Happy & You Know It 10 | Life Without Anxiety

In July of 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution inviting member nations to measure the happiness of their people. They were encouraged to use that report to guide public policy in their respective countries. This study, initiated in 2011 and continuing into 2012, ultimately resulted in what the UN put together called the World Happiness Report. In the first part of 2012, they issued the first World Happiness Report, followed by the release of Part 2 in the first half of 2013. Most recently, at the beginning of 2015, they released Part 3 of the World Happiness Report.

The 2015 World Happiness Report is significant because the United Nations and its member nations agree that happiness is a crucial issue. We have been doing a series here at Cross-Connection on the book of Philippians, which is often referred to as the letter of joy in the New Testament. This is why Evangeline is up there singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" at the beginning. We are exploring the topic of happiness and joy because not only does the United Nations recognize that happiness is important, but the Scriptures also speak extensively about joy, contentment, and happiness.

In the report that came out in May of 2015, a 172-page World Happiness Report from the United Nations begins by stating that happiness is increasingly considered a proper measure of social progress and the goal of public policy. Nations are beginning to recognize that happiness is the way to measure whether or not they are doing well as a government or a nation.

In 2013, the report began with the assertion that the word "happiness" is not used lightly. Happiness is an aspiration of every human being and can also serve as a measure of social progress. America's Founding Fathers declared it an inalienable right to pursue happiness. Chapter 2 of the 2013 World Happiness Report states that mental illness is one of the main causes of unhappiness, with depression and anxiety disorders being the most common forms of mental illness. Their research found this not only in our nation but across all the different member nations.

The United Nations states that the mental illnesses of anxiety and depression are the number one causes of unhappiness. They emphasize that nations need to address this issue. Mental health, or psychological well-being as they term it, constitutes an integral part of an individual's capacity to lead a fulfilling life. If you are not happy, or if you are anxious or depressed, it becomes very difficult to lead a fulfilling life. On this point, I would say that we agree with the United Nations. This is not always something you will probably hear from this stage, but on this point, we agree with them.

The UN goes on to assert that there is a long-standing and widely accepted proposition that happiness represents the ultimate goal in life and the truest measure of well-being. It is hard, if not impossible, to flourish and feel fulfilled in life when individuals are beset with health problems such as depression and anxiety. For once, I wholeheartedly agree with the United Nations.

Now, obviously, the United Nations' answer to how to deal with the problem of anxiety and depression, and the decrease of happiness among member nations, is to provide low-cost medical care and to ensure that proper medications are accessible to treat these issues. On that matter, we might disagree. I want to preface that statement or at least qualify it by clarifying some things that I am not saying.

Before we delve into the topic of dealing with anxiety and depression, I want to make it clear that I am not saying that people who suffer from depression and/or anxiety disorders should not seek medical help. I am not saying that, nor am I suggesting that medication for such issues is wrong. There have been some Christians and some churches that have taken that position, but I do not agree with it.

I am also not saying that if you are being treated for anxiety or depression medically through a doctor, you should stop seeking medical help. I do not believe that is the case. Many Christians are magnificently helped by science and technology, whether in the area of mental illness, anxiety, and depression, or in dealing with cancer and other health issues. We are grateful for medical science. I am grateful for medical science. I believe God has given scientists and doctors the minds and abilities to develop these solutions, and for that, we are thankful. Sadly, there are far too many Christians who...

Many people never seek help for issues of anxiety and depression because of certain social stigmas, especially within the church, against those sorts of things. Over the years, I have met many Christians who are battling with the question of whether they should be taking medication for this. Is there anything in the Bible that supports the idea of seeking medical help for these issues? I always tell people, yes, there is.

In the book of Proverbs, there is a great verse that we need to be careful not to take out of context. Proverbs chapter 31, verse 6 says, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who have a bitter heart." The medicinal use of certain substances, such as wine and strong drink, was recognized even three thousand years ago. I love the King James origin of "strong drink," but in another translation, it says, "Give wine to those of a heavy heart." The Holman Christian Standard Bible states, "Wine to those whose life is bitter."

Even three thousand years ago, the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, recognized that there were medicinal uses for certain substances. We understand that if there is help to be had from science and medicine, then it is important to seek it. This is not an either/or situation; we can follow what the Scriptures say while also seeking medical help when necessary.

