Read 1 Samuel 15:27-31, 34-35
Greetings!
This will be the first homily in a three-part series on a particular topic that most of us are all too familiar with. If you are an adult and not familiar with it, I need to hang around you a little and learn something from you. The topic is anxiety. It’s an ugly little word and it has chased most of us all over the place, from one point in our lives to the other. It has been a part of our lives from our early years, to the ones we are living right now. Truly, I believe we cannot escape it. It’s part of the world we live in. And, the world continues to throw fuel on it when the flame ignites. However, there are ways to deal with it. There are ways to live with it. And, dare I say, there are ways to make the best out of it. There are ways to make use of it. There are ways to gain strength and spiritual growth from it. We are going to discuss some of those things. But, if not controlled, it can get out of hand. It is much like fire. Yes, fire is a useful tool. We use fire in a controlled environment all of the time. We use to cook, to heat our houses, to manipulate malleable materials, and it has been used as a life source since the beginning of time. But, when it’s out of control, what happens? It destroys everything in its path. It doesn’t care who you are, how good you’ve got it, how healthy you are, or how much love you have surrounding you; it will make everything seem worthless when it takes control.
That’s anxiety.
It’s like fire. And, that’s just how it affects us emotionally. I didn’t mention that it affects us physically. We sometimes get rashes and breakouts on our skin, acid reflux, we get tired, we get moody, or much worse! And, that starts to affect the people around us. It’s taxing, not only to us but everybody else. Yes, our anxiety hurts other people.
So let’s take some time to wrestle with this devil. Our plan is to gain some insight on how to tame, control, and use anxiety as a tool to learn and grow.
First, let me confuse you. I believe there is this constant motion moving forward in time. Things are constantly changing and it seems that there is a progression towards something better, towards something good. May it be in technology or science, humans are discovering ways to make things better. I think this is the progression of life. Things aren’t what they were 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, or 25 years ago, or 10 years ago. All things considered, things are better. There is something happening, there are progressions and movements. Have you noticed it? I think that thing has a name; it’s called God. Humans are just pieces of a really big puzzle, a big picture. This advancement is happening because of people caring for people. That’s the big picture coming together. God’s work moving into the future is rooted in love. We get better when we bring people closer.
This movement toward advancement or improvement takes place because of each individual (people) moving with it. We play a small part in the big picture. We each have a part to play in order for good things to happen. But, in our individual movement toward improvement, advancement, love for one another, and God’s love there are times when an anchor is dropped. What happens when a boat drops its anchor? It stays in one place. It does not move. It becomes stagnant. There is no moving forward or backward; it is in one place. Then things in our lives start to lose movement and they become stagnant. Our relationships become stagnant. We can pretend there is movement, but that anchor keeps us in that one place. Our spiritual life becomes stagnant. We can even show up to church and pretend life is good, but that anchor keeps us from getting anywhere in our relationships with God or our neighbors. Work becomes stagnant. We even show up every day with a plan, but nothing gets done. There are many things that can act as that anchor. But, one of the most common is anxiety.
During this three-part sermon, we are going to talk about three different facets of anxiety: The past, the present, and the future. Today we are going to talk about the haunting past. The anxiety of the past is like an anchor that gets thrown out of the boat and it latches on to something and keeps you from moving forward. You give it more strength but it just pulls you back. It’s a weight that won’t let you move forward with your life. It’s that voice that in your head that keeps asking, “Where would I be if I had done things differently?”
I am sure Samuel asked that question in regard to King Saul.
From the time of the Exodus until nearly 300 years later, Israel did not have a king. They were governed by Judges. There were many judges during that period in history. But, there were a lot of threats on Israel by other countries and kingdoms, particularly Philistine. Naturally, Israel wanted a king. They wanted someone that could take care of them. They wanted someone to protect them. Samuel was one of the judges and he was also a prophet. Since the people wanted a king, they took their complaints to Samuel. Samuel took those complaints to God. But, here’s the thing, God was not ready for Israel to have a king, it was not time. God knew the right time, but God’s people were too worried, anxious, eager, and they thought they knew better than God. So, they persisted.
I think we can level with these folks. How bad have you wanted something even when you know it’s not the right time? Not only does God know, but you know. And, you still want it right now. I have been there.
Samuel warned the people about the consequences of anointing a king when it was not time. But, they persisted. God told Samuel, “Comply with their request. Give them a king.” (1 Sam 8:22) The result of that commandment was King Saul, Israel’s first king. Saul’s reign as king was less than desirable. Samuel’s prophecies about the king were fulfilled and Israel regretted their desire for a king. If only they had listened to God through Samuel, they could have saved themselves from a lot of problems.
