Why Should I Worry?

Introduction

We are here. 2023! If you are like myself or my wife or like most people you have entered today with some sort of resolution. I heard a psychiatrist say on the news this week that she doesn’t refer to them as resolutions but rather intentions. Call it what you may many if not most of you have decided to change something about you this year in order to achieve a greater quality of life. Let me ask you, is less anxiety and stress on that list? If I were to ask you, “Would eliminating worry from your life improve the quality of your living?” Undoubtably the answer would be “Yes!” “Yes, this worry is tying me to a life without joy” “Yes, I can’t even enjoy watching my children grow and play because all of the worry that I have in my life.” “Yes, I can only imagine the time I would gain if I could just worry less.”

While Jesus was in the meat of his ministry, I mean the MEAT healings were happening. He was preaching and teaching. He had gained a massive following. Jesus paused. Gathered his disciples, not just the 12 but all those who were truly interested in following his instruction and learning from his teaching. He took them up on a mountain. Sat them down and began teaching them what it was going to take to follow him. What the kingdom of God looked like. Why he came to fulfill the law and needed to correct what the Pharisees were doing with the Law. He teaches them about heart issues such as adultery/lust, hate/murder, gives them marching orders and lofty goals. He teaches them how the proper attitude to have while praying. And then he tells them how God is to be above all things in their lives and when this is accomplished their anxieties and worries will go away because the things that they worry about, God will either take care of them or they will no longer even care about.

Read with me today this teaching from Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34

Why Should I Worry? God Loves Me v.25-26

I know that I don’t speak for all today and I am saddened by that but for most in this room you can probably pin point a time in your life where you really began to worry. Where anxiety and stress seemed to creep its head in in your life? Why is that? Why is it only when we grow up that anxiety, stress and worry seem to creep in? I think the answer for most is simple, you have someone in your life who loved you and took care of you and you TRUSTED THEM to take care of your needs. There was no need to worry, mom loves me and will take care of me. Church, is our God not greater than your mother?! Doesn’t he love you and take care of you?

Jesus tells his disciples, who were amongst the poorest, were merely surviving day by day, who literally did not know where their next meal was coming from, “Don’t worry about what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear” and why? Because your Father feeds the birds of the sky, won’t he feed you?

Turn with me to Psalms 8:3-8 I want you to read about how God feels about us and tell me after reading this words, do you think we should feel anxious. God has given us power over the things that he has created (loving). He has made us a little less that the heavenly beings (loving). He has crowned us with glory and honor (loving).

A God that loves us, more than any other of his creations won’t he take care of us? Won’t he provide for us? And I know right now many of you who are worriers are resisting this.

Just rest in God’s love. Remember being a child and knowing I have a provider. If that’s not you today and you don’t have that story I am deeply saddened for you but I have good news there’s a good and perfect father who will never leave you or forsake you and we know because Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate you from him.

Why Should I Worry? I have better things to do

Now I know what many of you are thinking, Jonathan if i don’t worry I won’t get anything accomplished. I will become lazy. I won’t have drive. The word worry here what is it used for? The things that God will take care of. The things that A: Were most important for the disciples at this time but B: The things that were out of their control.

There was a study done by Dr. Don Joseph Goewey in which he found that 85% of what his patients were worrying about never happened. Out of the 15% of circumstances that did come true 79% were handled better than perceived. So what does that mean? That 97% of your worry is a waste of mental time!

The averaged person’s anxiety focus is broken down like this

40% Events that will never happen

30% Things in the past that no amount of thought can change

12% Criticism from others that is mostly or fully untrue (Let me just tell you people think about you a lot less often than you think they do)

10% About health (ironically doesn’t help your health)

8% About real problems that will be faced and need to be dealt with.

You see throw the excuse out that I worry because if not nothing will be done. For most of you 8% of your worry is about something you can change.

I love the sequence in which Jesus taught this. If you look back just a few verses Jesus is teaching the disciples about money, possessions, treasures. He is trying to get his followers to understand that God is greater than money and to turn their passions and desire from money to Him because not only is God more powerful than money but God brings one things that money cannot (Joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self control, and ultimately salvation that is eternal not mortal).

Now when we think about money and God we often think about stewardship and giving. Yes we should be good stewards of the money that God gave us. Many of us are good stewards of our time, a limited resource that God has given us. We serve on committees, we go on mission trips, we sit with babies in the nursery, we teach students in small group. But have you ever asked yourself, held yourself accountable am I being a good steward of my thoughts. God has granted me my mind and wisdom, how have I been lately at stewarding that gift?

Let me put it this way, if you were to look at your finances and you see that 92% of your money was going toward tootsie rolls, Lincoln Logs and hot wheels you would change something. You would say this is a WASTE. We can’t even use these things, these things have no benefit. You can’t make a meal out of tootsie rolls, you can’t put a roof over your head with Lincoln Logs. You can’t to work in a hot wheel. This is silly. You would change immediately how you spend your money. Now look at how you spend your time in deep thought, are you being a good steward or are your spending 92% of your thoughts on waste? You have something better to do and you cannot do it until you quit worrying.

I love what Jesus says in v.28 can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? Have any of you ever been working on a job and someone come up behind you and go “You know that doesn’t go there right” ever happen to anybody? You know their right but yet it burns you up! Let me do this! I’ve got this! Even though YOU KNOW THEY ARE RIGHT! Does this verse make you feel like that? You know Jesus is right but worrying just makes you feel better. I encourage you, heed the words of Jesus here. Don’t worry, it is a waste, instead, and he tells us in verse 33 Seek His Kingdom.

You see church we shouldn’t worry not for the sake of not worrying but rather because the pattern of worry is for unbelievers (Gentiles v.32) who do not understand the Father’s care for them.

Jesus says if you worry you are rejecting the Father’s care for you. Now I am not talking about clinical anxiety where the thoughts just won’t stop there is medical help for you and you need to connect with a life coach or therapist but for some Maybe today for you you have been so consumed with worry and you can’t figure out why. Let me ask you, have you leaned in to the Father’s love for you? Do you rely on his care for you? Do you have faith that he is your provider and care taker? If not today is the day. Today is the day for you to turn from your sins, run to the father, embrace the love that he has to offer to you today.

For those of you who have repented, who have embraced let’s look at what Jesus tells his disciples. Like he does throughout this teaching on the mountain he redirects them. This is why this specific time of Jesus teaching is so important he doesn’t just throw out rules and say follow them. No, the Pharisees were fine job of that. No, Jesus comes and says here is a law and here’s the heart behind it. Jesus don’t just not worry and find something else to do with your thoughts, no he redirects them. He says do not worry but rather *WHAT* seek first the kingdom of God.

What does Jesus mean? Does he mean look for and search for the Kingdom of God? No because those who follow him have already achieved that. No in this context, Jesus is telling the disciples and tell you and I today that we are to keep the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom where God is ruler and judge, the absolute center of our lives. When it comes to money our mind is set on the kingdom. When it comes to our jobs, our mind is set on the kingdom. When it comes to our relationships, our mind is set on the kingdom. When it comes to politics our mind is set on the kingdom in which God reigns and rules!

And Jesus says then these things will be provided to you.

Let me encourage you church, it’s not just a good idea or a good new year’s resolution not to worry but Jesus instructs us to do so! Worry