Dealing with Life's Hardships and Uncertainties

Have you noticed how all the news headlines,

they're just filled with hardship or uncertainty, for example.

Can you imagine the hardship of all those who are trying to deal with the destruction of Hurricane Harvey?

I mean, can you imagine what they're trying to do right now,

all throughout Southeast Texas, Louisiana, throughout the path of Harvey?

Then think about the uncertainty of Hurricane Irma.

Right now, out in the Atlantic, not knowing really where it's going,

where it's going or if it's going to strike the United States.

Then there's the uncertainty of the North Koreans.

What are they going to do?

We have our own personal hardships and uncertainties right here in Pickens County

and really right here in this room.

Have you ever stopped and thought on any given Sunday when we gather in this service

and in your Sunday school class?

There are people who are dealing with serious health issues,

their own or a close family member.

At least every month, members of our church, people sitting in this room,

are dealing with the grief from the death of a close family member or friend.

There's always job uncertainties.

Always some kind of family crisis, it seems.

And then, if we're honest, from time to time, we come in this room,

we have emotional and spiritual struggles that maybe no one knows about.

So really, hardships and uncertainties, they're just a way of life.

And that's real personal when it affects us, it doesn't.

Well, what one word best describes the way most people deal with hardship and uncertainty?

Wouldn't worry be that word?

Or stress?

Anxiety?

It seems that some people, they think worry is their duty.

I have a family member that over the years,

after I've gotten over being sick or some kind of issue in my life,

their response was, well, I was worried about you,

as if that was supposed to comfort me.

That was their way of helping me.

I worried about you.

We know that worry is one of the most common ways

that people deal with problems,

but it's not the way that God intends for us as His children

to deal with our problems.

We know that,

but it doesn't always prevent us from worrying, does it?

We struggle, just like everybody else.

Things are going on in our lives,

and we are at least tempted to worry,

to get all stressed out.

Over what is about to happen,

or what we're involved in right now.

Well, today I want us to take a refresher course.

For most everybody in this room,

it'll be a refresher course.

In overcoming worry,

a refresher course in what to do instead of worry,

that the Apostle Paul provides for us

in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

If you would,

turn to Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

and I want us to look together at two verses of Scripture,

where Paul deals with this issue.

Really, he confronts it head on,

telling us that as God's people,

we're not to worry.

He gives us an antidote.

He gives us what we should do in place of worry.

And he tells us why we shouldn't worry,

how God, if we'll respond the right way,

how he will help us.

That's what we're going to look at.

Read with me,

Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4:6

verses 6 and 7,

and keep your Bibles open the entire time,

because we're just going to look at this back and forth.

Philippians 4, beginning in verse 6.

Do not be anxious about anything,

or do not worry about anything,

some translations will say.

But in everything,

by prayer and supplication,

or prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

which is beyond comprehension,

some will say.

The peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds

in Christ Jesus.

What we see here

is Paul providing a better way,

an alternative,

to dealing with hardship

and uncertainty in our life.

And he first points out

that worry is never the answer.

Here's how he says it,

very direct.

Don't worry about anything.

Do not be anxious about anything.

Now I want you to understand,

Paul did not write that

from the comfort of his easy chair

looking out over the ocean somewhere.

Paul wrote,

do not be anxious about anything

from Rome,

where he is under house arrest,

at all times he is chained to a Roman soldier,

and he is waiting on his court appearance

before Caesar.

Paul's under arrest,

chained to a Roman soldier,

as he dictates this letter.

And he doesn't know,

sooner or later,

he's going to appear before Caesar,

he doesn't know if he's going to be condemned to death,

if he's going to be put in prison,

or if he's going to be set free.

There's a lot going on in his life

that would make the normal person anxious.

Paul's not the normal person,

or he's not responding as the normal person would be.

Paul tells us,

do not be anxious about anything.

Now,

Paul understood how easy it would be

to worry just like everybody else.

I mean,

he's just a real human being,

a real man.

If you read through the book of Acts

about his travels,

he faced all kinds of hardships,

put in prison on several occasions,

beaten at times,

even beaten to the point

he was left for dead on one occasion.

There were times he didn't have enough to eat,

times he was abandoned by his friends.

If you read some of the things he writes

of a personal nature in his letters,

there's a lot of uncertainty

about what's going to happen in the future.

He wants to go to this place,

but he doesn't know if God's going to let him or not.

He's concerned about a church,

and he hasn't heard from them.

He's concerned about some of his friends.

He doesn't know where they are.

There's a lot of things in Paul's life

that cause him to at least be tempted

to be worried,

to be all stressed out.

