The Enemy of Your Faith
Everyone of us has our own spiritual achile's heal. It's that weak point in our armor that the enemy exploits every chance he gets. We each know what that is, and we are always probably praying first about that particular issue before we seek God's help with any other.
But let me share with you a spiritual enemy that we all struggle against at some time or place, and that's what we call anxiety. You may also know it simply as worry. Whatever you call it, it stands as the number one enemy of not only your faith, but of your life in general. This word worry or anxiety means to divide or be pulled in two opposite directions. This word merizo is used some 47 times in the New Testament. Paul commanded the Philippian Christians in 4:6:
The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When the Lord gave us the writings of the NT, He gave them to us in the Greek language, and not Classical Greek but rather what is known as the Koine, or that which was used in the marketplace. Everyone spoke it. Here in the original language Paul is not making a mere suggestion to us about not worrying. He is using what is called the imperative voice. In other words, it is a command. Interestingly enough, that is precisely how Jesus spoke to his disciples about anxiety in Matthew 6 when He commanded us to "take no thought for your life."
This is the same command to "not worry.” Why is worry such a big deal? Better yet, why does God command us in Scripture to not do it? Let me give you at least three reasons why.
First, anxiety changes our focus from Christ to the object of your worry.
Remember Martha in Luke 10? She was worrying about the elements of the dinner she was serving Jesus instead of focusing on Jesus like her sister Mary was doing. Jesus said,
"Martha, Martha, thou are careful (anxious) about many things but one thing is needful..." And of course that thing was focusing on worshiping Jesus like Mary had done. The dinner was secondary!
Secondly, worry chokes God's Word in your lives.
In Matt 13:7, 22 Jesus spoke of the four soils or kinds of "hearers" of God's Word. Jesus said,
And that which fell among the thorns are they which when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares (anxieties) and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to maturity.
In case you missed that, anxiety in your heart and life may literally keep you a spiritual infant!
Thirdly, anxiety compromises your spiritual stability.
James, our Lord's brother reminded us that,
"The double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
Instability is not how you want to live your life. Being off balance spiritually compromises your ability to be a force for good in nearly every area of your witness for Christ! So the next time you think that worry is everyone's problem, and, therefore, to be tolerated in life, think again! God wants each of us to defeat this enemy of our faith. So the next time anxiety knocks on your heart's door, do what Paul said next in Phil 4:6-7.
"In everything by prayer."
This is the same command to "not worry.” Why is worry such a big deal? Better yet, why does God command us in Scripture to not do it? Let me give you at least three reasons why.
First, anxiety changes our focus from Christ to the object of your worry.
Remember Martha in Luke 10? She was worrying about the elements of the dinner she was serving Jesus instead of focusing on Jesus like her sister Mary was doing. Jesus said,
"Martha, Martha, thou are careful (anxious) about many things but one thing is needful..." And of course that thing was focusing on worshiping Jesus like Mary had done. The dinner was secondary!
Secondly, worry chokes God's Word in your lives.
In Matt 13:7, 22 Jesus spoke of the four soils or kinds of "hearers" of God's Word. Jesus said,
And that which fell among the thorns are they which when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares (anxieties) and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to maturity.
In case you missed that, anxiety in your heart and life may literally keep you a spiritual infant!
Thirdly, anxiety compromises your spiritual stability.
James, our Lord's brother reminded us that,
"The double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
Instability is not how you want to live your life. Being off balance spiritually compromises your ability to be a force for good in nearly every area of your witness for Christ! So the next time you think that worry is everyone's problem, and, therefore, to be tolerated in life, think again! God wants each of us to defeat this enemy of our faith. So the next time anxiety knocks on your heart's door, do what Paul said next in Phil 4:6-7.
"In everything by prayer."
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