As a Christian, if you are a Christian today, you have an added responsibility, which we will see in this passage from Philippians chapter 4. We need to ensure that we follow the prescription given in the Scriptures for dealing with anxiety. The Bible provides guidance on how we should walk through life when we face anxiety and circumstances that cause us to feel depressed. Christians face situations just like everyone else, including those who do not go to church or believe in God, that can lead to anxiety or depression.

Even the Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter, experienced situations that caused him to be anxious and depressed. Jesus Himself went through troubling situations that caused Him to be so anxiety-ridden and stressed that He sweat great drops of blood. This is actually a medical condition that you can study if you wish.

He was experiencing severe stress, but there are ways to deal with that as followers of Jesus, and the Scriptures speak about it. I think it's important to recognize these things.

I have counseled Christians over the years who are going through anxiety and experiencing depression. They come to me as a pastor, asking, "What can I do? How should I respond to this?" I don't think there's ever been a time that I didn't take them to this passage in Philippians chapter 4, verses 4 through 9. However, when I go through this passage, many Christians kind of roll their eyes and say, "Yes, I know, Pastor. I need to do what this passage is saying, but is there anything else you can do for me?" I respond, "Well, no. Let's follow what the Scriptures say and see if God is true to His word or not."

So, would you open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4 in the New Testament, right before the book of Colossians? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

Philippians chapter 4, verse 4: The Apostle Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Father, I pray that this would be our experience: that the God of peace is with us. You are the God of peace. Jesus, it was prophesied of You 700 years before You came that You are the Prince of Peace. As subjects of that kingdom of peace, would You make it a reality in our lives? May we experience peace that is expressed and evident as we walk through life.

Things that we go through in this life can be challenging. God, would it be that our friends, family members, and co-workers who don't know You would see the Prince of Peace in us because of the rest and peace that we have, even in the midst of storms that could try men's souls? So, God, would You speak to us from Your Word and help us to make application from the Scriptures today? We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice! This exhortation from the Apostle Paul is so important that he has already given it once previously, one chapter before, in Philippians 3:1. If you look at Philippians 3:1, you see very clearly that we are told, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write such things to you is not tedious; for you it is safe."

In these ten words of Philippians 4:4, Paul begins and ends this short verse with that imperative command: rejoice. In the original language, this was written in Greek, it is a command, and it's in the present and active voice. It's as if he is saying that you need to actively rejoice in whatever moment you are in. This is a command.

Now, I'm certain that many of us fail at this command quite regularly. Rejoice in the Lord! Paul is commanding us to have active gladness, joy, and rejoicing in the Lord in any and every circumstance that we go through. Back in Philippians 3:1, he said, "I write these exhortations to you over and over again to safeguard your faith." I'm telling you this again and again: rejoice in the Lord! Rejoice in the Lord! Rejoice in the Lord! Because it's going to safeguard your faith.

He is trying to change our perspective or the way that we think through the things we go through in this life, that we would rejoice in the Lord in the midst of those things. That passage, along with Philippians 3:1 and Philippians 4:4, points to the focus and the source of our rejoicing. The focus of our rejoicing is the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord!

Our rejoicing is in the Lord. Our ability to rejoice comes from Him. Whatever we are going through, I recognize, and we all would acknowledge, that not every circumstance in this life produces joy. We experience many different situations that do not exactly build a feeling of happiness.

I'm certain that there are a number of people right here, right now, who are going through circumstances from this last week, or who are looking forward to things happening this week that they are already anxious about. You might say, "This doesn't make me happy." There are many times, like with my daughter Addison, who is always keen to ask me, "Daddy, are you happy?" She constantly asks me this. Of course, I say I'm happy, but sometimes I don't always wear the expression of happiness. So, I remind myself, "No, I'm happy. What's wrong? I'm happy." But she is very sensitive to those kinds of things.

We go through experiences that are not joy-producing; they don't cause us to abound with happiness. Paul understood this. He went through the same kind of difficult things. The temptations and trials we face are common to man; they are not unique. A lot of times, when we are in the midst of it, we think, "Oh, nobody else has ever gone through this before." Then, you start to talk with someone and realize, "Oh yeah, I remember you." The things we go through are not unique, but they can be pressing circumstances.

Paul exhorts us to focus on the Lord. Whatever circumstance you are currently facing, your active position is to find joy and rejoicing in Him, not in the situation you are going through.

