As a believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us not to worry and to give all our cares to God. Since we are a nation of worriers, I would say this is great advice, especially for the way our world is changing around us.
Here’s the passage our pastor, Greg Laurie, spoke from this morning:
Matthew 6:25-33 (New King James Version)
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Tip #1 - The believer should not worry. Worrying aggravates the problem, it doesn’t make things better.
Verse 25 – “…do not worry about your life…”
The most common thing people worry about is their outward appearance. They worry about what they’re wearing and what others think about them. I know I do this when I’m going somewhere I want to look nice. It seems as though I can never find the right outfit to wear. In the end, is it really a big deal what I was wearing? Of course not.
Verse 26 – The birds don’t worry – Look at them, they’re always singing!
Verses 28 to 29 – Flowers don’t worry – Look at them, they’re always pretty!
Tip #2 - Worry doesn’t make life longer, just more miserable.
Verse 27 - “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (New Living Translation)
Psalm 90 – God determines the length of our life.
Worrying just causes more unneeded stress.
Tip #3 - Worry is an indication of a lack of faith in God.
Verse 30 – “…O you of little faith?”
It is said that worry can actually be considered a sin because you aren’t trusting God to protect you.
Tip #4 - Instead of worry, put God and His will first in your life.
Verse 33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God…”
If you put God first and think about Him often, it will make all the things you are worrying about seem trivial and meaningless. We are on this earth to glorify God and enjoy today. That’s it. Simple.
Tip #5 – When you put God and His kingdom first, your life will find its proper balance.
Verse 33 – “…and all these things shall be added to you.”
You will have everything you need if you put God first.
Tip #6 - The best antidote for worry is prayer.
Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
When you’re feeling worried, pray.
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I don’t know about the rest of you, but the last time I worried about something it didn’t make it better or make it go away. In fact, it tends to make things worse because you start letting your mind wander and take over. This is Satan, the enemy, taking control of your life. He’s the last person you want making decisions for you.
Well, how do I become more faithful and put my trust in God??
This answer is easy. You need to start making changes in your life right at this very moment.
1.) Study the Word of God. Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
2.) Believe the Word of God. If you’re a Christian and you don’t believe what the Bible says, you need to change your thinking.
Matthew 6:33 – Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (New Living Translation)
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!! did i ever need to read this and be reminded of these things today!!!!!! Worry is such an easy thing to do! And today was one of my most challenging days ever. We start Logan’s cyber school today and things basically did not go as planned, or wanted, in all aspects. Without going into too much detail, i wanted to go back to bed and start the day over at about 10 am! it was rough and I was in tears and WORRYING ALLOT about if we made the right choice! I love the line ” if you are worried about something, pray” so simple yet so so important! So, I am going to pray about this..and I feel better already! I thank God for using you to speak to me about this -and probably many others as well..
God bless!
Hi Meghan,
I’m sorry you had such a rough first day! As a former teacher I know that doing something new can be a challenge. Tomorrow is a new day and it will definitely be better than today. As you and Logan begin to get a pattern going and your schedule becomes automatic, that will help. Try not to worry too much. It will work itself out. I will pray that tomorrow will be a better day for you!
Thank you so much! I appreciate those thoughts..today is MUCH better! :O)