So, let’s recap. God’s people, the Israelites, want a king. God wasn’t ready for them to have a king. They persist because they think they know better than God. God tells Samuel to give them a king. The king turns out to be a poor and unjust leader. God’s people regret their decision. Any of this ringing a bell from your past? It is mine. Pretty simple. I’ve seen it a hundred times. My parents would say, “Son, don’t do that.” I would say, “Trust me; I know what I am doing.” Then, I would do it anyway. Suddenly, while in the emergency room, I would regret not listening to what my parents said. It’s not rocket science.
But, don’t we all make bad decisions knowing the potential outcome. We do. I feel like we have all done it at some point in our lives. A girl might like a guy knowing that he is a trouble maker and has a history of bad relationships. In her mind, she knows that everybody he has dated has been hurt. "But, he’s got pretty blue eyes, so we’ll be fine together". Bad decisions. Here’s the thing, when we get to that fork in the road that has two decisions, one good and one bad, do you think God only follows us down one of them? No. God follows us down either one of them. When we make that decision to go down the bad path, God will not stop us. But, God goes with us. I think the Holy Spirit grabs some tissues, and an icepack, puts on a helmet, and says, “This is gonna hurt. But, we’re gonna do it together."
God was with Samuel, Israel, and Saul during all of their bad decisions. They all made those bad decisions and God allowed it to happen. Would you believe that, even, God makes regretful decisions? After Saul’s reign as king was over, the writer tells us this, “Samuel never saw Saul again before he died, but he grieved over Saul. However, the Lord regretted making Saul king over Israel.” I don’t think God makes bad decisions. But, I do think that God regrets when we make bad decisions. I think God regrets it because God knows that those bad decisions in our past often come back and haunt us. What is the result of the haunting past? Anxiety.
Do you often think about bad decisions or bad choices that you’ve made in the past? Do you ever think about what would have or could have been had you made different choices? Here’s my favorite, where would I be had I not wasted my time on that? Or, where would I be if I had used my time more wisely? Where would I be had I not married that person? Worked for that company? Listen to that advice? Followed that friend? What could have been? Why did I make those mistakes? Would my life be better? Why did I take that path?
When we ask those questions, the anchor digs in deep. The fire starts to spread to other areas in our lives. Sometimes, dwelling on those questions leads to brand new poor decisions. The next thing you know, there are a few more anchors.
There was a reason why God did not want Israel to have a king when they wanted one. God had a king in mind and it was a great king. It was King David. But, David was not old enough to be the king. So, there was a fork in the road. One path leads to Saul becoming king and Israel struggling with Saul and that is just what happened. The other path was Israel waiting for David. There was a lot of struggle that could have come with that because of all of the threats by other kingdoms. It could have been very detrimental. But, the end of both of those paths was a blessing. King David. The great King that united God’s people. So, regardless of what decision God’s people made, there would have been consequences. But, both paths led to the same place. Regardless of the struggle, the end was glory.
So, regardless of the decision they made, God was prepared to allow God’s people to struggle so that they would appreciate the blessing that was to come. The blessings that Israel experienced at the end of the path were so great, they were able to let go of the haunting past.
So, here’s a question. I want you to think about it. What past anxieties are haunting you? What decisions of your past are holding you back? What past anxieties are causing a fire to spread into other areas of your life? Do they keep you up at night? Do they cause you to lose focus on your life? Are they affecting facets of your life such as work, relationships, or family? Are you following me?
Focusing on those past anxieties are causing that anchor to did in deeper and sometimes they are causing more anchors to drop. The only way to move forward is to cut the chain. Don’t just real them in and let them sink again. Cut the chain and look ahead because there are many blessings that God wants you to experience. There is glory ahead and you cannot experience it unless you move forward. And, if you continue to look at the paths behind you and the decisions you've made, you cannot see what is ahead. If you are looking back, you cannot see forward.
My friends, there is something up there for you to see. There is something God wants to show you. And, there are many more decisions to make.
Now, what if the fire got out of control? What if that anxiety has spread into other facets of life and done some damage? It’s ok. There are many blessings to gain from this out-of-control fire. First thing’s first, you have to put the fire out. The first step in doing that is convincing yourself that there will be blessings to come from this. Then the next step is admitting that you need help and telling the people around you that you are struggling. And, always know that God walks with you through every struggle and bad decision you make.
We all know that fire does a lot of damage. But, have you ever noticed that after time, the grass that was once burned will grow back greener? That is a blessing ahead of you that you will experience. Allow the people that have been affected by your anxieties to walk with you and God away from the past. You will all gain strength from the journey. And, when you glance at the past, you will notice the green grass growing.
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