Point number one on your outline: A life without anxiety is found in the Lord. Happy happenings—those joyful experiences—can take your mind off pressing issues temporarily. However, you cannot move from one happy event to the next, trying to deaden your mind or remove the pressing circumstances of life. People try to do that, and they go insane trying to move from one happy thing to the next. While happy happenings can temporarily deal with the pressing issues of life, it is just temporary; it doesn't completely take them away. Mood-enhancing substances can also provide a temporary escape.

Deadened anxious and depressive feelings can be alleviated for a time, but they don't resolve indefinitely. Laughter and mirth, as the old King James word suggests, can make you smile. They serve as a kind of medicine to the heart and soul, bringing you up temporarily. However, even those feelings do not last forever.

Solomon, in Proverbs chapter 14, verse 13, said, "Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when laughter ends, the grief remains." How many of you know that this is true? Sometimes, when you're going through a pressing situation, you might want to watch a funny movie or listen to a comedian like Tim Hawkins. While you're laughing, everything seems lighter, but once you get back in the car, you realize the pressing circumstances are still there. Laughter can remove those burdens temporarily, but it doesn't provide a long-term solution.

A life without anxiety can be found in the Lord. Paul is writing to the followers of Jesus in Philippians chapter 4, and he says in verse 5, "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand." Does anyone have a translation this morning that doesn't use the word "gentleness"? If so, please lift your hand. Some of you may have different words.

This is an interesting observation. When you look at the English translations of verse 5 in Philippians chapter 4, you'll find a variety of words used in place of "gentleness." Some translations use "moderation," while others use "reasonableness" or "graciousness." This word can also be translated as "mild," "appropriate," or "patient." The translations for this word, which is rendered as "gentleness" in the New King James Version, vary widely.

This indicates that the translators of the Bible faced a significant challenge in translating this word. It doesn't have a straightforward translation into English. They might say, "Well, this kind of fits as gentleness," but it may also be reasonable or mild. There are many nuances to consider, and the translators are trying to determine how to accurately convey this concept. I believe that the best way to express the idea of "let your gentleness be known to all men" would be to say it...

Like this, we have a reputation for steadiness. Now, think about the topic Paul is going to be discussing: rejoicing versus anxiety. You have these two ends of the spectrum—rejoicing, which represents happiness, and anxiety. He is saying that as Christians, our steadiness should be known to people. We should have a reputation because we are Christians, and the Lord is at hand.

For steadiness, one commentator wrote that the word properly means that which is fit or suitable. Christians are those who are to indulge in no excess. We are to govern our appetites, restrain our temper, and be examples of what is proper for people in view of the expectation that the Lord will soon appear.

The idea is this: when we talk about rejoicing and anxiety, someone thinking about a Christian who is a follower of Jesus should say that person is pretty even-keeled. Consider the illustration of a sailboat that is in the water. The wind is coming against it, but even though the wind would normally push any other boat around, it only causes this boat to move through the water more quickly. The reason is that it has a very heavy keel underneath to hold it steady in the water. If that keel weren't there, the boat would capsize and fall over.

This is similar to my life and your life as well. As Christians, going through the same windy storms that others experience, we can excel if we understand that we have a heavy keel holding us steady in the midst of the storm. If you are a Christian today and believe that Jesus will one day return, which is how Paul ends verse 5 when he says, "The Lord is at hand," that means He is coming soon.

If you believe that Jesus will come one day, then it is a reasonable question to ask: what do you really have to be anxious about? Think about that for a moment. If you truly believe that one day Jesus is going to come, then every pressing circumstance we face in this life, in light of being with Him for eternity, will just dissolve. What do we really have to be anxious about?

In the midst of the storm and the windy circumstances, we can maintain an even keel if we understand this concept: the Lord is coming. Paul even said in one of his other writings...

The sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. His perspective was beyond the sufferings of this present world. It is not about doing the head-in-the-sand ostrich thing of saying there are no sufferings in the world.

There is a school of thought or teaching in the Christian church today that says even if you're going through a difficult circumstance, you should never admit it with your words because that would be a negative confession. You will meet people, and I have talked with people about this before, who have been given a diagnosis of cancer. What do they say? "I don't have cancer. I don't have cancer." Well, actually, they kind of do, but they can't make a negative confession. So, they are blindly pretending that no bad things are going on.

