Sunday Sermons
Replacing Worry with Trust
Replacing Worry with Trust
The fact that only six chapters into the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus deals with the profitless practice of worry, speaks to both the prevalence of the problem, as well the importance of overcoming it (Matthew 6:25-34).
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried” Matthew 6:25
Jesus introduces the topic by first mentioning the fact that one cannot serve both God and wealth (6:24) and while that might sound like an odd way to introduce the topic, the longer you live, the more such an introduction makes perfect sense:
- One timeless human solution for worry has been the deceptive fantasy that having enough "stuff" can protect us from the bad things that might happen to us. Yet wealth can be just as, or even more, temporary, than we ourselves (Proverbs 23:5; Matthew 6:19). If you've ever had a savings account wiped out because of unemployment, an accident, illness, a turn in the economy or any other unexpected turn, you can testify to this truth.
- Obviously, focusing on stuff is a materialistic focus rather than a spiritual one, and when one focuses on physical things, eventually one will begin to resent God’s instructions to tend earnestly to the things in life that demand a focus on the spiritual and the eternal (6:34). With this mindset, one’s goal becomes to physically live as long as one can here, rather than living in such a way that expresses my deep love for God that ensures an eternity basking in the light of His goodness.
The Insistence Upon Worrying
“People who worry are miserable, and people who don’t worry travel light... people not only worry but feel the need to worry. The point is (we think) that worrying has to get done! Presumably, the sky would fall if we were to drop the ball on worrying, for even a day. At least this is how things would seem to appear if we considered how positively committed most of us are to worry. Why, at the first rush of consciousness upon waking from our sleep in the morning, do we not take quick mental inventory of the things we are committed to worry about – so as to better attend to the business of worry without further ado? The next logical question must be the following: Why are we committed to worry? When we know by both experience and by the Word of God that worry and anxiety are neither helpful nor right, why do we persist in them?” (America’s Pastime of Worry, World Magazine, 11/4/2015, Andree Seu Peterson).
The Inability to Add a Single Hour: Matthew 6:27
Worry is often about wanting to linger in the driver’s seat and have the feeling that one is in complete control. “The words rendered ‘anxious’ and ‘worry’ in your New Testament are the same Greek word (merimnao) and mean literally ‘to be divided, distracted’. This helpful visual of a mind divided is accurate. Worrying is a constant shifting of two different and vying opinions. In the case of the Christian, it is one moment believing that God will take care of me, and the next moment not trusting God to do that and preferring to grasp control of my life for myself. We arrive at the astounding realization that worry is not something that innocently happens to a person but is a chosen alternative to trusting God” (Peterson). There is obviously benefit in planning ahead, being a good steward of what you have, making wise decisions, and living responsibility. Just realize the common danger of thinking that "if I just plan well enough", I can avoid disease, an early death, or the unexpected the problem. Jesus reminds us that a good deal of life is simply outside our control. We cannot even add an extra hour to our lifespan.
The Unexpected Problem
No one likes them, but here is what I have learned from unforeseen trouble :
- Trials are opportunities to display our Christianity to the glory of Christ.
- Setbacks are invaluable opportunities to grow spiritually, desire heaven all the more, and come to grips with the reality of how our future lies almost entirely in the power of our Heavenly Father, and we best make Him our dearest friend.
- Challenges give us confidence to handle other, more difficult situations. The last person I want to be is someone like the woman that I recently saw on an airplane who had to change seats away from the emergency exit because, she explained, her "mind would not handle the pressure".
- Difficulties overcome create beneficial stories to pass on to the next generation.
- Often a problem can be turned into an opportunity to share the gospel with someone.
Toiling in the Worry Mines: 6:28
I am impressed that Jesus talked about the lilies of the field, that they grow without toiling or spinning. That is, without fretting, fussing, worrying and obsessing. I heard of someone recently who had come to the realization that she had spent too much in her life working in the worry mines rather than working in the “salt” mines (Matthew 5:13-16). Worry often "toils and spins" in a squandering way, my precious efforts and energies on things that are in the long run, irrelevant.
Red Flags that I am Toiling and Spinning
- I believe that my emphasis on the physical things in life is the wisest choice and I use the lion's share of my thought life, time and energy toward them.
- I believe that my physical investments are my security.
- I am putting many things ahead of God and justifying my decisions to do so.
- I believe that God’s expectation to simply trust Him and put Him first so that everything else will work out—as being naïve.
- I am acting like I am all alone in this life, that everything depends on me, and that by myself I can anticipate everything, plan for everything and avoid all potential problems.
“If generosity of spirit is present when money security is empirically high, and crankiness is present when money security is low, you have a problem. Admit that you have moved from faith in God to faith in money. You have caught yourself loving ‘the world or the things in the world’(1 John 2:15). The first step is to see it is a problem. The second is to move back to your place of trust, the only real security: your solid Rock” (Peterson).
Hey — Living Isn’t Safe Either
It is easy to spend so much of our time and mental energy fretting about how long we will live. We were created to love life—and with an instinct to guard it. Yet what we often forget is that living isn’t always going to be easy. Living another day will mean facing the sometimes overwhelming challenges of another day (Matthew 6:34). I think of Hezekiah who prayed to God that he would live longer and God fulfilled that request. Yet the extra years of his life also brought challenges and temptation (2 Kings 20:1-12). Most of us, if we live long enough, will likely face some sort of challenge with cancer, heart disease or other illness. When our health wanes, let's prepare our hearts to not panic, but to be at peace, as best we can, knowing that these changes mean we are nearing the reward we've prepared a lifetime to enjoy.
Distracted by the Lesser
In Matthew chapter six, Jesus often mentioned people who were focused and consumed by small things. “Why are you worried about clothing?” (6:28) or “What will we eat?” (6:31). Truly, most people in the world are consumed by the small things of life (6:32). We were created for a much higher purpose. God never wanted worry or some job to consume and eat up all our time and energy. He made us so that if we serve Him we would have plenty to time to not only provide for a family but to do kingdom work as well (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 6:34). To spend the bulk of my life worrying and just concentrating on the physical is like going on a wonderful vacation and spending all my time there cleaning the condo, ironing my shirts, and doing my taxes. The fruit of the spirit is joy. Live fully and joyfully. When God tells us not to worry He is well aware of the hardships and problems of this life. He knows how much money it takes to live. He knows the cost of everything (Matthew 6:32). He has actually lived here Himself (John 1:14). “As in all cases of spiritual resistance, the undesirable thing must be replaced with a good thing. Where we have been assiduous in rehearsing our worries, we must now study to become assiduous in rehearsing the love of God for us. We must stop suppressing the joy that is the natural fruit of the Spirit that wants to come, and we must let this joy and peace flow out of us as it was meant to do” (Peterson).
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
