Are you a worrier? Do you fret and lose sleep through worrying?
There are so many things in today’s busy and challenging society that can cause stress – finances, relationships, work or lack of it, health, children, and the list goes on. With the demands of modern life not many of us can escape feeling overwhelmed at times.
What is worry?
The dictionary defines worry as to ‘feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems’.
Interestingly it comes from an old English word that means ‘to strangle’. That is in fact what worrying does- it strangles our peace of mind and our enjoyment of life and if unchecked can affect us physically, mentally and spiritually.
Many scientific studies have linked anxiety with disease processes and it’s hardly surprising to find a vast amount of information devoted to helping one to deal with stress, from diets to meditation, self help and exercises, most promising a worry free future!
The Bible has quite a lot to say about worry!
In Proverbs 12:25 we read: ‘Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression but a good word makes it glad’
One of my favourite passages is Matthew 6:19-34 where Jesus talks very specifically about worry, as it relates to our lives.
Firstly He deals with our motives and goals, urging us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)
He teaches that our goals and motives are to be focused on God and his Kingdom. If your goals are making money and/or securing your own future you are focusing on the wrong goal. The love of money and self interest will steal your heart and replace your love for God “for where your treasure is there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Both cannot coexist in the human heart.
He then goes on to say that our Heavenly Father knows our material needs and he will provide for them- “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 important than food, and the body more important 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?”Matthew 6:25-27,
“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither labour nor spin. Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matt. 6:28-30.
Jesus calls the worrier ‘O ye of little faith.’ We don’t like to think of worry as a lack of faith but that’s how God sees it.
When a baby is born we don’t wait for it to tell us it needs milk or a nappy change. No we instinctively know what it needs and do our best to provide; God has a far greater understanding of our needs. He is certainly a better parent to His children than we could ever be.
Our Father’s desire is that we should put Him first in our lives, that we obey and honour Him and let Him develop our character to bring praise to Him
The final verse of this profound passage on worry states: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” Matthew 6:34
He isn’t saying we won’t face trials or difficulties or that uncertainty and fear won’t cause us heartaches, He is simply telling us not to anticipate them ahead of time. If you dread what may not eventuate you have worried in vain- think of it like climbing a flight of stairs. You don’t take a giant leap from the bottom to reach the top; no you climb one step at a time till you reach the top. So likewise Jesus tells us to do what we can today and leave tomorrow for tomorrow’s strengths
This passage is such an encouragement to worriers; God has given us His promises, His protection and His provision. We only need to ‘cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7) and in Philippians 4: 6-7 Paul writes: “Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let you requests be known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”
So don’t bear the strain of worry on your own, take it to the only One who can and will undertake for you.