I’m Not Worrying About This!
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
About 13 years ago, something happened that I’ll never forget. I was sitting in my office at work and suddenly things just didn’t feel right. The room started to spin, my chest began to tighten, and then I felt a series of sharp throbbing pains.
I remember going to the water fountain and telling myself if I can just get some water then I’ll begin to feel better. After returning to my desk, things didn’t get better and grew worse. It was at that moment that I decided to pick up my car keys and go get checked out. I drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with chest pains that were getting deeper and deeper. Once I arrived at the emergency room, my breathing was faint, and I barely managed to audibly state my issue.
Suddenly I was taken directly to triage and directly to an empty bed. I had wires connected to my chest and soon I was told that my primary care physician had ordered an overnight stay and stress tests on the following day.
I spent hours in that bed asking myself the same question repeatedly: how did I get here? Here I was,a 28-year-old relatively healthy young man, but I’m in a hospital bed with more questions than answers. My wife was puzzled, my family was puzzled, the church members I led were puzzled.
The one thing I did not do that night was sleep. Every single time I thought I would get some rest, another nurse would come check this, change that, or adjust something else. On the next morning, they whisked me away for quite a few tests, and when I returned everything came back negative. So now I was more puzzled than I was before. But when the doctor came by to read my results to me, he asked me an interesting question.
He asked, “Mr. Marks, are you a man of faith?”
To which I quickly replied, “Yes, sir, I am. I am definitely a believer.”
Then that doctor said, Your heart is fine. But obviously you are taking on more stress than you need to.” He then asked, “You do know that worry brings about stress, right? And do you know Mr. Marks what the Bible says about worry?:
As he quoted our text, I lay in that bed convicted. I was discharged from the hospital with two prescriptions that I didn’t have to take to the pharmacy. The first prescription was getting some rest. The second prescription was to stop stressing over things I can’t change.
Stress will make you sick if you allow it to. Stress and worry will add years to your life. People handle stress in different ways. There are different anatomical reactions to the stressors of life. Some people work out like a maniac when they are under duress. Some people bury themselves in work and try to take on all the overtime. Some people internalize all the pressure and hold it in until they can’t take anymore.
Some people experience weight loss, weight gain, hair loss, change in hair color, wrinkles, bags, and various sicknesses. If the stress and worry is left unaddressed, it can lead to mental distress and even mental illness.
If you are going to worry, don’t pray. But when you pray, don’t worry!