24 Jul Upbeat or Beat Up? How to Stay Positive in a Negative World (Part 3)
I am a shark fisherman! I have held this hobby for well over a decade now. Three times a year I get out my 14-foot pole and shark catching equipment, and sharks all across the Atlantic Ocean begin to run for cover! As long as I can remember, people have always been worried about me and my hobby. I will tell you what I will tell them. Statistically, you have a greater chance of being hurt by your own toilet than being bit by a shark! Please stop worrying about me…go home and remove your toilet!
Over the last number of weeks, we discussed “Two Wonders of Worry”:
- Worry is trying to figure out tomorrow, today (Matt. 6:34)
- Meditation is worry in reverse (Heb. 4:11, Joshua 1:8)
This week, let’s continue our discussion with “Two Ways to Win over Worry”:
1. Replace it (Phil. 4:6-8)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
The Greek word translated “careful” is merimnao, which means “anxiety” or “anything that would distract the mind”. In the Greek it is clearly written in the command form. “But Pastor Jim, I can’t help but worry!” Then God is unjust if He commanded us not to worry and we couldn’t help it! There are some of you who literally feel guilty or irresponsible if you are not worrying. Remember this, God wants us care free, not careless!
Some of you may not have much to think about for awhile if you stop worrying. However, in the kingdom of God you are always limited to your source. When you worry…you are your source! You see, we are wired to fix things that bother us. If you are thirsty at night, you go get a glass of water. If it happens again the next night, you will put a glass of water by your night stand. If you are cold, you retrieve an extra blanket. If you are cold two nights in a row, you put it at the foot of your bed. No rocket science here. The challenge becomes when we run into a situation that we don’t know how to fix. We keep thinking and thinking and thinking, and before you know it, we are worrying. In the aforementioned scripture, God began with the command form “don’t worry” but then He doesn’t leave us with a “don’t do”. You see, Christianity is not don’t do…Christianity is all about “do-do”!
You see, “don’t do” all by itself creates a vacuum. That’s why you can’t just tell your teenager, “Don’t go to that party because there’s teens there that I don’t want you to hang around.” You must fill that vacuum and tell them, “Don’t go to that party, but have your friends here and I’ll buy the pizza!”
The principle is identical in Philippians 4:6-8. Paul, by the Holy Spirit, tells us “don’t worry” but do pray with thanksgiving. Therefore my mind won’t be left in an empty vacuum, but filled with prayer and thanksgiving. In other words, if you “do” the “do”, your mind won’t be preoccupied with the “don’t”. I replace worry with prayer and thanksgiving!
This is not just any prayer. If you are not careful, your prayers can be as worried as your thoughts. I heard a story once about a rather mentally slow Kansas farm boy. He and his parents were out in the field working one day when out of nowhere a twister arose on the flat Kansas farm field. Being from Kansas, the family had an underground tornado cellar. The boy made it quickly to the cellar but his parents were lagging a bit behind. In fear, they dropped to their knees and began to pray in a very panicked way. The mentally slow farm boy yelled across the field, “C’mon mom and dad, a scared prayer ain’t no account.” This farm boy may have been mentally slow, but he was spiritually fast. At times, our prayers can be ineffective because they are filled with worry and fear.
Someone said, “I believe in prayer.” I don’t…I believe in the prayer of FAITH (James 5:14-16)! Someone else said, “I believe in the power of prayer.” I don’t…I believe in the power of God! You see, it’s not prayer that is the answer…it is the prayer of faith!
The Greek word translated “prayer” is the word proseuche, which connotes a face to face prayer that requires a boldness. A boldness that comes only by knowing God’s Word in the situation! People have the notion it doesn’t matter how you pray, as long as you pray. Well, yes and no. Yes…if the answer doesn’t matter to you! No…if the answer does matter to you!
If you are like me, you want an answer! I realize I am one of the few Americans left with an actual land line (that’s o.k., my TV still has bunny ears and about 10 channels). The other day, I was trying to make a phone call but getting no dial tone. To my dismay, my phone was not connected to the jack. It is pretty simple if the phone is not connected, you will get no answer. If your prayer is not connected to the WORD, you will get no answer.
The Bible tells us, “For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Cor. 1:20). God’s “yes” is His promise. The fact that He said it displays His willingness. It is my job to put my “amen” on it. The word “amen” means “so be it”. God’s yes is His “this is the way it will be with Me.” But if you don’t ever put your “so be it”, it will never be in your life.
Someone once said, “God always answers prayer, sometimes He says yes and sometimes He says no.” Before I disagree with that “someone”, let me take his side. That statement is true when it comes to prayer requests not specifically revealed by the promises of God. In other words, “God should I take that job?” “Father, should I marry that woman?” “God, should I move to Chicago?” Well, in all three of these cases, because they are not specifically covered in black and white within the scriptures, He may very well say no.
However, when His promises are clearly revealed in the Word of God, that is His “yes”! You never have to ask Him, for example, “Do You want me healed?” I Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” This is His “yes”! If I was to invite you to dinner at my house tonight and for the next 45 minutes you continually interrupted my conversation, questioning “Pastor Jim, is it your will that I come over to your house for dinner?!” After a while, I would become agitated because you are questioning my word and I would tell you, “My word is my will.” God is the exact same way. His Word IS His will!
Next week, we’ll continue our series. In the meantime, let’s stay positive in a negative world!