going on.
I need your help. It is a prayer of neediness. It's saying to him, I need you at this time. Likewise he says with thanksgiving. Now the thanksgiving is the key because here's what it says.
If I can bring it to him with thanksgiving, I'm thanking him for what? I am coming to you, Father, grateful that I have the privilege to come to you. I'm coming to you thanking you for the fact that I know that you're concerned about me and that you love me. I'm coming to you knowing that you have the power to change or deliver me and see me through this. I'm coming to you knowing that you will because you've promised to do it. You see, it isn't just a matter of saying, Oh God, I'm in trouble.
Help me. It is a matter of coming to him. Listen, coming to him on the basis of what you and I know about him. Listen, this is why so much praying is so useless because it isn't based on anything.
It's based on a feeling and it's based on some need. Paul says we come to him, we lay it before him with what? With supplication and thanksgiving. Thank you, dear God, because you said and you and sometimes if you get in that kind of position, you can just, if you don't remember these verses, you could turn to a Hebrews chapter four and you can just say, Lord, I'm coming to you and here's what you said. You said in Hebrews four fifteen that you are our high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.
You've been tempted and tried just like we have. And therefore we can come to you. And you said we have the privilege to draw near to you with confidence, the throne of grace, knowing that we can find help in the time of need. I'm coming to you, Father. I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to respond to this. I'm coming to you with thanksgiving.
I know that you do. Listen, what is the first thing you do when anxiety hits? You turn to the Father. You listen, here's what happens when it hits us. If we're not careful, we focus on the thing that causes the anxiety.
Wrong move. He says, don't be anxious about anything and everything. But he says, but by prayer and crying out to him in your neediness with thanksgiving, you're coming to him. Listen, what he's saying is you pray to him with confidence. In other words, if I'm thanking him, I'm thanking him because I'm confident that he cares, that he has the power, not on that, but that he will deal with this. He will deliver me.
He will provide whatever I need. And this is why you cannot separate in meditation the prayer and the reading of the scriptures. Because what is it that gives our prayer real force and stick to it?
What is it that makes it work? What makes it work is we know what God said. We know who God is. We know what his nature is.
And he said, come unto me all you that labor under heavy laden, he says, and I'll give you rest. I know that he's there. I know that he's reliably there. He wants to hear. He does love us unconditionally.
He is there every single time. He says, you can come to the throne of grace where you can find help in time of need. I must know who he is. And I must know what he's promised. And so when he says, lay it before him, he says, we don't have to be anxious. But in everything by prayer with supplication, thanksgiving, he says, let your requests be made known to God.
Bring it to him. And he says, here's what will happen. He says, God's response is this. He will give you such peace that you will not be able to explain or understand.
It'll be so awesome and overwhelming that it will guard, listen, it will guard your, what does he say, your mind with the way you think, guard your heart against that anxiety. And so therefore, when anxiety hits us, we don't have to linger in it. We don't have to have a pity party. We don't have to give up. We don't have to throw a fit. We don't have to get mad at God or anybody else.
We can deal with it. The way to deal with it is immediately bring it to God. Father. When anxiety hits, Father.
Why? Because he's the one who knows how to deal with it. So when the apostle Paul says, don't be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And here's what he'll do. He says, the peace of God will so surround you, fill you, overflow you, cover you, undergird you, that you know what he says?
He will guard your mind and heart and keep you from being anxious. You say, is it that simple? Yes, it is that simple. You know what? It begins with a surrender of your life to Christ. And it, listen, it continues with a surrender of your will to Him daily. If you and I will, we'll be wise enough to walk in the will of the Father and allow Him to conform us to His character. He will allow us in the situations that we feel helpless.
You know what? Because that's His opportunity to say, now see, watch Me. Watch what I'm going to do. And so He allows us to get into tough times and tough situations in order to demonstrate His love to us. So if you and I can keep our focus on the Father, no matter what we face in life, no matter what we face in life, no matter what we face in life, no matter what we face in life, no matter what we face in life, no matter what we face in life, there's one thing for certain. He will be there to protect us, provide for us, guide us, and demonstrate His awesome love for you and me. Can you tell me a better way to live than to live with you at work while you're at play? Always has your best interests that are always there, no matter what the need is. He is present to walk with you moment by moment. Friend, I don't know about you.
I wouldn't live any other way under any condition for any reason, because this is life at its very, very best. Thank you for listening to part two of All Our Anxieties. 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.
