How many of us worry about things on a daily basis? Almost everyone is worried about something or another. Hearts can become so anxious and full of worry that it's overwhelming. In fact, did you know that worry is one of the biggest killers in America? We worry about how to make ends meet. We worry about our health and job security. Worry kills more people than work because more people worry than work. There are some people who are such worrywarts that they even worry that there's nothing to worry about!
And yet, we, as Christians, are told not to live as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13), because, unlike those who do not know the truth. we have a hope...we have a Saviour ...we have an ever-present Lord in our glorious King Jesus Christ. The atheist is someone who believes that there is no God, and as such, has nowhere to turn when things get rough; but, the Christian who lives in worry also lives as though there were no God.
We must understand that there is a difference between worry and concern. It's good to be concerned. If we have a lump that won't go away, then we need to be concerned and have it checked out. Yet, sometimes we can let our worries overwhelm us. When we start thinking about all of the bad things that might happen to us, we increase our fears, which, in turn, increases our worries. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Don't worry it might never happen,” or, “Don’t go borrowing worry.” Well, these are wise sayings, because, instead of dealing with today’s problems, we sometimes allow ourselves to focus on what might never happen. This can be spirit-crushing, both to ourselves and those around us. God does not want us to have a crushed and fearful spirit. Remember, we are told in the scriptures that He loves us and is always thinking about us. Even when we forget Him, God never forgets us.
But, there are those who cannot seem to stop worrying, even though, when we worry, we doubt Gods ability to answer our problems...and when we doubt God, we sin. We are told in the Bible where we can find our place of supreme solace: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof” (Psalm 46:1, 2) We have a God who can calm the thunderous and tempestuous seas. He knows everything about us and wants to be a part of our lives. We have a God who loves us...and, yes, He knows that we are sinners and are not perfect. He understands us as no one else can ever understand us. Isn't it about time we turn off the TV psychiatrists and celebrity astrologers and open up the Holy Bible for some real help from the Great Physician himself?
What does our lord Jesus say about worry and the remedy prescribed in His Word? Our Lord himself tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). Isn't it a wonderful comfort knowing that the God who made the heavens and the earth, knows you and values you above all else? Did you know that He even sings over you? “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).
We should understand that no matter what we may be going through in our lives, God wants us to turn it all over to Him, “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (2 Peter 5.7) If we hold on to our worries and our problems without involving God, then all we are doing is robbing ourselves of the joy to be found in Christ alone. We are commanded to pass all of our cares upon him. To quote the old hymn by Charles Tindley: “If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold, And you have to get along with meager fare, Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird; Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Leave it there, leave it there, Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.”
Starting today, why not turn all of your cares over to the living and loving God who made you; to the one who loved you so much that He came to earth and died on the cross for you; who rose from the grave and is coming again for you? With the knowledge that God loves and cares for us that much, do we really have anything to worry about at all.
