A Word About Worry

On Sunday we talked about worry—and rightfully so—because sometimes we worry. That is pretty normal. Now, if per chance, you do not worry—I mean, never worry—then I do not want to make you worry. I do not want you thinking that may not be normal. If you do not worry, then don’t worry about it. Enjoy it! If you do worry some of the time or most of the time, then this follow-up writing on worry is for you.

First, let me remind you what Jesus teaches us, “Do not worry…” (Matthew 6:25). And for good reason (as we learned on Sunday): Worry doesn’t help anyway—it is wasteful, harmful and sinful. So our goal is to beat worry. To do so, let’s think about this subject a bit more.

What is worry? It is that uneasy feeling we have over some real or imagined problem. It is associated with thoughts of our well-being (or those we love) somehow being threatened and it naturally assumes the worst may very well happen. When we worry like that, it usually means we are trying to solve tomorrow’s problem before tomorrow occurs. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough worries itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

It’s true that our tomorrows are not going to be trouble-free. God has not promised joy without sorrow or pleasure without pain. He has promised to care for us on days of difficulty and meet our needs in seasons of adversity. That is the point Jesus is making when He said that God takes care of the birds of the air and lilies of the field. Jesus said, “Are you not much more valuable (to the Heavenly Father) than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

If we live long enough, we are going to face our fair share of heartbreak and difficulty. However, it does not mean that God abandons us in our time of need or ignores us in our cries for help. You have heard it said, “We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.” This should give us no small measure of peace and tranquility even in times of hardship and adversity.

David, in the Old Testament, serves as an example for us. He experienced many dark days of trials and troubles over the course of his life, especially in his early years. Though he had been faithful to King Saul in every possible way, still Saul tried to kill David many times. For more than ten years, David hid in caves and wooded areas in an attempt to escape the sword of Saul. David could have slipped into a dark depression or become an angry, bitter man. But he didn’t! In his darkest days of adversity, he looked to the Lord and trusted wholly upon Him. David wrote about it: “The LORD is my light and salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid…though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:1-3).

Instead of worrying, David chose trusting! In God’s time (after Saul had died), the people turned to David and made him King. Whether in a cave or forest, or later in a palace, God cared for David and met his needs. Even further, God led David down the right paths. That is precisely what He promises to do for us. What more could we need?

So dear child of God, my advice for you is this: Put Off Worry To Another Day and, instead, Trust God to Care for You Today! Do not worry!

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron