Having a Biblical Worldview: "Regarding Worry and Anxiety"
Matthew 6:19-21 (MSG)
19 "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or-worse!-stolen by burglars.
20 Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars.
21 It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is...is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
Today we are looking at what the prospects of worrying and anxiety bring into a person's life; and how Jesus offers us some real sound advice on how to change it into a positive perspective. We are often a people who remain too stressed and agitated at the events of life. However, if we will really be honest with ourselves who can actually remember what they were worrying about at this very same time a year ago? It was these things that we were so consumed within our thoughts but today we can't remember what they were. Fitting isn't it? That worry and anxiety have much to do with the things that will never really happen. It's the excessive concerns over things that more likely will never manifest.
Worry makes itself at home in our mind and it wants to stay up late talking to us. If we are to wake up in the middle of the night, there we find him giving us something to think about. When worry shows up we need to refuse to embrace it...but rather we ought to pray to God about those things and get His counsel. We should learn to turn things over to God whenever a crisis shows up in our lives rather than worrying over it. There is a Swedish proverb that says it perfectly:
"The small worry casts a BIG shadow"
People have always worried about the essentials of life; yet God's Word teaches us to cast our cares on Him because He loves us. Over and over again the Scriptures affirm us to trust God and look to Him in everything regarding to this life. Why then do we worry? To plainly put it...it is because we don't really believe God will take care of us. Faith is a divine quality that God gave to each person to which enables them to trust something. Sadly, we trust our own interventions and plans which often leave us feeling helpless. Faith in this case has been inappropriately applied to trust something other than God and His provision; therefore, we tend to worry about what we can't control. Here is what Jesus wants you and me to get in our spirit:
Matthew 6:25-33 (NLT)
25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
There is an old fable that I want to share that can bring some insight to our subject today: Death was walking towards a particular man's city one morning and the man asked, what are you going to do? Death said today I am going to take a hundred people. That's horrible the man replied. In response, death says, well that's what I do. So this man runs ahead of death and begins to warn everyone about death's plan. That evening this man came upon Death and chided him by saying, you told me that you were only going to take 100 people, why did you take a thousand? To which Death replied, I kept my word, I only took a 100 people...Worry took the others!
Here is three things that we can extract from the words of Jesus regarding worry and anxiety:
#1 Christians should never worry! However, Jesus is not saying that we are to give no thought towards the needs of life such as food, shelter and clothing...He just doesn't want us to worry over them. There are many admonitions from Scripture about saving our money and investing wisely and working hard to provide for our families. Yet, Jesus does not want us to worry over these things. Have you ever seen a worrying bird carrying around a little bottle of valium? Or twice a week lying on a branch getting psychiatric help over his worrying from Dr. Hootie Owl? No! Jesus said they don't worry about whether they will be fed or given shelter; and we being much more valuable to our Father should trust our Creator to take care of us too.
#2 Worry will not lengthen our days! It will just make them more miserable. Does it not tell us in Matthew 6:27 "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Therefore, we can conclude that worry is a completely worthless activity. It's like a rocking chair, you're always moving but you're never getting anywhere. Worry doesn't empty today of its sorrow, it empties tomorrow of its strength. Worrying diminishes you, it hurts you and it chokes the abundant life from you. Many times we justify our worrying by saying things like: I worry because I care. However I would like to point out, worrying is not a virtue! In fact, worrying can actually become a sin. Read the words of this next passage:
Matthew 6:25 (AMP)
25 Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
In other words, Jesus is saying STOP worrying! The results of worrying about the future are that you are crippling yourself in the present.
Matthew 6:34 (MSG)
34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
I understand the world is full of trouble. And I understand that these things can cause great anxiety if we don't process things with the mind of Christ. Therefore, the question is not if we will have trouble; the question is what we will do with the trouble that we are faced with. Jesus tells us not to worry about it; He has us covered.
#3 Worry is an indication of a lack of faith! Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones said, "To be of little faith means we are mastered by our circumstances instead of mastering them." This is so true! Let me close with noting a segment of a familiar story to most Christians probably reading this devotional today (Daniel 6). It is the story regarding Daniel the prophet of God when he was to be thrown into the lion's den for breaking a decree made by king Darius who was tricked by the other counselors because they were jealous of Daniel. Notice when Daniel was tossed in the lions den that he curled up with the lions and went to sleep peacefully whereas the king living in luxury of a palace and all the comforts of life and yet he was worried and stressed throughout the night. Quite a paradox wouldn't you say; especially when we compare the two positions of thought here and their circumstance. One was able to rest in the middle of life and death trouble while the other worried and stressed though they were seated in a safe and protected environment.
Conclusion: when I am worrying, I am saying God is not in control and He is not paying attention to my circumstance, therefore, I make Him a liar that does not keep His Word. It is here that we resort to figuring a way out of this situation on our own. When that's achievable its great; but when it is too big for you and you still try to work it out without God...you will sink in the helplessness of worry and anxiety to which has destroyed many people over the centuries. Cast your cares on Him, He loves you and promised to take care of you.
