Touré Roberts - Stability in Unstable Times

I believe that God wants you to have today the gift of stability—not just stability, but stability in unstable times. This is a very fragile time in our world right now. Just because the world is fragile, you don’t have to be. Right now, we are looking to stabilize many things in our world. Some are aiming to stabilize the infection rate; others are focused on stabilizing the economy. I desire all of that, but what I want more than anything is to stabilize you. When things are shaking all around you, it’s important that you remain stable. I don’t want you to become fragile just because the world is fragile. I’m reminded of the scripture that says, «Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.» In other words, just because things are happening around you doesn’t mean they have to happen within you. As I prayed about which passage of Scripture to share with you and unpack regarding this stability that I believe God wants us to have—one that offers instructions and insights to help us create this stability—Philippians 4 immediately came to mind. So, let’s dive into it! I want to teach today and unpack this message, and we’re going to have an awesome time. So make sure you’ve got your pen and paper handy, and if you’re tracking with me, feel free to comment, «I’m tracking with you, PT.» Now, let’s get right to it: Philippians 4:6. I love it because it starts off by saying, «Be anxious for nothing.» We are in a moment in time, especially in our lives right now, where there is much to be anxious about. To be honest, there are many things that could cause us anxiety, given how our world has been turned upside down. This is, I believe, a very timely passage of Scripture. Yet God, through His great servant the Apostle Paul, says, «Be anxious for nothing.» That word «anxious» is an interesting term. It literally means—watch this—to take thought. To dig deeper into that word means to take thought in such a way that you are being overtaken by those thoughts. In other words, it signifies that you are taking on a series of thoughts, and those thoughts are destabilizing you, making you anxious and nervous. The writer starts off immediately by urging us not to be anxious. What does he mean by «don’t be anxious?» He is essentially telling you and me not to be overtaken by the thoughts we take on. Interestingly, there’s a Greek word referenced in a translation that the English word was developed from in the Book of Acts. It describes a gentleman who was devout, and that word «devout» literally means to take well. It’s fascinating because we think of discipline in this context, which is true, but at the root of that word, it means to take well. What does it mean to take well in the context of anxiety? It means we are taking thoughts—too many thoughts—and as we take these thoughts, anxiety kicks in, and we become destabilized. I believe the reason I introduced the concept of being devout is that God wants you to be a good taker. He wants you to discern which thoughts to take and which to leave behind. You have to cultivate the discipline and the devout mentality to determine what you will or won’t take on. There are a number of thoughts that can come your way—thoughts that can scare you, thoughts that can cause you to worry. But you must make up your mind: I am NOT going to accept any thought that weakens me or destabilizes me. There are thoughts that you must accept; certain pieces of information you have to take because they relate to what you need to do or what you may need to correct. Come on, somebody! I am not saying to shut everything down; I am just saying you need to know what to embrace. I’m talking about being a good taker and learning to take well, as many things will come at you every single day—thoughts and ideas that should not occupy precious mental real estate. You need to become the gatekeeper of your mind and decide not to accept just anything. You will say to that negative thought, to that thought that undermines you or calls you to waver…