ARE YOU A WORRY WART?

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. (Proverbs 12:25 ESV)

One of the issues I have had to deal with in life is anxiousness of heart. In other words - worry. I've worried about just about everything a person can worry about and worried about it some more. I've had to learn how to overcome this area of my life and have to discipline my mind to not got down certain trails of thought. Thankfully, God has helped me and has given me the victory and I would like to pass some of that knowledge down to you today.

A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road when the wagon fell over in front of a farmer’s house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying and said, "Son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner’s ready. Why don’t you come in and eat with us and then I’ll help you put the hay back on the rack." The boy said, "No, I can’t. My father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Now don’t worry, just come in and have some lunch and you’ll feel better." The boy said, "I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, "Now, son, don’t you feel better after that great meal?" The boy said, "Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?" The boy said, "He’s under that wagon."

Anxiety can readily cause a mild depression. This burden or heaviness in the heart strains and drains life. This is true not only figuratively but literally because we know that many heart problems are directly related to stress. It is well known today in the fields of medicine and psychology, anxiety can weigh a man down (Lit. "causes a man to bow down" or depresses him). An empathetic kind word, though, can give an anxious, depressed person support and can cheer him up.

In Philippians 1:10 Paul says we are to approve things that are excellent and everyone has within him at least one quality to approve. Therefore, giving a good word not only brightens the heart of the hearer, but fulfills reason for speaking. Such inner refreshing is healing to both hearts.

Some have said that worry is the interest you pay on trouble that seldom comes. Psychologists have said that 90% of what people worry about never comes to pass.

Somebody has stated, “ Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.”

We need to remember that God is able to deliver us from worry. I like what Jeremiah says...

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7, 8 ESV)

I've always enjoyed the FOOTPRINTS story and I think it is worry of restating here...

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that at many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that is happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD... you said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I do not understand why You’d leave me when I needed You the most." The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child, I love and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.
- Mary Stevenson

Psychologists Minnereth and Meier state, ‘God doesn’t want us to suffer anxiety. In fact, he commands us to “be anxious for nothing” This not a suggestion or a request. It is an order from God. In Matthew 6:25-34, Christ used the word worry six times, and half of those times he used it as part of an order. Do not worry about food, about clothes, about tomorrow, about your life. He told His disciples. To overcome anxiety and eliminate guilt we need to obey God in two important ways. First, we need to call a halt to the internal tug of war that exists between our conscience and our flesh. Tension is eliminated when we make the right choice. Second, we need to make a conscious decision to follow God’s explicit order not to worry. To continue to fret is a direct denial of a commandment from God."

So today we need to make the decision to eliminate worry and anxiety from our lives as much as possible. When we do this we will become more joyful and life will be worth living and practicing the presence of God is a good place to start. How many would like to become more aware of the Lord in your life?