Worry

You have probably heard the quote shown here.  How many sleepless nights, upset stomachs, and hours of nervous pacing have been spent overwhelmed with worry?  Worry can consume us with great anxiety over impending or perceived situations. In 99.5% of these situations, we have no control over the outcome anyway.  If we did, why would we worry? 

While in seminary, I particularly remember a day when the conversation centered on worry and the Christian life.  The professor remarked, “Worry is mild atheism.”  I have never forgotten that statement because he was right.  Worry is the opposite of faith in God.  We are reminded in the scriptures, “do not be anxious about anything” and “everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Worry says that God’s promises are unreliable.  When we worry, we are ultimately saying we don’t trust God and that He isn’t powerful enough to rescue us.

Bottom line:  worry is a control issue.  Is God in control or am I?  My worry says, God can’t do it, I must find a way.  While some things in life may come within our ability to control, many are not.  The real question in those times is, “who is in control?”  Matthew 6:27 reminds us, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  The fact is, worry can cause us to take hours away from our lives.  Life is too short to sacrifice time at the altar of worry. 

Come see us Sunday.  We will be talking about that.

Pastor Jeff