And so, as he writes this,

makes this statement,

do not be anxious about anything.

Paul is writing to Christians

in the church at Philippi,

but I really think,

in light of all that's going on in his life,

he's reminding himself as well.

Don't be anxious about anything.

Let's try to understand what Paul is talking about

when he tells us not to worry.

Now, we need to understand,

worry is not the same thing as concern.

When he says,

do not be anxious about anything,

he's not saying,

don't care about anything.

Nowhere in the Bible

are we as Christians taught

to be unconcerned

about what's going on around about us.

We are never called

to try to distance ourselves

from reality.

We're never called to try to

be unemotional,

uninvolved,

or unconcerned about

what's going on in our life

and in people around about us.

I want you to think.

Jesus rejoiced with people

who were rejoicing

and he wept with those

who were weeping at times.

There were times Jesus went to parties

with his friends.

There was one time in particular

that most everyone knows.

Every child knows

the shortest verse in the Bible.

Jesus wept.

Well, he was weeping at the tomb

of his friend Lazarus.

Jesus got angry at times.

Jesus was far from detached

and unemotional,

uninvolved in people's lives.

Jesus was very much involved

and concerned

about what was going on.

He laughed with people.

He partied with people.

He wept with people.

He hurt with people.

And he got angry a lot of times

at the religious hypocrites

and confronted them

over some of the ways

they were distorting

the truth of God's word

and some of the ways

they were taking advantage

of people they were supposed

to be helping.

Worry does not mean

don't be concerned,

don't care,

don't be involved.

Worry literally means

to be divided,

to be pulled apart.

Jesus addressed

the sin of worry

in Matthew chapter 6

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

immediately after he had said

no one can serve two masters.

I want you to look at it.

Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

and by the way,

beginning in verse 25,

Jesus gives a long statement

about why we should not worry.

He actually says it three times,

do not worry.

He compared people who worry

with pagans,

not people who are believers

and know God

as their heavenly father.

But look at what it says

in verse 24.

No one can serve two masters,

for either he will hate the one

and love the other,

or he will be devoted

to the one

and despise the other.

You cannot serve God

in money.

But note the very next verse,

therefore,

I tell you,

do not be anxious

about your life.

You cannot be divided,

serve God in money,

God in things.

And you can't be divided

in terms of where your trust is

about the details of life.

What he's talking about

is we've got to have

a single-minded devotion to God.

We've got to really trust Him,

seek His will above all things,

and know that He's our heavenly Father.

He can be depended on.

He can be trusted.

Worry is a sign

that we don't trust God.

Worry is,

let me rephrase that,

worry is a sign

that we don't trust God

completely.

That we have a divided mind.

When you're worried,

when I'm worried,

and there's times

we give in to this temptation

and we just get all stressed out,

don't we?

When we worry,

we would not say,

I absolutely do not trust God.

If we were pinned down,

I do trust God,

but.

I do trust God

to take care of my children,

but.

I do trust that God's going to

work things out

in this situation with my job,

but.

When we worry,

we trust God some,

but not absolutely.

We trust God some,

but not enough

to refrain from

letting our emotions

and imaginations

run away with us.

We trust God some,

but not enough

to not

get all stressed out.

Now,

let's think for a moment.

Does worry ever do any good?

When you get stressed out,

you're all anxious,

you're all tied up in knots,

you can't sleep,

you can't eat.

Does it do any good?

Does it help the situation?

Does it help you?

Well,

you know the answer.

Worry is one of the most useless things

that a person can do.

It never changes anything.

Jesus pointed that out

in that Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

chapter,

section,

where he preached on,

talked about worry.

Look at it.

In verse 27

from the New Living Translation,

he says,

can all your worries

at a single moment

to your life,

can all your worries

do anything

to change your situation?

Can it change you?

Now,

worries can make you sick.

Worried and you get all stressed out

can have harmful effects,

but never good effects.

Now,

one thing we need to be clear about,

and I think most people

would understand this,

but for those who don't,

when Paul tells us,

do not be anxious about anything,

he's not saying,

well,

don't do anything.

He doesn't mean that

if there's something you need to do,

don't do it.

If you're in a situation

and you're worried

or you're tempted to worry,

but there's something you can do

to change it,

then you should do that.

If you've got an,

if you think you've got

some kind of health problem right now,

some things are going on

in your body,

with your body

that you think's not right,

and you're concerned,

you're stressed out about it right now,

instead of worrying about it,

why don't you go to the doctor?

That would make sense,

wouldn't it?

And I know we,

as men,

a lot of times,

we ignore things,

and, you know,

a lot of guys just,

just get sick

because they wouldn't go to the doctor.

