Why Worry
WHY WORRY
“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
One good way to describe worry is that it's reacting to things that haven't happened yet. It's taking any what-if you can think of, giving it room to bloom, and putting yourself into the future story that the what-if could write. Worry dishonors God, as well as your own real story that is unfolding today as we speak. Worry spends so much time in the future that it prevents you from appreciating your now.
Because we are human beings who have the capacity to think and to anticipate future events, we worry. We worry about big things, little things, and just about everything in between. To make matters worse, we live in a world that breeds anxiety and fosters fear. So, it's not surprising that when we come face to face with tough times, we may fall prey to discouragement, doubt, or depression. But our father in heaven has other plans.
God has promised that we can lead lives of abundance, not anxiety. In fact, His Word instructs us to be “anxious for nothing.” But how can we put our fears to rest? By taking those fears to Him and leaving them there. The very same God who created the universe has promised to protect us both now and forever. He invites each of us to deposit our worries at His feet and let Him sort out our future. After all, He isn't bound by time. He is in our future right now, writing wonderful stories we haven't even dreamed of.
So, what do you have to worry about? With God on your side, the answer is nothing!
+++
It was Corrie Ten Boom who said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” If you have ever lived for any length of time with worry and the anxiety it brings, then you know the above statement is true. When your heart is filled with worry, your whole life is exhausting.
I would dare to say that when a person is filled with worry, they are trying to be the God of their own lives. We forget, as the above writer wrote, that God is God and we are not. We forget that as God he is in the past, present, and in the future. We forget that as our God and Savior He is on our side and is working only for what is best for us. And when we forget, our lives are filled with worry about things over which we have no control.
As Jesus speaks to us in our text, He is telling us that we need to focus our lives on what is happening today and not worry about the future. We cannot dictate or change the future that is coming our way. But our God who reigns above can!
It is easy to talk about turning our worries and fears over to God, but as you know it is very difficult to do. I heard something not long ago that made sense to me. Instead of focusing our hearts on what we think might go wrong, focus our prayers on gratitude. Gratitude in our hearts it brings a sense of settled peace because we are taking stock in all that God has already done for us. As we do this we see His faithfulness and His love manifested in our lives. With the assurance of His presence and His blessings we were able to overcome the worry and the fear that can fill us when our focus is misdirected.
There is another quote I would like to share with you. “Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed so is the body.” — Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a man who lived in a day and age where everything possible could go wrong. And yet he focused on what he needed to do and did what was right and through him God accomplished the Protestant Reformation. We would not be the church we are today if Luther had sat around and worried about all the possibilities and what-ifs.
Sometimes the best possible thing we can do when we're filled with worry is get up and get busy doing what we know we should do, and in that we see how God is working in our lives.
So, if you've been filled with worry and the fear that fills your heart is at times overwhelming, get busy doing the things God would have you do. Seek to be a blessing to someone else and your eyes will be lifted off of yourself to see the wonderful life with which you have been blessed.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
“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
One good way to describe worry is that it's reacting to things that haven't happened yet. It's taking any what-if you can think of, giving it room to bloom, and putting yourself into the future story that the what-if could write. Worry dishonors God, as well as your own real story that is unfolding today as we speak. Worry spends so much time in the future that it prevents you from appreciating your now.
Because we are human beings who have the capacity to think and to anticipate future events, we worry. We worry about big things, little things, and just about everything in between. To make matters worse, we live in a world that breeds anxiety and fosters fear. So, it's not surprising that when we come face to face with tough times, we may fall prey to discouragement, doubt, or depression. But our father in heaven has other plans.
God has promised that we can lead lives of abundance, not anxiety. In fact, His Word instructs us to be “anxious for nothing.” But how can we put our fears to rest? By taking those fears to Him and leaving them there. The very same God who created the universe has promised to protect us both now and forever. He invites each of us to deposit our worries at His feet and let Him sort out our future. After all, He isn't bound by time. He is in our future right now, writing wonderful stories we haven't even dreamed of.
So, what do you have to worry about? With God on your side, the answer is nothing!
+++
It was Corrie Ten Boom who said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” If you have ever lived for any length of time with worry and the anxiety it brings, then you know the above statement is true. When your heart is filled with worry, your whole life is exhausting.
I would dare to say that when a person is filled with worry, they are trying to be the God of their own lives. We forget, as the above writer wrote, that God is God and we are not. We forget that as God he is in the past, present, and in the future. We forget that as our God and Savior He is on our side and is working only for what is best for us. And when we forget, our lives are filled with worry about things over which we have no control.
As Jesus speaks to us in our text, He is telling us that we need to focus our lives on what is happening today and not worry about the future. We cannot dictate or change the future that is coming our way. But our God who reigns above can!
It is easy to talk about turning our worries and fears over to God, but as you know it is very difficult to do. I heard something not long ago that made sense to me. Instead of focusing our hearts on what we think might go wrong, focus our prayers on gratitude. Gratitude in our hearts it brings a sense of settled peace because we are taking stock in all that God has already done for us. As we do this we see His faithfulness and His love manifested in our lives. With the assurance of His presence and His blessings we were able to overcome the worry and the fear that can fill us when our focus is misdirected.
There is another quote I would like to share with you. “Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed so is the body.” — Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a man who lived in a day and age where everything possible could go wrong. And yet he focused on what he needed to do and did what was right and through him God accomplished the Protestant Reformation. We would not be the church we are today if Luther had sat around and worried about all the possibilities and what-ifs.
Sometimes the best possible thing we can do when we're filled with worry is get up and get busy doing what we know we should do, and in that we see how God is working in our lives.
So, if you've been filled with worry and the fear that fills your heart is at times overwhelming, get busy doing the things God would have you do. Seek to be a blessing to someone else and your eyes will be lifted off of yourself to see the wonderful life with which you have been blessed.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
Recent
Archive
2026
January
February
March
July
2025
January
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments