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A Command From the Lord, "Do Not Worry"!!
How many of you today worry about the future? How many are worrying
whether their spouse will ever return to the home? Worrying whether
they will be divorced? And if you are divorced, worrying whether your
spouse will remarry you? Or if you are separated, worrying whether
your spouse will make good their threat and file for divorce?
I say to you today, STOP WORRYING. Worry is definitely not on our list
of the ten deadliest sins. But in Jesus' most famous speech, the
Sermon on the Mount He tells us plainly His feelings about worry. In
Matthew 6:24 he says, "Do not worry about your life." Jesus' words
here are a command. DO NOT WORRY. It's not a request, or some
helpful hints. It's imperative. Do not worry He says.
There are a few reasons I think Jesus gives this command `do not
worry." One reason He gives it is because worry is dangerous to our
health. Worry has been linked to all the leading causes of death
including heart disease, cancer, and lung ailments. Somebody once said
that ulcers are caused not by what you eat, but by what is eating you!
Jesus said in Luke 21:26 that in the last days, "men will get sick
and faint because they are anxious about what is going on in the world."
I think Jesus gives this command also because worry is a sin. When we
worry, we violate God's commands. Worry is a sin, because when we
worry we are refusing to put faith in God. Essentially when we worry
we call God a liar. God promises to take care of all our needs,
including healing and restoration. But worry insists that's not true.
And when we worry we are saying "God your promises are not true."
That is mainly why Jesus says three times here in Matthew chapter six
"do not worry" because it hurts our relationship with God. Worry is
faithless, it's a sin! Stop worrying!!
The Bible says in Phil. 4:6 to "Be careful for nothing…." We may
wonder how in the world the apostle Paul could write that, but he did.
Did he mean that one would never have any problems? No. Did he mean
that one should never be concerned about problems that occur in life?
No. What he, what the Bible means for us to understand is that in
spite of our circumstances we can have a confidence in God to the
point that I don't have to let worry ruin my life and keep me in a
continual state of depression. Now, how can I keep from worrying?
Well, this very same verse gives a couple of helps, for he goes on to
add, "…but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God." The first is that I need to
keep my heart in tune with God through prayer. I need to keep the
communication lines open to Him. I need to thank God for the good in
my life. We take so many things for granted. We ought to count our
blessings every day and thank God for them. We should add to this that
we must trust God.
Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your worries on the Lord and He will sustain
you, He will never let the righteous fall." Take heart and be
encouraged, God will provide and sustain you through your present
situation. He will be there for you.
First Jesus says if you want to battle worry develop an eternal
perspective. He says in verse 33, "Seek first the kingdom of heaven
and all these things will be given to you as well." Yes, all these
things such as healing, restoration and exceeding, abundantly more
than you can ask or think. Jesus is saying that the reason we worry
about the future and other worldly things is because we are worldly
minded. We are more concerned with the things of the world rather
than with the things of God. But when you begin to change your
perspective, the things of this world don't seem so huge. The hymns
says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and
the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His
glory and grace."
Let us begin to keep our focus on the Lord rather than on the things
of this world. Let us cast all our cares upon Him. When I have my
priorities right, seeking to do God's will in all things, then I know
the other things will take care of themselves and I will not have to
worry.
Be encouraged
Pastor Doreen