That's not our finest moment,

guys,

when we know something's wrong,

and we get all stressed out,

we're tense,

but we won't do anything about it.

If you think your job is not stable,

if there's a good likelihood

that by the end of the year

your company's gonna shut down,

instead of you just getting

all stressed out about it,

why don't you start looking

for something else?

Why don't you get your resume together?

Why don't you start asking around,

looking around,

and make,

you know,

find something else

that you can do

if it truly does

break down or shut down?

It's early in the school year,

but some of you may be

already getting stressed

about your grades.

Don't worry about it.

Just study.

Study.

And don't pray those prayers

like I used to pray.

Lord, if you'll just get me

through this test,

I'll study better

for the next one.

Lord, if you'll just let me

get through this semester,

I'll never do that again.

To be honest with you,

I didn't intend for it

to be this way,

but those were just

all lying prayers.

Instead of making excuses,

instead of getting all worked up,

stressed out about it,

I should have just studied.

If there's something

in your life

that's giving you a problem,

and it's just stressing you out,

you're just all tied up about it,

and there's something

you can do,

do it.

But if you can't,

don't stress out.

Worry won't help.

Even worse,

it dishonors God,

because when we worry,

it's like saying to Him,

I really don't trust you.

Now,

if worry's wrong,

what's the right way

to deal with hardship

and uncertainty?

Well, Paul tells us,

pray about everything.

Look at verse 6.

But in everything,

by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving,

let your requests

be made known to God.

Paul doesn't say,

just don't worry.

He provides us

with an alternative to worry.

He says,

take your problem to God

in prayer.

Prayer is the Christian

solution to worry.

Now,

I want to emphasize,

prayer is the Christian's

alternative to worry.

When Jesus taught us to pray,

and Jesus gives us

the best model prayer,

His teaching on prayer,

His teaching on everything

is what's best.

But when Jesus teaches us

to pray in Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

beginning about verse 9,

in Luke chapter 11,

Luke 11 · chapter mention

He tells us to always

begin our prayer.

How?

Our Father.

Jesus talks about

praying to God

from the relationship

of being His child,

our Father.

Only a Christian

can pray that prayer.

Only a Christian,

only someone who has

truly repented of their sins

but their trust in Jesus

has been born again

by the Spirit of God,

has been forgiven

and made a child of God.

made right with God.

Jesus very clearly said,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life,

and no one comes

to the Father

except through me.

The only way that anyone

can know God

as their Father

is through a right

relationship with Jesus Christ.

And that's what enables us

to be able to pray.

If you want to be able

to take your problem

to God in prayer,

instead of worrying about it,

make sure you have

a real relationship

with God

as your Father

through your faith

in Jesus.

Make sure that you have

a close relationship

with Him

because you're spending time

with Him every day,

talking to Him,

listening to Him,

talking to Him in prayer,

listening to Him

as He speaks through His Word

so that when something

does come up,

when you need to talk to Him,

you don't have to

reintroduce yourself to Him.

The relationship is strong.

It's intact.

And note that Paul emphasizes

that we can make

specific requests to God.

He's talking about

praying in general

but also uses the word

supplication

or some translations

use the word petition.

That's just asking God

for stuff.

If someone said,

that's help me

kind of prayers.

Asking God to work

in your home situation,

to work

in relation to that job.

Asking God to work,

help you in relation

to your relationship

with someone.

Matt Chandler

does a good job

of explaining

the relationship

between prayer and worry.

Matt Chandler

is a pastor,

has a great way

of communicating

the truth of God's Word.

We've used some of his studies

on Sunday nights

so some of you

are familiar with him.

I want you to look

at what he says.

Really,

prayer and worry

are of the same essence.

They are both

a rehearsing

of circumstances,

a mulling over,

and a kind of mental

and emotional chewing.

But in worry,

there's no connection,

no traction.

It's like spinning

our wheels.

Worrying is like

trying to travel

in a rocking chair.

But when we pray,

we are worrying

at God.

We take those anxieties

and direct them Godward,

taking them to him,

placing them before him,

and of utmost importance,

handing them over.

This is why Martin Luther says,

pray and let God worry.

Chandler goes on to say,

we have a supreme example

of this supplication

in the prayer of Jesus

in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Facing his impending arrest,

torture,

and execution,

Jesus is so grieved

and broken

that he is sweating blood

as he prays.

He prays,

my father,

if it be possible,

let this cup pass from me.

But then he adds,

nevertheless,

not as I will,

but as you will.

What has Jesus done,

Chandler asks?

