Foolish Worry and Its Antidote
Jan 10, 2015 2508
By Desmond Ford
Christian warnings guard against foolish worry that goes round and round without analysing the problem and coming to a decision or taking action to repair the situation.
That sort of worry is condemned in Scripture. For example, consider the words of our Lord in Matthew 6:25-34 (RSV):
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more. clothe you, 0 men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Marvellous words! Gird them to your soul if you are a worrier. Write them out by hand. Read them often. Memorize them. Pray over them.
What is our Lord saying?
In verse twenty-five he says, “Worry is needless.” He asks us, “Isn’t life more than food, isn’t the body more than clothing?”
In the next verse he tells us, “It’s senseless.” Look at the birds of the air. God looks after those. Won’t he look after you?
In the following verse he says, “It’s useless.” We can’t add a year to our life by worry alone. It’s useless.
And in verses 28-30, he says, “It’s faithless.” We have little faith if we forget that our heavenly Father knows and our heavenly Father cares.
And then in verse 32 he says that worry is pagan. The heathens seek after these things as a matter of primacy, but if we seek the kingdom of God first, God will add all those things.
And finally our Lord says that the day’s own trouble is sufficient for the day.
Try believing it today. What magnificent practical advice from our Lord for us worriers!
– Des Ford. Rom 8:27–32 (from “Are You A Worry Wart?”)
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