Liberation From Your Limitations – Part One
Exodus 14: 26 – 31
“and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.”
Jesus is in the recycling, refurbishing, renewing business. Graphically it is described: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
A historical illustration of this involved the Israelites being delivered from Egyptian slavery. By the authoritative power of heaven, the Lord God Jehovah had parted the waters of the Red Sea and let them cross on dry land. The waters were released to flow in their normal course when the Egyptians pursued. The inundating waters drowned the tyrannical Egyptian slave masters. When the waters were calmly flowing in their natural channel, the Israelites went back down to the shore and our text tells the story of what they found: “Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.”
Can you imagine? These well-trained, strong bodies still in their impressive uniforms represent the greatest national power on earth. It must have been strange to walk so near to the lifeless body of a guard who had beaten you; a soldier who had taunted you, and a warrior who had struck terror in your heart at the very thought of him. The very ones who had held them as captive slaves, their masters, were now lifeless, powerless — dead.
Preceding this experience, the Lord had given the people instruction as to what to do. “Speak to my people that they go forward.” They did obediently and this victory resulted.
Today Jesus Christ wants to set people free from enslaving habits. He wants you to see the dead body of the guard that has held you as a captive slave. You need to envision your enslaving tormentor as “dead on the seashore.”
Follow these steps. Think descriptively of the habit that masters you. If there is a negative controlling influence in your life, think in detail about what the controlling force is doing to you.
Next, decide if you want to break the enslaving force. Do you genuinely want to be free from it?
If so, get alone with the Lord. With all the shame and regret of it, tell the Lord about it as if He does not know of it.
Now, ask Him to guide your efforts to be made in His name to break the bondage of your habit. See that habit as dead on the shore.
“…put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 22 – 24).
What Me Worry?
“Worry is practical atheism and an affront to God,” New Testament scholar R. H Mounce said. Harsh sounding isn’t it? Thinking about worry might very well lead to that conclusion. It is a way of demonstrably saying God isn’t who the Bible says He is and He can’t do what He has promised to do. It indicates we think our problem is bigger than His promises.
“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Do you believe that, really believe it? If so, you know there is no place for worry. Concern when married with confidence in God as a capable promise keeper gives peace, not worry.
Pastor Rick Warren opined, “ Worry is the warning light that God is not really first in my life at this particular moment because worry says that God is not big enough to handle my troubles.”
Consider the instruction given in Scripture, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself…” (Psalm 37: 7). Do you believe that? If so, respond so.
Think about your tendency to worry in light of this research.
40% never happens
30% concerns the past
12% are needless worries regarding our health
10% are about petty issues
8% are legitimate concerns.
That means 92% of our “worry time” is wasted energy. Scripture teaches that we should not even worry about the 8%.
We must not be flippant about concerning conditions, adverse actions, perplexing problems, difficult decisions, overt obstacles, and numerous needs to be met. These often require persistent prayerfulness, proper planning, contemplation, study, research, and council. All of this should be addressed calmly, confidently, and contentedly. God knows who you are, where you are, why you need His help, and how to help you. He has the love, wisdom, and ability to meet your needs. Don’t complain or worry if you have to give God time to be God. Remember, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30: 8).
“… those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40: 31).
An anxious person asked God, “Why do you so often lead me into deep water?” God said, “Because your enemies can’t swim.”
We have reason to say, “O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. O Lord, I am calling to you” (Psalm 59: 17). Do it and don’t worry.
Worry Is Worthless – Part Four
There are antidotes for worry offered in Scripture. Apply them.
Work is a wonderful antidote. It is great therapy. Jesus appealed to His listeners to “Look at the birds of the air….” If He watches out for the sparrow, doesn’t it make sense that He will watch out for you? Watch that little sparrow over which He is watching. He allows the sparrow to scratch. We too must develop a good work ethic. Cultivate good work habits. Get up early and get going with enthusiasm. Be refreshed by experiencing a new day dawning. Let your mind be bathed in the joy of a new day’s birth.
God spends more on bird food each year than our national debt. If He is going to provide for the world’s bird population, which is estimated to be over 100 billion, He is going to take care of you.
“Consider the lilies….” Christ takes care of them. They are in harmony with their environment. Put aside the idea you are Atlas and therefore responsible for carrying the world on your back.
Resign as Vice President in charge of the world’s affairs. Commit yourself and your work to Christ. Master the plan of developing the proper attitude. Who talked you into not liking your work? You did. Now talk yourself into appreciating the fact you have a job and commit yourself to Christ in it.