He has obeyed the command

not to worry

by worrying at God.

He takes his anxiety

to the Father

and hands it over.

There's always a situation

in our life

where we're tempted to worry.

The idea is

don't pretend it doesn't exist.

Take it to God.

Talk to Him about it.

You know,

Peter must have learned

that from Jesus

because he writes this,

casting all your anxieties

on Him

because He cares for you.

When you face

hardship and uncertainty,

and you will

if you're not now,

learn to take it to God

in prayer.

One way to do this

is ask God

for the wisdom

to know

what you ought to do.

In a lot of situations

that we

are stressed out about,

there's something

that we know

we need to do.

Well, go to God

and ask Him,

Lord, give me the wisdom.

Help me to understand

what it is

that I need to do.

Ask Him

to guide you

in developing

a plan of action

when it's clear

you've got to do something.

But in some situations,

there's just nothing

you can do.

Or there's nothing

you should do.

That's the time

that we ask God

to help us

and trust Him

to take care of it

and then not worry

about it anymore.

Note what else

Paul says

about our prayers.

He says,

do it with thanksgiving

that your requests

be made on to God.

This doesn't mean

you thank God

for your problems.

You don't thank God.

It's not saying here

we thank God

that you're hurting,

that you're suffering.

But we are to thank God

in our problems.

There's a big difference.

You know,

no matter what's going on

in our lives,

we've always got a lot

to be thankful for

if we're Christians.

If we're Christians,

we are children of God

and God has promised

to never leave us

nor forsake us.

As we were singing

about earlier,

nothing can ever

separate us from God

and His love.

Nothing.

No one.

No thing.

God is for us

because we're His children.

Another thing we need

to think of

and we need to give thanks for,

this world is not

all there is.

You know,

for a lot of people,

their whole concept

of reality

is just what they see.

what they feel,

what's happening right now.

But for us as Christians,

we know better.

We know that

God

is preparing

a new heaven

and a new earth

for us,

His people.

Jesus talked about

going to prepare

a place for us.

one day,

one day,

one day,

either after we die

or if we live long enough

when the Lord comes back

into this world,

one day,

all the hardships

and uncertainties

of life in this world

will be no more.

One day,

all that there will be

will be

a new heaven

and a new earth

where we are,

where we're with

people that we know

who are Christians,

and we're living

the life that

God intends for us

to live,

glorifying Him,

serving His purpose,

doing something meaningful

as His children

for all eternity.

We have a lot

to be thankful for.

Paul tells us

not to worry

but to pray.

And then he gives us

a reason

for such prayer.

Look at the last thing,

verse 7,

the peace that replaces

worry.

It says,

And the peace of God

which surpasses

all understanding

will guard your hearts

and your minds

in Christ Jesus.

I want you to understand this.

Paul does not say

that your prayers

will make everything okay.

It is,

it is not true

that if you have

enough faith,

if you pray

just the right prayer,

then your sufferings

will end.

That's false teaching.

That's ungodly teaching.

That's just totally

contrary

to what we see

happening

in the Bible.

God never promises

that if you pray

a certain prayer,

if you have

a certain amount

of faith,

that He will take

all your troubles

away.

But what God

does promise

is to be with us

in our troubles

when He doesn't

take them away.

I want you to look

at what a man

by the name

of Joe Thorne

says because he

does a great job

of describing

how God works

in relation to suffering.

Look at it.

God does not promise

to rid your life

of affliction

and difficulty.

He does,

however,

offer to give you

the grace needed

to suffer well.

It isn't wrong

to ask God

to relieve you

of your pain,

but it is more

important that

in the midst

of the pain,

you rely on

the promise

of God

to work such

experiences

for His glory

and your good.

To use these times

as a means

of perfecting

your faith,

strengthening

your spirit,

and transforming

your life

in such a way

that you are

becoming

more like Jesus.

Paul,

in his own way,

tells us

something like this

in Romans 8,

28.

And we know

that in all things,

he's been talking

about suffering

up to that point.

And we know

that in all things,

God works for the good

of those who love Him,

who have been called

according to His purpose.

A lot of times,

we don't understand

what God's doing.

We don't understand

how anything good

could come from

certain situations.

That's where faith

comes in.

That we trust God,

that He is great

and that He is good.

He's involved

in this world.

He's involved

in our lives.

He's involved

in all situations.

Working in such a way

that ultimately,

He will be glorified,

His purpose

will be accomplished,

and we

will develop,

as Christians,

we will develop

more Christ-like

character.

That's God's real goal.

Understand,

God never

promises

to rescue us

from all trouble.

But He does

promise to

replace our anxiety

with His peace.

