S10 E222 - Healing Anxiety

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is Next Steps for Seniors with your host, Wendy Jones. Each week, Wendy brings resources and information to help guide you through those next steps with elderly parents and loved ones. If you have questions or topic suggestions, you can call us at 248-651-5010.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

Hello and welcome to Next Steps for Seniors Conversations on Aging. On Fridays, our program is really designed for those going through emotional turmoil as we age, and how we can lean on God and have a relationship that really directs our path. Our Tuesday programs are really designed more for the physical next steps and what we can be doing as far as making sure your estate is in order, how to get home care, the correct person to lean on for a cardiologist. We have doctors, we have lawyers, we have a whole bunch of different array of people on Tuesday's program. But it's so fun to do our Friday programs with Pastor Tim because that's my heart, my passion, as everyone knows. It's all about God. It's all about his son Jesus and directing our paths, getting through turmoil, getting through anxiety. And today's topic is going to be anxiety. Who doesn't have anxiety about something in their lives? We all do. How we get through that is a whole different story. And we have Pastor Tim to share that with us.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

It's great to be here. You know, I had somebody ask me the other day, how do you know if somebody's handling an anxiety? If they have anxiety, and I said, well, put a put a mirror under their nose. If it fogs, they have anxiety. So it's and I don't mean to be negative right out of the chute here, but but if you're, you know, the the Bible says man is but a few years old and he's full of trouble, right? So so part of life is difficulty. Now we said that two weeks ago and last week. We talked about how you know difficulty shapes us. Greatest lessons are in the greatest difficulties. So that's that's where we really, you know, if you really want to know how good you are, go for the greatest test, right? That brings anxiety. And and so, and I I I like this. I wanted to do this topic today with you because don't ignore anxiety. It won't, it's not gonna go away, it's not gonna get better on its own. As a matter of fact, it will probably spiral if you just let it find over here. So, so so and keep thinking about it, remunerate over and over and over and over. And we have to go beyond thinking about it. So we have to come up with a way of actually how do we handle anxiety? So here's you know, you have a kid in a tantrum, right? Or or a wild animal who's attacking your dog. How do you handle that? Very carefully. You got to pick it up from the right direction, and there's you know, you don't want to mishandle it. So I'm not being glib with this, but I believe that no scripture is I hands down, is the greatest instruction tool in history. So so this word that God gave us called the Bible, it works in every situation, works for anyone, was written over 2,000 years ago, still, and it's every bit as effective today as it was when it was first written. Exactly. The context doesn't change. So when it comes to anxiety, Philippians 4, Paul writes to this church in Philippi. At verse 5, he says, No, this here's your first thing. The Lord is near. God is never far from you. Part of part of the the the uh the characteristic of God is he's omnipresent, which means he's everywhere all the time.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

All the time.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

So there's so God is near, he's always running. And then he says, Because of that, don't be anxious for anything. He says, but in every situation, now here's the how. Number one, by prayer and petition. Now, those are kind of the same thing, but prayer is honoring God and letting God know that you understand who he is and where he is. Petition is bringing our requests, is letting him know what we need. Those are the petitions. Then he says this here's the second part with thanksgiving. Now, everybody's everybody hears skids. Wait, what? Stop the bus. Be thankful. Be thankful for anxiety. No, be thankful that God is near in your anxiety. You folks, we are not alone. You are never alone. Part of the reason that anxiety anxiety anxiety spirals. And I'll say that last three times. It's hard. Anxiety spirals. Right, there we go. But part of the reason that that happens is is is because we think we're alone. My spouse doesn't understand. I'm trying to help my parents and they don't understand. They don't appreciate what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

I'm trying to My brothers and sisters don't get it. No, doing everything.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Right. So so he says, with Thanksgiving, and then he says it again. So anytime you read good Jewish writing, which the Bible is really good Jewish writing, if it's when they say it, you should believe. If they say it twice, that means this is truth. Pay attention to this. So again he says, present your request to God. So so in prayer, lift up your petition with thanksgiving to God. That's how you handle it. And when we do this, he says, and the peace of God, listen to this. Here's the answer. The peace of God. What's the peace of God? The peace of God is the peace that Jesus had on the cross. It's the peace that Jesus had before Herod and before Pilate. It's the peace that when Pilate said to Jesus, Do you know who I am? Jesus didn't say a word. You know why he didn't say a word? He didn't need to. He knew who he was. When we know who God is, and we're thankful that he's with us, the the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. So what he's saying here is you will have a peace that it doesn't make sense having at that moment. In the middle of your anxiety, by approaching, by walking with God in prayer, giving him this request in thanksgiving, and allowing him to take the anxiety and give you his peace. That's exactly right. In the middle, I have experienced it. I I've seen it in your ministry. You I call your work ministry. I hope you don't mind. Yes, yes, it is. But this is what he says. That will guard your hearts and minds in Christ. We just answered the last three weeks.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Amen. Oh we did.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Everything that we we find ourselves really struggling with as we go through this journey called life, which which leads to anxiety. You know, um why was there a problem in the Garden of Eden? It's not because there was a person, it's because there were two people. You put two people together, you're gonna have Especially a man and a woman. Well, doesn't that worked out to be true? Just say it. But but anxiety comes. So we can't, we're not gonna avoid it.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

