Philippians 4:6-8 (AMP) 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.
Living in this world means that the Christian life is not exempt from challenges. However, we can take comfort because, as Christians, we have the peace of God. The true test of whether we have genuinely heard and learned from all the teaching and preaching will be revealed when we are faced with a challenging situation that causes us anxiety. Everything that we have heard and learned lays the foundation for us to confront the “perfect storm” of our lives with the perfect peace of God. We need to remember that when we go through tribulations and difficulties in life, the enemy’s objective is to steal the seed of the Word of God from our hearts (Matthew 13:21). Therefore, we can either be overcome by fear or stand firm with God’s peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We can worry about many things, such as our jobs or our health while waiting for medical results. These are all valid concerns, and we should not make light of them when we hear of someone being anxious over matters that are important to them. We all have different thresholds when it comes to handling stress. Therefore, we also need to be mindful that our spouse’s ability to handle stress might be different from ours.
What are the symptoms of anxiety? According to Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD on www.healthline.com, they can include the following:
• nervousness, restlessness, or being tense
• feelings of danger, panic, or dread
• rapid heart rate
• rapid breathing, or hyperventilation
• increased or heavy sweating
• trembling or muscle twitching
• weakness and lethargy
• difficulty focusing or thinking clearly about anything except for what you’re worried about
• insomnia
• digestive or gastrointestinal problems, such as gas, constipation, or diarrhoea
• a strong desire to avoid the things that trigger your anxiety
Our thoughts tend to revolve around topics or issues that concern us, which can cause us to be anxious. However, when we are anxious, it means we are meditating on all the potential negative scenarios that might or might not happen. We need to know that being anxious about the problem will not solve it. It is like sitting in a rocking chair while many activities are happening, but making no progress. Also, if we do not arrest those thoughts, we might slip into hopelessness and depression.
Therefore, we must learn to refocus our thoughts on God’s Word because our minds can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Therefore, we either meditate on the negative or on the Word of God. It is a choice and an intentional act to pull down those thoughts before they become a stronghold in our minds (2 Corinthians 10:5). We can intentionally shift our focus from all the “what if’s” to “it is written.” We need to allow the Word of God to become the dominant thoughts in our lives.
Sermon Series: Relaxed and Composed
让神的话语主宰我们的心思
腓立比书 4:6-8 应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。弟兄们，我还有未尽的话，凡是真实的、可敬的、公义的、清洁的、可爱的、有美名的，若有什么德行，若有什么称赞，这些事你们都要思念。
生活在这个世界上，并不意味着基督徒的生命会免于挑战。然而，我们可以安慰自己，因为作为基督徒，我们拥有神所赐的平安。一个人是否真正听见并学习了所有的教导与讲道，真正的考验是在面对那些令人焦虑的挑战时显露出来。我们所听过、所学过的一切，都在为我们打下根基，使我们能够在生命的“完美风暴”中，以神完美的平安来面对。
我们要记得，当我们经历患难与艰难时，仇敌的目的就是要从我们心里夺走神话语的种子（马太福音 13:21）。因此，我们要么被恐惧吞噬，要么选择站立得稳，让神的平安在基督耶稣里保守我们的心思意念。
我们可能会为许多事担忧，比如工作，或是等待体检结果时对健康的忧虑。这些担忧都是可以理解的，当我们听到有人因生活中重要的事情感到焦虑时，也不应轻视他们的感受。每个人承受压力的程度都不同，因此我们也要体谅，我们的配偶或身边的人在面对压力时，所能承受的限度可能与我们不同。
焦虑有哪些症状呢？根据 Timothy J. Legg 博士（PhD, PsyD）在 www.healthline.com的说明，可能包括以下几种：
• 紧张、不安或肌肉绷紧
• 有危险感、恐慌或惶恐不安
• 心跳加快
• 呼吸急促或过度换气
• 出汗增多
• 颤抖或肌肉抽搐
• 乏力、倦怠
• 难以集中注意力，只能想着令你担忧的事情
• 失眠
• 消化或肠胃问题，如胀气、便秘或腹泻
• 强烈地想逃避那些引发焦虑的事物
我们的思想常常围绕着让我们忧虑的事情打转，这也是焦虑的根源之一。当我们焦虑时，其实就是在默想那些可能发生、也可能不会发生的负面情境。然而，焦虑并不能解决问题。焦虑就像坐在一张摇椅上，看似有许多动作，却没有任何进展。如果我们不及时止住这样的思想，它可能会让我们陷入绝望或抑郁。
因此，我们必须学习将思想重新聚焦在神的话语上，因为我们的心思一次只能专注于一件事。我们要么默想负面的事，要么默想神的话语。这是一个选择，也是一个有意识的行动——要在那些思想成为坚固营垒之前，将它们夺回（哥林多后书 10:5）。我们可以有意地把焦点从各种“如果怎样”转移到“经上记着说”。让神的话语成为我们生命中主导的思想。
讲道系列：从容的心，坚定的信