Why Worry?

We all experience worry at some point in our lives, don’t we? An unexpected bill comes through the door that we haven’t budgeted for, and we worry about how we are going to pay it.

A loved one arrives home 30 minutes after they said they would, and we have spent the whole time worrying that something may have happened to them.

Your child goes off to nursery for the first time and you spend the day worrying about how they are getting on and if they have settled ok.

We all have these times where we feel out of control and unable to balance all of the plates spinning in our lives. We turn to worry, trying to figure out how we can resolve a certain matter or problem, sometimes without going to the Source first.

There is nothing wrong with caring, we all have things that we care about and that is good. But when caring becomes worrying, it robs us of our joy and depletes the energy we need for life.

Pause to read today’s verses, found in Matthew 6:25-34.

Matthew starts off by acknowledging the things that we all need – food, drink, and clothes.

We know it. Matthew knows it. God knows it!

We can rest assured that God is aware of what we require to live well and has plans to provide them.

Matthew goes on to illustrate this by pointing out that even the birds of the air go day to day, trusting the provision of the Father. They do not fly around worrying about their next meal or where they will build their nests – it is all richly provided for them by God in nature.

Can we achieve anything with our worrying? Or does it simply drain the joy out of our lives?

Matthew adds that the flowers in the field are better dressed than we could ever hope to be even though they are discarded after the day is done. How incredibly valuable are we to God compared to them! Remember that when you are worrying. He loves you and cares about what you need. He even cares about what you want! God knows the desires of our hearts as well as our needs.

Friends, how will we stand out to a world that is lost and searching if we live our lives worrying about the same things as those who don’t yet know God. We must resist worry and fight for peace.

Look to God’s business rather than your own and He will look after the rest. Live in accordance with His ways and He will provide you with all you need.

Don’t worry about the future, God know the plans He has for us(see Jeremiah 29:11)and if we trust Him, that can be enough.

 

Beating Worry

Jesus did not leave us alone in our worry. He knew that we would face it and has given us a process to follow when it arrives in our lives. We are not left helpless. The Bible holds great wisdom for times of worry.

Pause to read Philippians 4:6-7.

How wonderful! We literally have a formula for worry written right into scripture!

Worry + Prayer (Needs + Thanksgiving) = Peace.

When the bill comes – pray. Thank God for your income and all that He has already done in your financial life.

When they’re still not home yet – pray. Thank God for the relationship and the love that you share.

When your child has their first day at nursery – pray. Thank God for the gift of a child and the provision of nursery care.

And then, once you have prayed and thanked and submitted your needs, allow the peace that only God can provide to wash over you.

It may not come immediately, you may need to press into God through prayer, but it will come. God has promised it.

It can be tempting when we are worried to reach for the phone or share our worries with another person. There is a time and place for this. But the best way to overcome worry is to go to God first. Not only does this honor and bless Him, but it prevents us from allowing the worry to increase.

God cares, friends. He wants us to come to Him rather than sit in the endless space of worry. (Read 1 Peter 5:7)

The wonderful thing about the equation we have discovered in scripture is that we can apply it anywhere, anytime. When our faith is based on a relationship, not a religion, we know that we have access to God through prayer, whenever worry arises.

Worry + Prayer (Needs + Thanksgiving) = Peace.

Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of the joy that today holds. Take your cares to Jesus and allow Him to fill you with peace.

 

Living Worry-Free

We’ve discovered together that worrying is not God’s best for us. We’ve also established that the antidote to worry is prayer, which produces peace.

But how can we stop worry in its tracks before it grabs hold of us.

I believe the answer is to cultivate a life of peace.

The Bible says this in Romans 12:18:

‘Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.’

Everyone. This includes with ourselves!

If we are at war with others or within ourselves, we will have plenty to worry about. But if we have crafted a life of peace, we stand a far better chance of living free from worry.

Wisdom plays a big part of living at peace.

• Rather than spending endlessly, save. Then you will have peace in your finances.
• Rather than arriving 10 minutes late every day to work, show up 10 minutes early. Then you will have peace that you are building a good reputation in your workplace.
• Rather than dragging yourself out of bed at the last minute, get up earlier and spend time with God at the start of your day. Then you will have peace knowing that you have set yourself up to win that day.

Wise actions such as these examples can be applied to all areas of our lives. Living righteously is not just a ‘good idea,’ it is encouraged in scripture because it produces peace in our lives.

The good news about God’s peace, friends, is that it cannot be disturbed. It is a gift given by the ultimate Gift-Giver.

John 14:27 says this:

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Cultivate a life of peace.

Live righteously.

Live wisely.

These are the ingredients of living a worry-free life.