You know what the world thinks of the Christian who says that kind of thing? They think you're nuts. They think you are in denial. Psychologists talk about people going through pressing circumstances and how they go through the stages of grief when they find out they have a terminal illness, or someone they love has a terminal illness, or someone dies. One of those stages is denial.

However, Paul doesn't do that. He doesn't say the sufferings don't exist. He goes on to say that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. The perspective is different, you see. He reminds us of this truth: the Lord is at hand.

Please understand that God knows our frame. He understands our makeup because He made us. He understands the realities of this life and what we experience in the flesh in a fallen world. In this fallen world, in these fleshly bodies, we are prone to anxiety and depression. Even the great Apostle Paul was prone to anxiety and depression.

You can look it up later, but in 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul says, "For we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." That's called anxiety and depression. Paul says he doesn't want us to be ignorant. When they were in Asia trying to do ministry, they were burdened beyond measure. Have you ever felt burdened on your back?

Before, it was above our strength; we couldn't bear it ourselves. We despaired even of life. It comes to that place where you pray the prayer of Elijah recorded in First Kings, chapter 19: "God, just kill me." That's an actual prayer in the Bible. Paul was in that place of despairing of life, going through a burdensome situation.

We cannot stop those circumstances from coming into our lives. We are going to experience situations that cause us to be burdened and troubled, making us think, "I can't bear this." I know there are many people in the church, in our church, who have gone through circumstances and thought, "I can't bear this. I can't do this." That's why we need the body of Christ. Galatians, chapter 6, says, "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." We are to be alongside each other, helping one another walk through the circumstances and difficulties of this life.

We cannot stop pressing circumstances from coming into our lives. To a certain degree, you can't even stop the emotional response that you will experience in your body when you go through that circumstance. There are emotional responses that happen, causing you in the moment to feel anxiety.

Let me give you an example. Imagine you go to work tomorrow. Some of this might even make some of you anxious just imagining it. You walk through the door, and the boss says, "Hey, I need to have a word with you. Come to my office." Then he says, "Listen, you know sales just aren't going really well, and we're going to have to let you go." You couldn't stop that circumstance, and you can't really stop the feeling of anxiety that will happen in your body in that moment.

God created you to have emotional responses to situations. You go through the kind of fight, flight, or freeze response; the adrenaline dump and those sorts of things happen when you have those encounters. We've all experienced it. You can't just stop it and say, "I will not be anxious right now; everything's okay." That doesn't work like that. It would be nice if it did, but it doesn't work that way.

We have an emotional response to those things, but the things that come into our lives are called stressors. They cause stress, and we all experience them on a regular basis. We all go through those things. When the stressor comes, the temptation is to succumb to it, to give up, and to slide down the spiral toward depression, finding ourselves in a place of being unable to cope.

Some people within the church have been in that place before. We prayed with them and counseled them through that. How did the Apostle Paul respond to that pressure, that stressor in Asia?

We already saw in Second Corinthians 1:8 that he said, "We were burdened above measure; we didn't have the strength to bear it. We despaired even of life." The next verse says, "Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead." In verse 10, he continues, "Who delivered us from so great a death, who does deliver us, in whom we trust that he still will deliver us."

So, what did Paul do? He acknowledged that they were going through this pressing stressor and were burdened above measure. They could not bear it; they despaired even of life. Yet, God used that to remind them that they needed to trust in Him. In the midst of that, they realized that God had delivered them from death by His death on the cross. He is delivering them right now; they are not dead yet, but He will ultimately deliver them from all of this one day to be with Him in eternity.

Paul's way of processing these pressing issues was to be reminded through prayer that this is not all there is. He maintained a view of being with the Lord in eternity. Let your steadiness be known to all humanity, because the Lord is at hand. He is going to come one day and take us away from these situations we go through.

The source of joy, gladness, and rejoicing cannot be your job. It cannot be your kids or your spouse, because those things can also be sources of anxiety. Your job, your kids, and your spouse can all produce joy just as much as they can produce anxiety. Therefore, you cannot find your joy in those things. Your joy has to be in something that is steadfast, enduring, and bigger than the things we go through.

We need to find our joy in that. Notice that God allowed the stressor that Paul went through in Second Corinthians into his life for a purpose. Point number two on your outline: we may not like this point, but it is true of God, and we find it in the Scriptures. Trying circumstances are often God's tools to teach us to trust. God lets you and me, just like dads let their kids go through situations that they know are challenging.

