[1]KINGSTON, Okla. (BP)–Are you worried about someone or something today? If God, in His Word, promises to watch over and take care of us, why do we worry?
It is certain God is watching every move we make and wants only the very best for the divine purpose He has for your life. He loves us so much He paid the ultimate price for every sin we have and will commit by being gruesomely slain on a cross … with you on His mind the entire time. Isn’t that an awesome thought?
So why worry? Why do we fill our lives with uneasiness in the mind? Why worry when it is time to pay the rent, when a health crisis encounters our lives, when problems and responsibilities of every day life seem to overwhelm us? Why worry when we know everything we go through is for a reason, and Jesus will be with us no matter what we face? In striving to live a worry-free life, we desperately need to ask God for the right direction to each situation we encounter.
People who do not know the Hope of Glory are so wrapped up in worrying that they worry about worrying itself. The Bible tells us in Matthew 6 to take one day at a time and not to worry about the problems of tomorrow — because tomorrow will worry about itself. As a matter of fact God is already there! So in the words of Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit: “Don’t worry, be happy.”
Even as we reflect on the truth in this phrase, do you still feel that you worry more than you should? Do you think this is easier said than done? Medical science has confirmed that worry is a serious contributing factor in many major illnesses. Think about it this way — worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.
But we have a way out of worrying: we can take our problems and cares to the Lord in prayer. Have you thought about this? A problem not worth praying about is not really worth worrying about. Have you ever noticed how worry tends to increase with the tension and pressure points in our lives? Worry often comes at a time of crisis. Just when you need a clear mind and steady nerves to make the wisest decision possible, here comes worry — like a dark cloud that obstructs the warmth and light of the sun. Worry drains you of your ability to think creatively and can cause many other problems.
[2]Just to name a few, worry can fill the face with wrinkles and apprehension. It has the ability to rob the body of rest at night and send you through your day shattered and shaky, living on the ragged edge. Has this been you lately? Worry also can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, and a host of other diseases. Why? Worry is fear, rather than faith. Worry is a predisposition toward defeat and despair. One man said, “Most of the troubles I have worried about in life never happened.” Have you noticed this reality before, but still continue to worry?
If this is how worry can ruin our lives, then we desperately need to find a way to overcome the worry that entangles our lives. Never worry about things you cannot change in life. The Serenity Prayer captures this thought, “Lord grant me the courage to change the things I can, grace to bear what I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Do you have confidence that the Bible is very clear on the assurance of how to conquer worry? It boldly gives us the prescription for worry. Do not worry about your fear, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Do not worry when you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life. The Apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
Have you thought about this? Worry is the rejection of faith, and allows a Christian to say he believes one way — but lives another. It may be a clear indication that we may be hearing the Word of God, but not putting it into practice. No wonder the Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). It is impossible to worry and trust God at the same time.
If your life’s course has been altered by worry, then it is time you focus on the presence of the living God. Feel His peace and His reassuring touch. Experience His love and the joy of His presence. If you are living in this spiritual zone, worry will die. Therefore, don’t worry … be happy!
–30–
Jeremy Woods is pastor of Willis Baptist Church in Kingston, Okla.