Jesus told us three times in His Sermon on the Mount to not worry (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34). But why is it such a big deal?
Let’s begin by understanding what is and isn’t “worry”. There are various necessary concerns over the things of this world.
- There’s a time to sow our seeds and a time to harvest (Genesis 8:22). Proper planning will allow you to eat in the months ahead.
- It is good to consider the cost of a building project before we begin (Luke 14:28-30).
- Clearly, our Lord did not have His disciples sin when having them prepare for the Passover meal (Luke 22:8-13).
Therefore, mere concern for material things in not the “worry” Jesus had in mind. But there is a point at which we have crossed over from necessary and good concern to sinful worry. Exactly where that point lies can be difficult to discern. However, sinful worry is often accompanied by a lack of sleep, irritability, physical twitching, emotional eating, or just being unable to concentrate on the task at hand.
Now let’s look at why this excessive worry is actually sinful.
- Worry says we don’t believe God is really in control, that He is indeed sovereign. Worrying about the things of this life means we don’t think God is capable of handling whatever comes our way.
- Worry means we don’t trust God truly cares for us and will act on our behalf in times of need. Our worrying reveals doubt regarding God’s goodness and His compassion toward His children.
- Our worry about the things of this material world indicates our hearts are not fully focused on loving God above all else. We are being too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good.
So what is the remedy for worry? Prayer! Pray that God will increase your faith in His absolute sovereignty and His great love for you, His child. Pray that your daily desire will be to “love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
God is our great Provider, Jehovah Jireh, and the Lover of our souls. May that bless you today and always.
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If you’ve enjoyed this story, please be sure to read “What’s Your Obsession?”