They couldn't handle on their own in that moment, so that they could learn something new. God does that in my life and yours. We don't always like that lesson, but He allows pressing circumstances in our lives to teach us. They are His tools, oftentimes, to teach us to trust in Him.

So, Paul continues in verse 6 of Philippians chapter 4. Look at this: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." This may be the most difficult command in the Bible. The command is really clear: be anxious for nothing.

Now, most of us are really good at following the command of the first two words, "be anxious," but that's not the command. The command is to be anxious for nothing. I've said it before, and it's so very true: some of the hardest truths to apply in the Bible are the most simple truths to understand. You really don't need to interpret much to understand what "be anxious for nothing" means. In every English translation, it's very clear and very simple.

The English Standard Version says, "Do not be anxious about anything." The New Living Translation states, "Don't worry about anything." The J.B. Phillips translation says, "Don't worry over anything." Whatever the Message Bible says, "Don't fret or worry." I mean, it's simple. You don't have to spend hardly any time interpreting, "Hey, what's that possibly mean? Should we look at it in the Greek?" No, it just says, "Be anxious for nothing."

I would say that probably every single one of us has failed at this command, even today. It's only 8:48 in the morning, and we've all failed at this already and will likely fail at it again many times today. "Be anxious for nothing" seems like one of those commands that is completely futile and vain, like telling a guy who's getting ready to run into battle, "Don't be afraid." Okay, thanks, that's helpful.

"Be anxious for nothing" is challenging, especially in the trying and difficult circumstances that we go through. But God is so good to us that He always gives the helpful how-to, a little bit of instruction on how to accomplish what He commands.

He's commanded us to accomplish in the Scriptures. So, point number three on your outline: the key to peace is prayer.

Now, at this point, most people who are going through depressive episodes or anxiety-producing circumstances come to me—Pastor Miles, Pastor Mark, Pastor Josh, or any of the other pastors. They say, "I'm going through this heavy thing. What should I do? I'm depressed; I'm anxious." We always refer to Philippians chapter 4, verse 6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

About that time, they give you this look of incredulity, this look of unbelief, as if to say, "Really? You're going to tell me that I just need to pray? Pastor, come on! Don't you have anything better than just pray?"

There was a great military commander thousands of years ago who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. In his household, he had this servant girl who said to the master's wife, "If only he could go and see the man of God in my country, then he could get healed." The wife tells the commander, "Hey, listen, there's this man of God in the nation of Israel. Go see him; you'll be healed."

So, he goes to the king. The military commander's name was Naaman. He goes to the king and says, "Listen, there's a guy down in Israel who can heal me." The king gives him letters to the king of Israel. Naaman goes down to the king of Israel, the commander of the army of Syria, the archenemy of the nation of Israel, and says, "Listen, I'm here because your man of God, your prophet, can heal me. Have him heal me."

The king responds, "This is some sort of ploy for you to start a war, isn't it? Because I can't help you. Go see the man of God."

So, Naaman goes to the house of Elijah the prophet and stands at the door and knocks. Elijah sends a servant to the door. Here is this great commander of the nation of Syria, and he says, "I’ve got leprosy. Your guy has to heal me." The servant goes in and talks to Elijah. Elijah says, "Go tell him to dunk himself in the Jordan River seven times."

Elijah doesn't even pay him the courtesy of coming to the door. The servant says, "Yeah, Elijah is busy. He tells you to go dunk yourself in the Jordan River, baptize yourself seven times." Naaman leaves in a rage. The Scripture says he goes away, saying, "How dare this guy not even pay me the respect to come out and talk to me? And then he tells me to go wash in his dirty Jordan River seven times! We have better rivers in my country."

As he is on his way leaving, one of his servants says, "Hey, Naaman, if that guy had said to do something really difficult, you would have done it. But you know, maybe just try it."

"Yeah, okay, fine."

He goes, "Dunks 12, who's stupid 37 times," and comes up, "Leprosy is gone! Leprosy is gone!" I think a lot of times with Christians going through difficult things, when we say, "Well, the Scriptures say, 'Everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,'" they say, "That's too easy."

