Do not worry

 When Jesus was teaching what we now call the Sermon on the Mount, he encouraged the crowd not to worry (Matthew 6:25 - 34).  Jesus was dealing very specifically in this situation with material needs but he also told them  not to worry about tomorrow which covers a lot of situations.  As humans our default setting has a tendency to be ‘worry’.  We worry when we do not know what to do in a specific situation.  Worrying feels like we are doing something. If we worry we may get a solution.   If we don’t worry it feels like we do not care, that something is not important if we don’t worry.  We feel guilty if we don’t worry. 

It was not only Jesus who told us not to worry, Paul wrote to the Philippians to not be anxious about anything – that’s comprehensive!  

The reason Jesus and Paul told people not to worry is that worry is like a cancer that eats into our souls.  It destroys our peace of mind, emotions, bodies and spirits.  As we worry we become further and further disconnected from God as we wrestle with our problem and try, often in vain, to find a solution. 

The antidote to worry is also very clear in the Bible. ‘Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you’ (I Peter 5:7) and ‘do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Then see what happens, ‘And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6 – 7)

Worrying is the worse thing we can do in any troubling situation.  Peter says to cast it or throw it at God.  Imagine a fisherman casting his line into the water.  He doesn't place it or drop it, he casts or throws it.  It is the same with our anxiety or worry - don't just give it to God or drop it in his lap but cast it on him. Why? -  because he cares for you and he has all the answers and all the provision you need for this day.  Jesus told the crowd their loving heavenly Father knew their needs and would be their provider. 

God has everything we need – healing from sickness, deliverance from addiction, provision of all material things and my experience is that God does not just give us what we need but also some of the things we want too.  Do we need work or have a problem at work, a house, freedom from debt – our heavenly Father will provide all we need as we trust him. 

As we trust God, Paul encourages us that the peace of God will come and guard our hearts and minds.  God's peace will help us to stop worrying.  So today, stop worrying and tell God all about it, cast your cares on him and trust him to come up with the answer you need.