Plan your work and work your plan. That is far better and much more productive than worrying.
Worship is an aid for overcoming worry. “Seek first the kingdom of God…”
Don’t even consider the kingdom of God if you don’t intend to seek it first. Where there is a kingdom there is a king. Don’t dare contemplate the kingdom unless you intend to make King Jesus the ruler in your life.
“O worship the King all glorious above, and gratefully sing of His wonderful love.”
Food and clothes are important, but pale in importance when compared to the vitality of Christ as Master in your life. When He is, you are so secure you can live without labels. You can be confident and survive without brand names. Your composure and serenity comes from what is within, not what from what is on you.
Worry, in effect says, “You lied, God.”
Wait on the Lord, run not before Him. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow….”
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
“Casting all your care on Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7)
Worry Is Worthless – Part Three
Actions deserve our best effort. Worry prevents our best effort and impairs the effect.
Some persons have made worry a way of life.
Worry is like a soft bed, it is easy to get into and hard to get out of.
Once a positive or negative pattern of thought is established, and this is often done early in life, it becomes instinctive to maintain it. Sheep are a graphic of this. They tend to line up and walk single file in line. If a stick is put across their path a few inches from the ground so that the first few have to jump over it, you can remove the stick and those that follow will still jump where the one before it jumped. We get mental trends established in the same manner. We keep on worrying.
Worry can be learned from an example. The child of a parent who perpetually worries tends to develop into a person who worries. Worry isn’t a disease but it can contribute to developing a disease or physical disorder. Like a disease it is contagious. Some medical authorities say it is more contagious than diphtheria. It can come from fears of being inferior, poverty, or poor health.
Some people worry so, they know that if it weren’t for bad luck they wouldn’t have any luck at all. They are convinced that if they found a magic lantern they would have the luck of the fellow who did find such a lantern and was promised by the genie a midas touch. Sure enough, everything he touched turned to a muffler.
Worry is like a strong acid perpetually running on a soft surface in which it cuts a channel. Unless worry is checked, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Worry finds its origin in painful events of the past.
Its occasion in physical weakness and need in the present.
Its opportunity in some fear of an unknown future.
Thus, the web of worry consists of three strands.
It consists of past events we long to live over.
The second stand is an uncertain future regarding which we have no confidence.
The third strand is the present which is paralyzed by absorption with our past and apprehension related to our future.
If you tend to worry, confess it to the Lord as though you would any sin. Next, ask Him to help you overcome it. Then commit yourself to working to overcome it by before leaving any point of worry superimpose a positive thought on the negative topic. Pause now and pray about it.
Worry Is Worthless – Part Two
A lack of understanding can cause confusion. Simply stated, Jesus said, “Don’t ever worry.”
Worry is an attitude of mind that affects the body physically. Emotional instability causes physical deterioration. Jesus understood the destructive power of worry, and he knew that this negative mental attitude was detrimental to health.
Worry will fatigue every neuron in your psyche.
When you worry your adrenal gland is functioning so rapidly that your bloodstream cannot throw off the excess adrenaline.
Some medical authorities say that worry places more stress on the heart than any other stimulus, including physical exercise and/or fatigue. Some estimate that worry causes two-thirds of today’s physical illness. It contributes to high blood pressure, heart trouble, kidney disease, goiter, arthritis, headaches, and strokes. It can cause excessive perspiration, muscle tension, hyperventilation, abdominal pain, “butterflies,” nausea, and a quivering voice.
Dr. Alexis Carroll makes the point clear: “Businessmen who don’t know how to fight worry die young.” People who don’t know how to win over worry lose the battle for life.
It results in phobias, neuroses, psychoses, psychophysiologic disorders.
Worry in the extreme causes abulia — the loss of will power. Abulia is a word for a nervous breakdown.
One friend said to another, “No wonder you are always tired. You do everything three times. You worry about it before you do it. Then you do it. Then you worry about having done it.”
Worry makes God seem unreal, others unimportant, and you sick.
Worry reveals a person who is trying to do things his or her own way.
Andrew Carnegie asked Henry Ford, “Do you ever worry?”
Ford replied: “No, I believe God is managing the affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that everything will work for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?”
Worry is a medallion worn by those who have not yet concluded, “Jesus Christ will take care of me.”
Worry is irreverent, for it fails to recognize God who gave us life as the sustainer of life.
It is irrelevant in that it does not change anything.
It is irresponsible because it uses up time and burns up energy.
Stop doing everything three times. Have faith and do it better once. Try it.