Why Worry?
Worry is meditating on the negatives. When you worry you are doubting that
God is going to do what He said, and that limits God. The victory is already
won, but you have to hang on to your faith (Hebrews 10:35-36) “cast not away
therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of God of reward. For
you have need of patience, that after have done the will of God you might
receive the promise”.
A good example of this is Abraham when he was told to sacrifice Isaac as a
burnt sacrifice (Hebrews 11:17-20) “by faith Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promise offered up his only
begotten son. Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall your seed be called.
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from where
also he received him in a figure”. You see that because he had a word from
God, and was fully persuaded that God was able to carry out all that He had
promised.
Worry and anger are two very destructive emotions. They reveal a lack of faith
that God loves us and is in control. We should not worry, instead, we should
trust in God, giving ourself to him for His use and safekeeping. When you dwell
on your problems, you will become anxious and angry, but if you concentrate on
God and His goodness, you will find peace. We have to concentrate on where
we focus our attention, the choice is ours.
Jesus tells us not to worry about having enough food or drink or clothing
(Matthew 6:25-33) “therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what
you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put
on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls
of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you
by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And why take you thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toll not neither
do they spin. And yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more
clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, what shall
we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you
have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you”. To make the
kingdom of God your primary concern, means to turn to God first for help, to fill
your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to
serve and obey Him in everything. People, objects, goals and other desires all
compete for priority. Any of these can quickly bump God out of first place, if
you don’t actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life.
Worrying is actually harmful to your life. Because of the ill effects of worry,
Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply.
Worry may damage your health, it can cause the object of your worry to
consume your thoughts, it can disrupt your productivity, it has a negative affect
on the way you treat others, and reduce your ability to trust in God. There is
difference between worry and genuine concern; worry immobilizes, but concern
moves you to action.
Planning for tomorrow is time well spent, worrying about tomorrow is time
wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is
thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God’s
guidance. David took much time consulting with God when he found himself in
difficult situations; he would inquire of the Lord. That may be the reason, he
was called a man after God’s own heart. God can be even closer to us,
because He is in us. We have the opportunity to talk to God at any time about
anything, because we have been reconciled to God the Father, through the
blood of Jesus Christ.
Worrying, in contrast, is being consumed by fear and, II Timothy 1:7 says “for
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind”. Worrying also makes it difficult to trust God. Worrying is letting
your plans interfere with your relationship with God. Don’t let worries about
tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.
You can replace worry with something better, by prayer. You will worry less,
when you pray more. When ever you start to worry, stop and pray. Paul advice
is to turn our worries into prayers (Philippians 4:6-9) “be careful for nothing, but
in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest. Whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things. Those things, which you have both learned, and received, ad
heard, and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you”. Don’t
worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done.
After you have put your cares on Jesus, focus your thoughts on His positive
results instead of trying to figure out how you will do it. Keep God in the
equation, because you can do nothing without Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus,
remember that Peter walked on the water until he looked at the storm (Matthew
14:28-31) “and Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be You, bid me come to
You on the water. And He said, Come; and when Peter was come down out of
the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save
me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said
to him, O you of little faith, wherefore, did you doubt”?
Isaiah said it well in Isaiah 53:1, which says Lord, who has believed our report?
And John echoes this in John 12:38. When people don’t believe the word of
God, they began to worry. When you take into consideration that the word of
God is the truth, and that God does not lie; it should be easy for you to trust
God. But the devil uses his tactics to get people to believe that God is not
trustworthy. Remember the same trick he used on Eve, he is still using today;
he told Eve that she shall not die, calling God a liar.
The important thing to remember that you may not know how it will be done.
Your job is to plant the seed for the harvest you are looking for (Mark 4:26-29),
which says “and He said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground. And should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed
should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of
itself, first the blade then, the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when
the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle; because the harvest
is come”. And in Psalms 126:6 it says “he that goes forth and weeps, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him”.
When you are put in a position which causes you to worry, search the scriptures
concerning the right words to answer the devil when he comes to you.
Remember that Jesus said “it is written”; and you will have to speak the word of
God and he will flee from you too.
