Worry

A grandmother worries about a 12-year-old grandson with dropping grades and bad friends. When she reads Jesus’ words, “Do not worry,” she wonders how she can care about him and not worry about his future.

A homeowner sits down to pay a stack of bills. Every month he goes through the exercise of writing checks and then deciding, if there is surplus, where that goes. When he reads Luke 12:22–31, he feels a reproach because he worries about finances.

A woman’s 17-year-old son is long overdue with the family car, and she’s sitting up worrying that he may have gotten into trouble.

An employee is in turmoil considering a company move and promotion. She’s worried about uprooting the family and starting over somewhere else. She recently read Luke 12 about not being worried, but she still gets butterflies in her stomach every time she thinks about this move.

Like these people, we all worry about our finances, our loved ones, our jobs, our health, and a host of other life issues. It may be hard to relate to Jesus’ words concerning worry. After all, Jesus had no children, no boss, no rent to pay. Jesus never had to grocery shop for a family and make dollars stretch, or car pool kids to sports, try to make the PTA meeting, and put dinner on the table. Jesus never had to take care of his elderly parents and help his teenagers plan for college at the same time. How can we apply His teaching about not worrying to twenty-first-century life?

Actually, these passages are more for us today than ever. In a materialistic, consumption-minded, technological world, Jesus is telling us to order our priorities: “Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Luke 12:31). For most of us, however, there is a large gap between managing our day-to-day lives and seeking God’s kingdom. In order to achieve the peace of God, to not be overwhelmed by the pressures of life, we have to change. We read that we cannot add a single hour to our life by worrying and fretting, but because worrying is what we know best, it’s what we do first, especially in stressful situations.

Being concerned can be positive when it propels us to action—such as seeing a doctor when we are ill or a mechanic when the car sounds strange. But worry is unproductive. Worry becomes a negative in our life, taking its toll on our health, loved ones, productivity, and relationship with God. If we have been worried about two or more topics more days than not in the past six months, if we are focusing on situations of worry more than we are the other business of life, and if we are having feelings of our lives being out of control, then our worrying has risen to an unhealthy level.

Take, for example, two “mothers of the groom.” For months, the first goes to every dress store in town, anxiously pricing, comparing, buying, and then returning what she bought. At the wedding, still worrying about her appearance, she is frazzled, worn out, and can barely enjoy the day.

Contrast her behavior with the second mother, who first prays to the Lord to help her find what she needs within her price range and without using a lot of time—and to help her not to worry about it. She finds what she needs in one trip. She puts the situation in God’s hands—seeking the kingdom first. The other things fall into place and she is able to enjoy the wedding.

To seek first the kingdom means to pray first, releasing our fears and worries to the Lord. A change in behavior and in a particular attitude follows as we make some appropriate changes to our lifestyle. Taking some steps to change our lives will help us bridge the gap between worrying and operating in faith. These changes will ultimately help us live in power, love, sound judgment, self-control, calm, and balance. For example:

Get facts and expert advice to prevent worrying unrealistically about a situation.

Set deadlines to make decisions, rather than ruminating forever.

   - Limit worrying to a “worry list,” and take that list to the Lord in your daily Bible and prayer time.
   - Delegate chores and other responsibilities.
   - Give yourself permission to relax, and to make mistakes.
   - Eat, sleep, and exercise properly.
   - Try to see the humor in a situation, to keep a sense of perspective.
   - De-clutter and organize, using calendars and to-do lists.
   - Realize that you will not please everyone all the time.
   - Learn to say no.
   - Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen—and is it likely to?”
   - Mentally put your worries in a box with a lid and put them on the top shelf of your closet. No peeking!

To say that we are waiting on the Lord, and then to go around with a sense of worry, misery, and dread, is to contradict the truth. Jesus modeled prayer when He went to the desert to fast and pray. Jesus also modeled action when He healed, taught, and followed God every step of the way. To be walking in peace, in calm, in trust, and in assurance is to find the balance of prayer and action, and ultimately, freedom from worry.

Further Meditation

Other passages to study about the issue of worry include:

   - Psalm 55:22
   - Matthew 6:25–34
   - John 14:27
   - Philippians 4:6–9
   - 2 Timothy 1:7
   - 1 Peter 5:7

To Learn More: Turn to the key passage note on worry at Luke 12:22–31 on page 1339.

To learn more see: The Soul Care Bible: Experiencing and Sharing Hope God’s Way

This article is Copyright © 2001 by the American Association of Christian Counselors