Let's Stop Strangling Ourselves!

Living in this world often brings hardships and difficulties. The pressures of life can sometimes seem insurmountable and cause us to be in a troubled state of mind. Problems in the workplace, problems in the home, problems in the church, and problems at school can weigh heavily on the mind. In the church, there are far too many who are strangling themselves with the cares of the world.

Worry has dominated their lives and kept them from maintaining a proper emotional balance. But it does not have to be this way, because God has provided a relief mechanism and strategy for dealing with worry. A part of the strategy is found in Philippians 4:6-9, where Paul commands the brethren to “be anxious for nothing.”

Following this dictate, Paul provides us with three practical approaches to overcoming worry:

1) We must pray right (Philippians 4:6) — There is peace in praying, for it causes us to reflect upon the spiritual and rely upon God. In prayer, we can cast our cares upon God, knowing that "He cares for us" (1 Peter 5:7). By making our requests known unto God, we can obtain a peace that "passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7); we can have confidence, knowing that He rules the world and will provide what we need.

2) We must think right (Philippians 4:8) — Thinking on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy will rid us of the negatives that are a detriment to our soul. There is power in positive thinking, for as a man thinks in his heart, so he will become (Proverbs 23:7). Far too many of our worries are the result of faulty thinking.  Did Paul worry about being in prison when he wrote the Philippian letter? No indeed! He used his imprisonment for the good of the kingdom by converting others to Christ (Philippians 1:12-13). He made up his mind to be content in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11). He would "rejoice" (Philippians 4:10) because he controlled his thoughts instead of allowing circumstances to control him (2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Philippians 4:11).

3) We must live right (Philippians 4:9) — Paul said, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Peace comes when one lives according to God’s will. Not only will God be on our side, but we will eliminate the ramifications and consequences of sinful behavior. The sluggard worries about his next meal. The thief worries about prison. The fornicator worries about sexually transmitted diseases, etc. All sinners worry about death and hell. When the child of God lives right, "all things will work together for good" (Romans 8:28). God’s Word will "direct our steps" (Proverbs 3:5-6), and we will learn to focus our hearts and minds on what is really important (Colossians 3:1-3).

Dear reader, praying, thinking, and living right will enable us to eliminate worry and possess peace. God’s methods for dealing with the mental battles of life are effective and fool-proof. His Word will produce mental stability and spiritual soundness. It will keep us from “strangling ourselves” with the cares of this world (Romans 12:2).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets