“You have absolutely nothing to be worried about. Why are you so upset?” My reply, “I don’t know.” However, the real reason I was worried was because I didn’t have anything to worry about. Life was going too well. I was worrying that something bad must be going to happen”
I imagine some are thinking that’s totally ridiculous; others are saying, “Yea, that’s my husband” or “That describes my wife to a tee.” At one point my wife would have said this about me. My picture could have been next to ‘worry’ in the dictionary.
Worry was an issue even during the time of the New Testament. Jesus teaches about it. “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing’ (Mat 6:31)? If you’ve taken any psychology classes you recognize that in the hierarchy of needs, eating, drinking, and clothing are the greatest of the basic necessities of life. So, Jesus is telling us not to worry about even the very basics, let alone the lesser necessities.
So what is worry? The original word in the New Testament is translated worry, anxiety, or care. Its root meaning is to divide; and indicates dividing our attention thus distracting the heart from the true object of life—God. We are to love the LORD with all (100%) our heart, soul, and mind. Thus, worry divides our attention making us fall short of 100%.
One study shows that 40% of what we worry about will never happen; 30% of what we worry about are things that happened in the past and can’t be changed; 10% of what we worry about are insignificant issues; and 12% of what we worry about are health issues that will not happen. This means that 92% of what we worry about will never take place.
The reality of worry is that it accomplishes absolutely nothing. Jesus asked, Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Matt 6:27)? Instead of helping, worry is detrimental and could take many hours or even years away from our lives. So why do we worry? Worry is a product of fear, which is the product of doubt. Worry is bringing tomorrow’s problems into today or clinging to yesterday’s mistakes.
Yet, we can overcome worry. From my personal journey, I can say it is a process—which I am still working on. One helpful step I began practicing was to postpone worry until tomorrow. Next day, I’d postpone it again. At some point I’d realize my perceived problem wasn’t even there.
Peter writes, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. It is interesting to note that he doesn’t say cast them away from you, but it literally reads; deliberately hurl your worry ON him. The key is placing our worry on Jesus, as we would put a load on the back of a donkey.
Paul is quite bold and commands the Philippians, Don’t worry about anything. Then he gave them the solution to worry, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. v7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
When we worry, we are looking in the wrong direction. And the longer we stare, the bigger the problem appears. Eventually, we get to the point where we begin thinking that God isn’t capable of solving this particular issue—doubt. His peace far beyond human understanding turns our eyes back in the right direction. The more we focus on God, the bigger He gets. Soon His greatness will over shadow anything future or past we are anxious about.
The disciples were full of doubt, fearful, and worried after the crucifixion of Jesus. All their hope was gone. Yet, Jesus didn’t reject them for their doubt. Rather, He came and reassured them that He was alive. I’ve struggled not to worry for the past week over an obstacle in our lives. As I wrote this, I was suddenly over come with a peace I can’t put into words. The obstacle is still there, but I’m not worried. God has given me His peace that is far beyond my understanding.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Stop wasting your time and energy worrying. It accomplishes absolutely nothing. By deliberately hurling your worry ON him, you demonstrate your trust and love for Him. And remember love conquers all fear thus conquering worry.