Are You Confident In Your Faith?

When or how many times have you worried about something that turned out to be no big deal? I’m reminded of what one person said. “Don’t tell me the worry doesn’t do any good. Almost everything I worry about never happens.”

There's a new word that we are hearing more and more these days especially in the medical news. That word is catastrophizing. They define that as when a person fixates on the worst possible outcome and treats it like it is happening or already has happened even when it hasn't and won't. We have a more simple word that we use when trouble comes in. We use the word worry. It is so easy to get caught up in worry. Today, I want to talk about having a confident faith because a confident faith will kill worry. A confident faith quiets our minds as the Lord whispers to our souls, “fear not.”

Prayer.

In Luke 12, Jesus taught about overcoming worry and anxiety. The people that came to hear Jesus teach had very few resources. The Romans had conquered Israel and the inhabitants were faced with heavy taxes and poverty. There weren't many options to improve their lives. Finding enough food was one of the biggest issues for them. It was constant political and social upheaval because of the Roman occupation. The people of Israel had real reasons to worry about their current situation and their future. So, Jesus spoke to them with words that created a new way of looking at the world as He taught His followers to trust God with their worries.

Luke 12:22-26 – “Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? 25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

Can you see that Jesus is teaching us about the nature of worry? He's telling us that worrying about the future is not going to change our present reality. Jesus invites us to think about God's role as a provider for our needs. He encourages us to consider how the ravens survive. Even though birds can't contribute to their future, God takes care of them. Jesus is warning us about wasting our strength on things that will more than likely never happen, rather than living in the fear of worry.

Jesus wants us to trust Him with our burdens and not worry about them. In the verses just before this passage that we read, Jesus told the parable about the rich man who died before he could enjoy his wealth. The rich man was very successful but was relying on his own ability to provide for his future. So, he built bigger barns and store houses so that he wouldn't have to worry about being taken care of in the future. Jesus told the man that that very night he was going to die and that he'd be unable to enjoy the riches that he had accumulated.

That, in itself, is a form of idolatry. Idolatry can take many forms. Idol worship isn't confined to just praying to false gods that are made of stone and wood. An idol is anything we believe will fulfill us more than God. It's anything or anyone who competes with God for our hearts’ affections. Many times, an idol is something good that is lifted up to quench our desire. This puts God in second place.

In our culture today, a popular idol is control. People want to be in control of their future. It's not wrong to want a good life, but a life that's free from suffering is not going to ultimately satisfy the human heart. Jesus wants us to rely upon Him and His control of our lives. Difficulties will come in our life but there's no need to worry. Just like diamonds are created through pressure over time, Christians are perfected into Christ's image when we endure suffering.

And then the byproduct of wanting to be in control is worry. When people lose control, they worry about the future. Instead of letting go of what they can't control, they often try even harder to control people and situations around them. As a result, relationships are strained and anxiety creeps in. In contrast to all of this, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy look burden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants us to trust Him with our burdens. We were made for so much more than worry.