Slaying our Giants: Worry

The book of Matthew 6:25-32 is Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Christ addresses many topics in this sermon, including the plea to not worry. Worry takes our eyes off Jesus and places them on our problems.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary III. The Sermon on the Mount (5:1–7:29)

For many of us, the admonition not to worry about your life (6:25) sounds just as impossible to obey as, “Don’t breathe.

Illustration

Have you ever watched a mouse running inside a wheel? The faster he runs, the faster the wheel moves—but he doesn’t make the slightest progress. He does not even have the sense to get off the wheel. That is what anxiety does to you. You run faster and faster, trying harder and harder to meet demands or prevent disaster—and still you do not have control over your circumstances. So when something does not go quite right, your frustration level continues to mount. There is a way off the wheel, however.

God created you

He knows your deepest needs (Ps. 68:19).

He longs for you to end the anxiety cycle and let Him lead (Matt. 11:28). First Peter 5:6, 7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

The word “casting” is related to the Greek verb used in Luke 19:35, when on Palm Sunday the people of Jerusalem threw their garments onto a colt for Jesus to ride. The word describes the same motion: a deliberate action of setting something down and leaving it there.

Jesus wants you to throw your cares on Him and leave them there. You depend on Him for life itself, and you acknowledge this reliant relationship by saying, “Here, Jesus. Take my problems. You have the answers! I trust You to show me what to do and to take care of the consequences.”

Background of Text

The righteousness of the Kingdom has to do primarily with a man’s relationship toward God.

Only a false righteousness parades itself before men (6:1).

Kingdom righteousness manifests itself in the giving of money to the poor in such a way that the gift is not known by other men, only by God (vv. 2–4).

The true measure of prayer is what a man does in secret, not in public (vv. 5–8). It is concerned first of all with the glory of God and the coming of His Kingdom on earth. The prayer for personal needs is important, but secondary to spiritual concerns. At the heart of prayers is forgiveness; divine forgiveness cannot be separated from human forgiveness (v. 12).

The parable in Matthew 18:23–25 shows that human forgiveness is grounded upon and is a reflection of divine forgiveness (6:14, 15). Fasting should be a secret spiritual discipline (vv. 16–18).

Kingdom righteousness involves not only a proper relationship to God, but also a proper attitude toward material possessions.

A. The Reality is that we have a tendency to worry 25

the word for “thought” there is a word that may be translated “worry.”

It’s a root word, which means “to divide.” That is, worry divides our minds. It is a distracting thing. It is a dividing thing. AR, 2.

And you remember what the Apostle James said, in James chapter 1 and verse 8, that, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8) And there’s nothing more destabilizing than worry.

What are you worrying about?

“worry is fear's extravagance. It extracts interest on trouble before it comes due. It constantly drains the energy God gives us to face daily problems and to fulfill our many responsibilities. It is therefore a sinful waste. A woman who had lived long enough to have learned some important truths about life remarked, "I've had a lot of trouble -- most of which never happened!" She had worried about many things that had never occurred, and had come to see the total futility of her anxieties”.

Worry pulls tomorrow's cloud over today's sunshine.

C. Swindoll

B. Christ reminds us of our worth in God’s eyes. 25-30

The Cause

Birds don’t worry about where they’re going to get their next meal, and yet the heavenly Father feeds them (6:26).

Flowers don’t agonize over looking pretty, but not even Solomon in all his splendor could match the beauty in the fields of God’s creation (6:28–29). If God gives this kind of attention to birds and flowers, won’t he do much more for you (6:30)?

C. The Command not to worry about life’s needs 31-32

The Cure

| Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Phil 4:4-6

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

D. Seeking first God’s kingdom is the antidote to anxiety and worry 33

Trust in the Lord

Righteousness is the standard God requires in order for his people to rightly relate to him. To seek his kingdom is to seek to live in accordance with his standards, his guidelines.

Put God First

“Seek first the Kingdom”........

Conclusion

Hudson Taylor, missionary to China and founder of what is today known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, gave this excellent advice: "Let us give up our work, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into [God's] hand; and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about."

Hudson Taylor.

If work-related stress and worry are taking a toll on your mental health, establish a 'grace break' for yourself each day. This could be a 10-minute pause to step outside, breathe deeply, and pray about what's stressing you out. During this time, focus on Philippians 4:6-7, which encourages you to present your requests to God. This intentional break can recalibrate your perspective and help reduce feelings of anxiety, enabling you to approach your tasks with renewed energy.