HOW TO HAVE PEACE WHEN THE WORLD IS FALLING APART

Ever had one of those nights? I had one not long ago. Waking up after a dream or just waking up. Afraid to look at the clock because if I know what time it is, I’ll start thinking about what time it is and go from there. Trying to count sheep, trying all the tricks I know to turn my mind off. I need sleep. So I try harder but that unwanted intruder manages to break into my thoughts. That enemy who tells me he’s a friend. So I think, "Maybe it's 5:30. That's a bit early for me but I could go ahead and get up." But I finally look at the clock. It’s 4 a.m. 

Wrestling. Do I get up and pray or just lie there and…worry. 

• A family member diagnosed with cancer,
• A difficult conversation I need to have that I rehearse in my head,
• Did I lock the door? Did I close the garage?

·       Sometimes it’s heavier stuff like what’s been in the News:

• Guys with AK-47's in small quiet towns and shopping malls
• Terrorists using a moving van like an armored vehicle in city streets
• Record-breaking addictions to opiates and addicts giving birth to addicted babies
• Dictators threatening our national security

Yes, that’s worrisome. But other times…it’s just stuff. The stuff of everyday life. Like a 4-yr old that just keeps tugging on your sleeve. Like a dripping faucet or a pop song you can’t quit singing in your head. Worry. If fear is a big hairy monster, worry is like the little bratty sister that won’t leave you alone.

John Ortberg says the recipe for worry begins with a problem with no simple solution. Do you have one of those? If you don’t, do you think you could find one? Or maybe you’re living with one??? 

A lot of us think the answer to no worry is no problems. Whatever I’m in now, when I get out of it, I won’t worry. Just a season. If God wants me to worry less, I just need less problems. I don’t think so. I’ve noticed something about me: If I don’t have a big problem to worry about, I will find someone else’s problems to worry about. 

I think most of us would say, I don’t like to worry. I’d like a switch to turn it off. It isn't that simple. But there is a solution to worry. How do you have peace when the world is falling apart?

"Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7, HSB)

We like this verse. Because it’s simple and clear... (but have you noticed that simple and clear doesn’t mean easy?) and...it includes a command.

It seems the first stop is to take this Scripture seriously. Really? Really. Hear it like a command: Don’t worry about anything. Treat it like the SIN that it is. God doesn’t want us to worry because it hurts us. It can ruin your friendships, steal your sleep, affect your job performance. Excessive worrying can encourage panic attacks, and addiction to substances. Most of all, worry is a peace-stealer and it’s an offense to God.

Worry says, “I must be in control of everything. I must keep anything bad from happening. I’m responsible.” 

Yet Jesus says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6.27) JESUS.  No. not me, not you. Jesus said that. 

So the first stop is a negative one: 

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING. 

The second stop is positive: TALK TO GOD ABOUT EVERYTHING! 

Like Google Voice, Siri or Cortana...Heaven is voice-activated. Talk to God about everything.

“If it’s worth worrying about, it’s worth praying about.” Rick Warren. 

The result? “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4.7 ESV)

How do you know it’s the peace of God and not just a temporary feeling? How do you know it’s not just because you had a little extra caffeine or an extra hour of sleep? Because it's more than a feeling. It’s a peace that “surpasses understanding.” It’s when you say, “I should be worried, but I have peace.” 

So friend, next time that unwelcome friend interrupts your sleep, say 'Sorry. No vacancy.' Then talk to God about everything. See if that helps. It is helping me.