I sometimes struggle with anxiety. If I let my mind wander, I can come up with all kinds of things to stress over. It’s the uncertainty of life that gets to me. I want to know what’s going to happen, and I want to have a say in it!
But the reality is, most things are out of our control. Disease, disaster, death, and destruction can strike without warning. Rather than despair, however, we can take comfort in the words of Jesus.
Worry is damaging.
Unchecked, worry can have devastating effects. It can make you physically ill, contributing to things like digestive disorders and cardiovascular disease. It can even lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Worry also affects your spiritual life. Listen to this warning from Jesus in Mathew 13, where he explains that the worries of life can prevent us from growing spiritually:
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
~Mathew 13:22
Take a moment now and read Mathew 6: 19-34.
Notice that right before Jesus addresses the topic of worry, He talks about the problem with focusing on wealth. Why? I think it’s because some people believe that more money will rid them of their worries. This is a trap. Wealth can evaporate in an instant, and no amount of it will ever satisfy your deepest needs. Not only that, but if you’re not careful, the pursuit of wealth can become all consuming. Money becomes your master, and it is a cruel master indeed.
Sources of worry.
God knows what we tend to worry about most. Our immediate physical needs are always front and center in our minds. We need food, water, shelter, and clothes to survive, and when those things are in jeopardy, we start to fret.
But Jesus reminds us that if we trust God, He will provide for us.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”
~Mathew 6:25-30
Letting go.
When you begin to worry, remember this quote:
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom
Worry is a sign that you are clinging to this world. Life is short and this world is temporary. Jesus said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Mathew 10:39).
So stop worrying! God is in control. If you seek first the kingdom of God and strive to live righteously, God promises to take care of your needs and work everything together for your good in the end.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
