Anxiety

Depression: We see people in everyday lives, there are so many who are depressed in lives or there are people who are on their way to depression.

One of the main causes of the depression is the anxiety.

Proverbs 12:25:

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.

So what is this Anxiety? 

Life is overwhelming especially in the times that we live. Demands of life  have gone up. 

• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.

Life is overwhelming especially in the times that we live. Demands of life  have gone up.

We all are anxious in one way or another  even though we don't say it.
We are anxious about things happenings in our lives.
It could be about our future, our health, our family. Man is always anxious.

So what is anxiety?
Uneasy feeling of uncertainty, agitation, dread, or fear.

There is a fear of future, about what happens in work, that feeling of uncertainty about our lives. 
Let us be honest. We are living in a broken world., in an unstable world.
The Security, stability, Safety - if we look towards the things of this world - we can never get.

In this unstable world, we can only get assurance from the Lord God. 

Why are people anxious?

1)  One of the main thing is Slavery.  
Today most of the people are slaves.When we think of slavery one thing that comes to our mind is the picture of cruel master and the master with the whip and people working hard under them.  
Although we don't see the slavery that way, we see another form of slavery that is work.

These are the days where work takes over people's lives.
Many people we see are the slaves of the work they do.

Bible talks about doing the work diligently. Work with your own hands.

But Bible never talks about being slaves to the work we do.

Even in olden days.

How do we definitely Slavery.

In olden days people treat others as slaves. Because they make the slave the do whole work and lots of work.

Let us see from scripture.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage— in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
Exodus 1:8‭-‬14 NKJV

The first thing that king of Egypt did was setup task masters.

We see so many people in work saying I have too many tasks to do.
How does this happen , first there will be a task master.

And this task master job is to make the people slaves.

Slaves of work.

There Egyptians made children of Israel serve with rigor.

Rigorous work. - very exhaustive.

In case of Israelites, they were made slaves by Egyptians, they had no choice.

But in these days we ourselves make slaves of work because of different reasons.

For us, work of God means no time, but in the workplace, we are rigorous.
We go to work on time, we stay in work more than what is required and we do extra hours. But when it comes to God and house of God it is based on our convenience.

Anytime we neglect the work of God, and chose to do lots of work in workplace
It results as Slaves for work.

Today we work so much - We are not contended.
We work extra jobs, extra hours even at the cost going to Church, we sometimes do the work.

Whether we are contended. Most of the times we are not contended, so we look for more and more. Jobs with more money.


How does slavery to work cause Anxiety.

You might be asking - oh this is causing too much pressure in my life, what happens to my health.
My boss was cruel, asking me to do more and more work, what am going to do.
I am not getting family time at all - what am going to do?

Anxiousness  every moment.

Slavery of work causes anxiousness.

When you realize that you are becoming slave to work and you want to freedom from slavery, first thing you have to do is
Cry Out to God.

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
Exodus 2:23 NKJV

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
Exodus 2:25 NKJV

Taskmasters  - 

Many people realize that slavery of work is common and they dont cry out to God.
Everybody goes through long work hours, high work pressures, so they think there is no problem, till the anxiety attacks them.


Anxiety - our expectations:

Too often we expect a lot from people around us. We know that we ourselves are not perfect , but we expect others to be perfect.
Best example - we expect our spouse to do according to our expectation.
and if the spouse doesnt meet expectations, then anxiety starts.
Why they are not doing what am expecting to do.

If children are not studying the way we expect, are behaving the way we expect then anxiety starts.

I know so many h1 holders who are so much anxious about Green cards or their visa status 

There are expectations.

The  moment we expect something from the world and that is not met - we are anxious.
Our expectation should always be set on God who is seated on the Throne, above all things.

Many times, family memebers fom India call and ask news is showing that trump is sendin back all indians .

I have decided long time back, am not going to worried about my green card or visa status.
When God has purposed for me to stay in this land, God will make the Way.
our  expectation is all for God.



Anxiety - by what we are feed on.

We live in a world of anxiety that is marketed to us.

15-20  years back, all the news we know is in news paper in the morning and then news in TV at few timings.

Then 24*7 news.

Now news is at our finger tips.

News will popup on our smart phones.

Right from Arctic to Antarctica, East to West we know everything to anything.

Our minds are not designed for every  news in the world.

Our minds need not know every detail of every disease in the world.

Earlier when someone is sick, people goto doctor and come back.

In some places doctor won't even tell but simply treat, but now we Google every detail 

We need all the details in the world, right from what president talks in press conferences , what happens in every country.

 Anxiety is being marketed to us through 24*7 news.

politicians, workplace, people in our lives.

Our choices we make will decide the anxiety in us.

The choice you make where to live , where to work, how you deal with people. Every choice matters and it could be cause for anxiety.

Martha made a choice of getting busy with works when the time is to sit at the feet of Jesus. Every choice matters.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

Luke 10:40 NKJV

How do we overcome:

Psalm 139: V17 - V24

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you [i]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
[j]Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with [k]perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

It is easy to look at the wicked world, to look at the people and say because of them , this is all happening.

But psalmist although he talks about others he comes back and say Try me and know my anxieties.

Show me where my heart is.

Remove Any wicked ways in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

That should be our attitude .

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Therefore do not worry

Matthew 6:25-27
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one[j]cubit to his [k]stature?

Before this verse, at the end of the sermon on the mountain , after preaching a big sermon, the altar call for this sermon is this.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.6.24.NKJV

Check for the loyalty we have even before we talk about Worrying , Anxiety.

First we need to decide where the Loyalty then the Word says therefore do not worry about your life, because you have set your loyalty on God.

Then Know your Value.

We don't know our Value many times.

I see even in our Chruch , people comparing other beleievers and say you are like this hero, you are like this heroine. What a shame it is.

You are more precious. Jesus paid his life and blody for you. And now you go and compare and say you are like this heroine and hero. You reduce the value that God has put for you.

Sometimes our anxiety comes in life because we want to compare with the people of the world.  We want to look like them. We want their style.

But remember 

You are so precious in sight of God.

You are purchased by the blood of Christ.

Birds are fed, even though they don't sow, reap. God is Father. Never lose sight of this Truth that God is our Father.

Thankfulness:

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 minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/php.4.6-7.NKJV

Where there is thanks there is no anxiety.

Thankfulness to God should be your life style.

When Daniel revealed the dreams to king, he said it is because of God.

Let us make know our requests then God will protect our hearts and minds from anxiety.

It is the Peace of God that protects a person from anxiety.

Peace of God rule your hearts.

Give time and space in our hearts to rule our hearts.

If we are filled with all the garbage in the world then there is no space for the Word, no speace for peace of God.

Tonight are you feeling anxious about life, future, job, health, family, visa status.

God is calling us to know that He is our Father.

He cares for us.

He says decide where your loyalty is 

Is it Mammon or God.

Then in every situation give thanks to God.

Don't get upset becaus your expectations are not met.

If your workload is causing you stress and Anxiety then start looking for the Word of God.

Allow time for Word of God, space for Peace of God to rule our hearts.

Then Worrybdoes not rule us.

Anxiety will not have power over us.

Amen

_-----------+++++-------

Most of the anxiety comes because we don't know How God sees us

Do not be anxious:

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.

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Anxiety.
Do not be anxious.
What is anxiety?

What causes anxiety?
         How we inflict anxiety ourselves
         What in the world causes anxiety?
         Expectations of others? spouse, children, roads, timings, buses,

How to overcome anxiety?
    - Psalm 139
Let the peace of God rule your heart.



    - What you feed in ?

• Luke 10:41: In this passage, Martha is distracted about many things.

• Philippians 4:4-9: Paul says, Do not be anxious for anything.
• I Peter 5:6-11: Peter says, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

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Under Concern, Over Concern - Godly Concern.