Christians Do Not Need to Worry
Jan 18, 2009
Of the news reports I hear on the radio, I would guess that maybe three quarters of them have to do with the rough shape our economy is in. Anyone who watches or listens to the news very often at all is getting hit with a barrage of reports about falling stock prices, lay-offs and bankruptcies. Sometimes they take a break from talking about our economy so they can talk about bombings and terrorists. With all of the troubles in the world today, it’s sometimes hard not to worry.
It may seem like there are more things to worry about now than ever, but I doubt that’s really true. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” There have been problems in every time and culture on this earth and that‘s not going to change. What we can change, however, is the effect those problems have on us. There are plenty of things to worry about, if that’s what we choose to do; but we can choose otherwise. We will be better off if we choose not to worry.
We are better off without worry because worry can cause depression. Proverbs 12:25 says that “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Most everyone would probably agree that they feel better when they are not worrying than when they are. Worry can do worse than depress us, however. It can also cripple us into inaction. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote about the futility of worrying over things beyond our control (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6). He noted that “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” If we worry too much about what might happen, such as whether or not it will rain, then we are probably not going to be accomplishing much. William Marshall wrote the following story about worry:
For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you.”
In William Marshall's story, the woman wasted untold hours of sleep because of her worry and what did it gain her? The burglar came just the same as he would have had she not worried.
It's pretty easy to say that we shouldn't worry, and perhaps a bit more difficult to actually not worry. But if we are trusting in God, then there is no need to worry. Psalm 94:18+19 says, “If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” According to Hebrews 13:5, God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And Jesus taught that God will take care of our necessities (Matthew 6:25-34), though that does not necessarily apply to people who trust in men over God (Jeremiah 16:5+6).
It may sometimes be tough amidst all the problems in our world, but we will be better off if we put our confidence in God instead of worrying about what could happen. We will be happier that way and, more importantly, God wants us spending our time and effort on more than worrying about the physical concerns of this life (Luke 12:32-34).
It may seem like there are more things to worry about now than ever, but I doubt that’s really true. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” There have been problems in every time and culture on this earth and that‘s not going to change. What we can change, however, is the effect those problems have on us. There are plenty of things to worry about, if that’s what we choose to do; but we can choose otherwise. We will be better off if we choose not to worry.
We are better off without worry because worry can cause depression. Proverbs 12:25 says that “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Most everyone would probably agree that they feel better when they are not worrying than when they are. Worry can do worse than depress us, however. It can also cripple us into inaction. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote about the futility of worrying over things beyond our control (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6). He noted that “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” If we worry too much about what might happen, such as whether or not it will rain, then we are probably not going to be accomplishing much. William Marshall wrote the following story about worry:
For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you.”
In William Marshall's story, the woman wasted untold hours of sleep because of her worry and what did it gain her? The burglar came just the same as he would have had she not worried.
It's pretty easy to say that we shouldn't worry, and perhaps a bit more difficult to actually not worry. But if we are trusting in God, then there is no need to worry. Psalm 94:18+19 says, “If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” According to Hebrews 13:5, God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And Jesus taught that God will take care of our necessities (Matthew 6:25-34), though that does not necessarily apply to people who trust in men over God (Jeremiah 16:5+6).
It may sometimes be tough amidst all the problems in our world, but we will be better off if we put our confidence in God instead of worrying about what could happen. We will be happier that way and, more importantly, God wants us spending our time and effort on more than worrying about the physical concerns of this life (Luke 12:32-34).