So let's learn to handle it. We have a lot to learn, exactly. Exactly. And our identity is in Christ. And and I feel like, like you said, that peace that passes understanding when your identity isn't in your work or isn't in your caregiving or isn't in your kids, it's in Christ. That is true fulfillment. That is when you can walk in it, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Mm-hmm. And you and I find that the closer I get to knowing God, and the more intentional I am to walking life with Him. And and it it brings me to a place where I'm not, it's not I haven't perfected. I was gonna say we all fail. But I I become better and better at being thankful for every day and everything in every day. And I start looking at the difficulties that are coming, and I say, okay, what are you trying to show me here?

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Yeah, there's usually something really profound to learn when we're in the midst of it. And if we can take that moment and stop and get on our knees and go before the Lord, it's shocking what the answers are. And I don't know why I still continue to be amazed because we all go through it and we all make mistakes and we all, I mean, this is human nature, but how we respond and what we do are the key things. Do we go to prayer? Do we go to the Bible? Do we go to scripture? Do we go to our brother in love and ask them to walk alongside you? That's the response. And it's life-changing.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

You know, um, I I learned this when I was much younger. I learned to sail and I had a couple boats, and and there's this, there's this principle called dead reckoning, dead reckoning. And it's it's you you you fix a point, the geographic, you know, longitude, landitude, and that that's where you're going. And you get your heading and you head towards it. And you start now on a sailboat, it's a little different than a big motorboat or whatever. There's two things that are going to interrupt you there's the current and there's the wind. And both of those will affect the direction you're going. Now, now what happens is the wind will catch your sail, and you start to trim the sail, and you start, and you can go faster and faster and faster if you lean into the wind a certain way, but it's taking you off the heading. So it feels like you're really moving, but you're actually going in the wrong direction, or maybe even backwards. Anxiety can become a very real wind in life.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

What a great analogy.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

And and we got to be careful that we don't allow these things that buffet us in life to reset our heading without us knowing it. So all of a sudden we're not going where we're supposed to go. And now, now here's what I see, you know, going to Martha T. Berry, going to name, you know, Walton, whatever, whatever, wherever we go to do whatever we do. Um, we meet a lot of people with a lot of buffeting, with a lot of wind, but who's seemingly their lives are a wreck, and God is saying, I'm leading you here to lead them. When your parents need you, they're at a point in life where you have the opportunity, being led by the Lord, to bring some course direction to them, to put them back on track for that, that, that peace, that blessing that comes from God goes beyond human existence. It goes beyond the problem, it goes beyond the adversity, it goes, folks, beyond anxiety.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Honor thy father and mother, and your days will be long upon the earth. And and and the scripture says that. And and that is an honor that we all have. We have it. And we, I just encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to sit, to hold their hand, to listen, to enjoy the small things in life, and to not let it get to you like we all can. We all, I say all, and and be anxious about it.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

You know, I'm I'm I'm on the other side on a lot of this. But I can tell you, being where I am right now, I would I would give everything for one more annoying minute with my dad or my mom at the end of their life. And so, so, you know, cherish the opportunity that God is giving you. You it's the privilege to do this. You get to do this. And and it's it's it you it's still gonna be challenging, but it doesn't have to be this thing that that creates incredible anxiety because it's it's part of life. It's not bad. This is not a bad thing.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

And guess what? It doesn't last forever either. No, no, it's not true. When we're in it, it feels like it's your whole world and it's everything. But it's a short, it's a short term.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

You get past it and then you start waiting for it to happen to you.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

And then you don't want to be where I am. And then you pray your kids do the same thing you said.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Well, well, you know, but we sewed in. I'm hoping we reap it.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

If it's not the boys, it's their wives, so it's all good. And you got a nurse in the family. So but I'm I want to share this scripture again, and I encourage you to write it down, put it everywhere. I've got this on my on my steering wheel, on the windows, in the I mean, everywhere, on the mirror, in the bathroom. Philippians 4, 5 through 7. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Right there. In one, in three verses in the middle of the Old Testament, God says, Here's how you handle anxiety, and here's what I'll give you in place of it. Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Thank you, Lord. It's right there. Yep, 2,000 years ago he gave it all to us. We just have to remind ourselves. So thank you for tuning in. Next ups for seniors, conversations on aging. And remember, there is the answer in the Bible, the greatest book that has been ever sold in the entire world. It's right there at your fingertips. Be blessed today and pay this uh message forward. Forward it to anyone you know who's dealing with anxiety or struggling in an area with a loved one and being anxious about it. Thanks for tuning in.