Emotional Reset: "Stop Dwelling, Start Believing" | Matthew 6:25-34

Like, the reset that we need is to stop dwelling and believing, to to remember God's not lying, so we need to start applying. Be like the wise man who built this house on the rock. And how you get there to redirect your thoughts is reorder your hope or reorder your priorities. One of the most famous stories in all of scripture, Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you're worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed. Indeed, only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. Mary sat down at the feet of god because what god was offering her there would last, would give her hope, reminded her of future. [00:39:11] (40 seconds)  #resetStopDwelling

Because here's what Jesus says, come to me all you who are weary and burdened. He said that in Matthew chapter 11. So I don't what burdens you're carrying. I don't know how heavy they are, but if you're like me, the opportunity to come to him when we're weary and burdened is so needed because what he offers and he promises and I will give you rest. [00:01:03] (20 seconds)  #comeToJesusRest

But sadly, all too often, I think we fail to go to the right place first, which is the root issue that is sometimes involved when it comes to our emotional wellness and health. I shared these words with you earlier, so I'm gonna repeat them again. As you consider where you go to and what do you do, because all too often sadly people don't do what Jesus encouraged them to do, calls us to do, offers to us as a result. He says, come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. [00:14:54] (35 seconds)  #goToRightPlaceFirst

And so here's the thing I need you to hear when we get into this. Anxiety and worry, like every other emotion, is neutral. It's amoral. Only God created us to be emotional creatures. We're hardwired with those things and not all anxiety in and of itself is sinful and wrong. Okay? So the pastor has declared that. And you know how I know that? This person who lived on Earth two thousand years ago by the name of Jesus in the Garden Of Gethsemane was undergoing and experiencing something we would call anticipatory anxiety. [00:11:24] (36 seconds)  #emotionsAreNeutral

And maybe, just maybe, you need to think of this a little differently because I think if you are here today, I I pray this is true and maybe you're not sure yet, but for many of you, you believe in God. Like, you believe in Jesus who died. But that whole question of either God's lying or you're not applying, believing in God is one thing. Believing God believing God is different. Like, believing his word and his promises is different than believing in God who wrote his word. And all too often for us as Christians, we believe in God. We don't believe God. [00:30:21] (49 seconds)  #believeGodNotJustInHim

Like, Jesus lays out so beautifully this simple step of what to do. Like, Jesus knows tomorrow we'll have troubles, but when the the worry rises this week, let it become a signal to you. Let it become a signal to you so that you don't spiral, but you seek first. Not second, not when everything else is handled, not when you do every last thing you can do and then fret and worry. Like, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. [00:33:54] (30 seconds)  #seekFirstHisKingdom

Like, would argue that 10% of the time, 20% of the time, the anxiety we have, the worry that we have, that's physical, that's human. It's based on stress. It's based on a real danger. It it's valuable and important. That's why the flight, or fight response in your brain goes off. Like, there's something that alerts you. There's an anxious moment. Like, that that that's physically there for a good purpose. But if you constantly live in the state of physical anxiety and worry, your human body is not designed to live that way, and not every circumstance has a real threat. A lot of anxiety and worry as we're gonna see are about things that aren't that. [00:12:40] (46 seconds)  #physicalAnxietyIsNormal

Which leads me to two questions I want you to wrestle with before we jump in. Like, want you to think about what you dwell on, what you think about, what's crowding your mind right now or in your world that you need to stop dwelling on, being fixated on, holding onto, and not proactively addressing. Like, what is it that's crowding your mind? Write it down, make a mental note of it, like, be able and willing to to discuss it and express it. Like, I I know what mine is. [00:13:26] (38 seconds)  #examineWhatYouDwellOn

Like, have wrong thinking. Like, we forget about the providence or control the power of God who says he is at work and in control of all things. Like, the universe hasn't stopped spinning yet because God is allowing it to continue to spin. Like, God is in control. The bible clearly says it, but our wrong thinking will question his control. Does he know what he's doing? What he believes is for my best is not for my best. It's that he won't or can't. [00:28:23] (40 seconds)  #GodIsInControl

Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. All too often people talk about blind faith. Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. Anxiety is actually the absence of thinking, the things of God. Faith requires thinking, like, in get in the facts of what God says and what God promises. Like, redirect your thoughts. I got three of those for you. Redirecting your thoughts includes this, believe, not in God, believe God is in charge. [00:36:11] (28 seconds)  #faithRequiresThinking

He wants you to leave this place without the shame, without the guilt, without the the brokenness. He wants you to know that you've been healed, you've been rescued, you are forgiven. And if those burdens that you're carrying have not been left at the cross, he wants you to go with his peace celebrating that it's yours because he has brought made you whole through his blood, his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. [00:02:39] (23 seconds)  #leaveWithHisPeace

Worry and anxiety, if you're taking notes, here's what I want you to think about the underlying issue. What why does it come up? Why does it happen? Because it's concern about that which I can't control. It's the desire to control the uncontrollable. And notice when Jesus spoke in this section, Jesus isn't saying, like, buck up. It's easy. He isn't saying, like, this is a an issue that no one has. [00:25:27] (30 seconds)  #controlTheUncontrollable

Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. All too often people talk about blind faith. Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. Anxiety is actually the absence of thinking, the things of God. Faith requires thinking, like, in get in the facts of what God says and what God promises. Like, redirect your thoughts. I got three of those for you. Redirecting your thoughts includes this, believe, not in God, believe God is in charge. [00:36:11] (28 seconds)  #thinkAndTrustGod

Like, Jesus understands the heart issue that's in play for you and for me is this desire to be in control. And you know what happens when worry and anxiety hit? Why we get overwhelmed with them and dwell on them? Because we forget and fail that God has made promises that he is in control. And we forget that God has made a promise that he loves you. [00:27:21] (34 seconds)  #rememberGodLovesYou

Like, the reset that we need is to stop dwelling and believing, to to remember God's not lying, so we need to start applying. Be like the wise man who built this house on the rock. And how you get there to redirect your thoughts is reorder your hope or reorder your priorities. One of the most famous stories in all of scripture, Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you're worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed. Indeed, only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. Mary sat down at the feet of god because what god was offering her there would last, would give her hope, reminded her of future. [00:39:11] (40 seconds)  #buildOnTheRock

Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. All too often people talk about blind faith. Like, faith is not the absence of thinking. Anxiety is actually the absence of thinking, the things of God. Faith requires thinking, like, in get in the facts of what God says and what God promises. Like, redirect your thoughts. I got three of those for you. Redirecting your thoughts includes this, believe, not in God, believe God is in charge. [00:36:11] (28 seconds)  #thinkAboutGodsPromises

The promises of God, the goodness of God, the grace of God. Look no further. When when you wonder, does God love me? He hasn't filled my personal message inbox with with reminders of his love. You open his word and seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and he reminds you on a daily basis that he loves you. Like, we know that truth so real, but then in the day to day life living that we do, we worry because we wonder, does God really love me? The cross says he loves you unconditionally, eternally. [00:35:18] (37 seconds)  #seekHisWordForLove

Believe God is in charge of the things in my life, the things in your life, the things in this world. It is a broken world and it is a difficult world to live in. Sometimes we might scratch our heads and wonder why, but we cannot stop believing that God is in control and that God will work all things out for our good. He makes that promise. It is in his word. Believe that God is in control. [00:36:47] (25 seconds)  #believeGodIsInCharge

He wants you to leave this place without the shame, without the guilt, without the the brokenness. He wants you to know that you've been healed, you've been rescued, you are forgiven. And if those burdens that you're carrying have not been left at the cross, he wants you to go with his peace celebrating that it's yours because he has brought made you whole through his blood, his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. [00:02:39] (23 seconds)  #leaveHealedForgiven

See, would tell you and argue there's a big difference when it comes to topics like this and the emotional reset we're gonna see in just a minute based on Jesus' words. How do we reset on a regular basis? How do we address anxiety and worry when they rear their ugly head in our life when they're valid or not valid and and deal with them? It it's this root issue that we're not applying the promises of God. [00:27:55] (28 seconds)  #applyGodsPromises