But I think we will all acknowledge today that knowing something is quite different from doing something. So, what do the Scriptures tell us to do? "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer." You can simply say "prayer," because "supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" is just prayer—just different kinds of prayers. Supplication is asking Him for supply, and thanksgiving is giving Him praise and thanks for what He's done in the past. It reminds you that, "Oh, He took me through a similar situation 20 years ago."

Then, letting your requests be made known to God, "Lord, I pray that You do that now in my life right now." It's all prayer. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer."

Verse 7 states, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." Anxiety, depression, it's a heavy heart and a mental illness. You're not able to frame things correctly. What does He say? Through prayer, "The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind through Christ Jesus."

The peace of God, which surpasses understanding, is point number four on your outline: Through prayer, God's peace supersedes our anxieties. It's not that you won't ever be anxious again; it's not that God will remove you from anxiety-producing situations. It's that His peace is greater than your anxieties. His peace supersedes the anxieties so that His peace will surpass your understanding.

It doesn't make sense to your mind, but you have His peace. You know what? When you find Christians going through pressing circumstances—the same kind of pressing circumstances that non-Christians go through—and then the non-Christian watches the Christian and sees they have peace in the midst of it, the non-Christian goes, "I want that! I don't have that! How do you have that?" Well, "I don't know; God gave it to me."

Go, come on, really? No, really. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus through prayer. God's peace supersedes our anxieties.

How many of you know that the law of gravity is pretty steadfast? But the law of aerodynamics surpasses gravity. It doesn't do away with gravity; it's just greater than gravity. The peace of God surpasses our anxieties.

Now, the prescription for a life without anxiety doesn't end there. Look at verse 8: "Finally, brethren, this is of the utmost importance. Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report—if there is anything virtuous, if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

Point number five: right thinking and persistent prayer relieve anxieties. Right thinking and persistent prayer relieve anxieties; they don't take them away, but they relieve them.

Now, you could spend a lot of time memorizing this passage of Scripture, Philippians 4:8, meditating on this passage of Scripture, and seeking to apply it. It would be a really good use of your time. I have known this passage of Scripture, memorized it, thought about it, and meditated on it for many years. I still see that this will be a passage of Scripture I will come back to until the day I die. Whatever things are noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Some people in our culture today have a really hard time, especially in the church, with the idea of meditation because of some stigmas attached to Eastern transcendental meditation, which is not what we're talking about. Others may say, "I just don't understand what meditation is."

Let me answer that for you because it's really easy. If you know how to worry, then you know how to meditate. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate because all worry is is meditating on the wrong thing. It's just mulling over and over.

Again in your mind, think about the thing that's pressing in your life. This is exactly what we do when we're going through a trial; we examine it from every possible angle. We try to find a way out of this situation, and as we look at it from every perspective, we often feel dizzy with anxiety and worry. We realize that we can't escape this predicament.

What is meditation? It's examining our thoughts from every angle, focusing on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. All these qualities point back to God; He embodies these attributes. Paul says that if you want to overcome anxiety and fulfill the command to be anxious for nothing, you should engage in prayer and meditation on things that are good, noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, and true.

Consider what you typically meditate on: the broken-down car, the bill you can't afford, the job lost, the house lost, or the loss of a family member. Instead of fixating on these worries, replace them with something positive. Rejoice in the Lord; again, I say rejoice.

In the last verse, Paul states, "These things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do." Circle that word "do." Don't just think about it; do it. Meditate, pray, and rejoice in Him. If you do these things, the God of peace will be with you.

Previously, we saw the peace of God, but now we see the God of peace. The peace of God comes from the God of peace, so meditate upon Him, spend time with Him, and experience His peace. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice.

Let's stand together. Father, I am absolutely certain that it is the desire of every single person here today, whether they believe in You or not, to live a life without anxiety. Lord, there are anxious situations that we will all face this week. Every single one of us will encounter trying circumstances that cause us to feel anxious.

Fret and tempt us to worry, leading us to fall into a place of meditating on our troubles. This is exactly what depression is: a constant meditation on our difficulties and trials.

God, would You help us by Your Spirit to rejoice in You? Help us to step back from whatever situation we face and to remember that You are bigger than this. You are at hand, and You are with us in the midst of our circumstances.

May we have that strong, heavy keel as the winds come against our lives. As we navigate through this life, may people look on and see that we are steady. God, make that a reality in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters here today.

Help us to meditate on those things that are true, lovely, and good. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those who agreed said, "Amen."