Think for just a moment.

How do you feel

when you're all stressed out?

When you are really worried?

Don't you feel

uncertain?

Nervous?

Tired?

Afraid?

Well,

when we learn

to trust God

and pray

instead of worry,

this verse

is telling us

that He will give us

a peace

within our soul

that cannot be described

with words.

Let's think about it.

What is this peace?

It is a supernatural

experience.

It's something

that God gives

to His people

within our soul

that cannot really

be explained.

It's beyond comprehension.

But it can be

experienced.

peace.

Here's what I want you

to think.

Some of us

in this room,

we could stand up

and talk about

how we've experienced

that peace.

There have been times

in my life

when I have prayed

for a person,

for a family member,

a situation

that I'm really

close to

and involved in.

And God didn't

make it go away

but He gave me

a sense of peace

that it's going to be

He's with me

and I can just

continue on.

Some of you

in this room

have told me

yourself

how in the midst

of some kind

of difficulty,

that's how God

helped you.

He just

gave you

what you needed

to be calm,

to have wisdom

to know what to do

and to act

smart,

wisely

in the midst

of a very difficult

stressful situation.

Some of you

in this room

know this

because you

heard it

but there have

been members

of our church

who have died

and they

looked me

in the eye

one

in a hospice

room

at a hospice

house

and told me

that they

had peace,

they were

ready to go,

they knew

they were going

to be in the

presence of the

Lord soon.

Some of you

have heard

something like

that.

I've heard

that in a

home.

I've heard

people

who know

death is

imminent,

it's going

to happen

and they

look me

in the eye

and a lot

of times

they smile,

it's going

to be alright.

That is a

peace

that cannot

be explained.

If a person

is not a

Christian,

they cannot

comprehend

that.

That's the

grace of

God

working in

the life

of His

children

to prepare

them to

come into

His presence

in a peaceful,

in a calm,

in a way

that's not

all stressed

out.

If we'll

pray instead

of worry,

we'll discover

what John

Piper says

about peace,

the peace

of God.

Look at it

with me.

When we let

our requests

be made known

to God

like this,

in the

devotion of

prayer,

in many

specific

requests

for help,

with a

heart that

is thankful

for everything

God

designs

for us,

the pleasures

and the

pain,

then His

peace will

guard our

minds and

free us

from anxiety

in a way

that defies

mere rational

explanation.

It surpasses

all

understanding.

Here's what

I want us to

think as we

wind this up.

We all face

hardships and

uncertainties.

And when we

do, we have

two choices.

We can

worry.

We can

subject

ourselves to

all kinds

of fears

and stress

and misery.

Or, we

can pray

and trust

God to do

what only

He can

do and

give us

the wisdom

to do what

He wants

us to do.

If we

will do

that, He

promises to

give us this

supernatural

power to

experience

peace in

the midst

of the

hardship, in

spite of the

uncertainty.

But you

know, this

is a choice

we've got to

make in

every difficult

situation.

It's not a

once and

for all kind

of decision.

We may

struggle with

it every

day.

In some

stressful

situations, we

may struggle

many times

throughout the

day and

many times

call out to

God to

give us

what we

need for

the moment.

But if we'll

learn to

really trust

God, that

He really is

in control,

and that He

is working

everything out

according to

His good

purpose, we

can and we

will avoid

worry.

We can have

it replaced

with a

satisfying

peace of

God deep

within our

soul.

But here's

the thing,

you as a

Christian, you

got to make

the choice.

in every

situation, whether

it's stressful,

whether there's

uncertainty, whether

it's trouble,

whatever, you

got to make

the choice.

Am I going

to worry and

get no relief,

or am I going

to pray and

trust God and

experience His

peace?

Let's pray

together now.

Dear God,

show us how we

should respond.

you know how

we normally

respond.

You know what

we normally do

when we get

under stress,

when there's a

lot of

uncertainty,

when there's

fear,

when there's

suffering.

Father,

show us if

we are more

untrusting of

you than

trusting.

Help us,

Father, to

confess our

sin, if it

is, and

truly repent

and seek your

forgiveness.

Help us,

Father, to

understand that

as your

children in

this world.

You want us

to learn to

pray and

trust you and

depend upon

you and

obey you.

And just

drive home the

point, dear God,

that's the way to

experience your

peace.

In an attitude

of prayer, you

just listen to the

Lord and obey

Him as He speaks

to you.

If you'd like me

to pray for you

during this time,

I'll be here at

the front and

would be glad,

honored to do

that with you.

Let's

pray for you.

After

meeting

on

the

sun

D

other

h