God’s peace can replace worry. God’s peace is different from the world’s
peace (John 14:27) “peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the
world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid”. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict,
or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our
citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we have the
victory. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety (Proverbs 4:23),
says “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 12, 2009
Worry is meditating on the negatives. When you worry you are doubting that
God is going to do what He said, and that limits God. The victory is already
won, but you have to hang on to your faith (Hebrews 10:35-36) “cast not away
therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of God of reward. For
you have need of patience, that after have done the will of God you might
receive the promise”.
A good example of this is Abraham when he was told to sacrifice Isaac as a
burnt sacrifice (Hebrews 11:17-20) “by faith Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promise offered up his only
begotten son. Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall your seed be called.
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from where
also he received him in a figure”. You see that because he had a word from
God, and was fully persuaded that God was able to carry out all that He had
promised.
Worry and anger are two very destructive emotions. They reveal a lack of faith
that God loves us and is in control. We should not worry, instead, we should
trust in God, giving ourself to him for His use and safekeeping. When you dwell
on your problems, you will become anxious and angry, but if you concentrate on
God and His goodness, you will find peace. We have to concentrate on where
we focus our attention, the choice is ours.
Jesus tells us not to worry about having enough food or drink or clothing
(Matthew 6:25-33) “therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what
you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put
on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls
of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you
by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And why take you thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toll not neither
do they spin. And yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more
clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, what shall
we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you
have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you”. To make the
kingdom of God your primary concern, means to turn to God first for help, to fill
your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to
serve and obey Him in everything. People, objects, goals and other desires all
compete for priority. Any of these can quickly bump God out of first place, if
you don’t actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life.
Worrying is actually harmful to your life. Because of the ill effects of worry,
Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply.
Worry may damage your health, it can cause the object of your worry to
consume your thoughts, it can disrupt your productivity, it has a negative affect
on the way you treat others, and reduce your ability to trust in God. There is
difference between worry and genuine concern; worry immobilizes, but concern
moves you to action.
Planning for tomorrow is time well spent, worrying about tomorrow is time
wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is
thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God’s
guidance. David took much time consulting with God when he found himself in
difficult situations; he would inquire of the Lord. That may be the reason, he
was called a man after God’s own heart. God can be even closer to us,
because He is in us. We have the opportunity to talk to God at any time about
anything, because we have been reconciled to God the Father, through the
blood of Jesus Christ.
Worrying, in contrast, is being consumed by fear and, II Timothy 1:7 says “for
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind”. Worrying also makes it difficult to trust God. Worrying is letting
your plans interfere with your relationship with God. Don’t let worries about
tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.
You can replace worry with something better, by prayer. You will worry less,
when you pray more. When ever you start to worry, stop and pray. Paul advice
is to turn our worries into prayers (Philippians 4:6-9) “be careful for nothing, but
in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest. Whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things. Those things, which you have both learned, and received, ad
heard, and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you”. Don’t
worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done.
After you have put your cares on Jesus, focus your thoughts on His positive
results instead of trying to figure out how you will do it. Keep God in the
equation, because you can do nothing without Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus,
remember that Peter walked on the water until he looked at the storm (Matthew
14:28-31) “and Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be You, bid me come to
You on the water. And He said, Come; and when Peter was come down out of
the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save
me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said
to him, O you of little faith, wherefore, did you doubt”?
Isaiah said it well in Isaiah 53:1, which says Lord, who has believed our report?
And John echoes this in John 12:38. When people don’t believe the word of
God, they began to worry. When you take into consideration that the word of
God is the truth, and that God does not lie; it should be easy for you to trust
God. But the devil uses his tactics to get people to believe that God is not
trustworthy. Remember the same trick he used on Eve, he is still using today;
he told Eve that she shall not die, calling God a liar.
The important thing to remember that you may not know how it will be done.
Your job is to plant the seed for the harvest you are looking for (Mark 4:26-29),
which says “and He said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground. And should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed
should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of
itself, first the blade then, the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when
the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle; because the harvest
is come”. And in Psalms 126:6 it says “he that goes forth and weeps, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him”.
When you are put in a position which causes you to worry, search the scriptures
concerning the right words to answer the devil when he comes to you.
Remember that Jesus said “it is written”; and you will have to speak the word of
God and he will flee from you too.
God’s peace can replace worry. God’s peace is different from the world’s
peace (John 14:27) “peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the
world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid”. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict,
or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our
citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we have the
victory. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety (Proverbs 4:23),
says “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 12, 2009
