No Worries In A Life Centered On Christ

Good morning. I pray that you are all doing well during these trying times. Thank you first, to all of the wonderful responses that we had since last Sunday’s message was posted. God has really been impressing upon me to share His peace with you today. And in chaotic and trying times such as these, we need that peace. We need to remember the joy that God has placed in each of us when we became His child.

A few weeks ago, we talked about anxiety and how it effects our lives. I guess God knew all this was about to happen and so He began early to get us prepared for what is happening today. You know, if we listen closely and watch God working, many times He gives us a little foresight of things to come. We didn’t know 3 or 4 weeks ago that all this would be happening. But in His plan, God did.

Are you anxious today? Centering our lives on Jesus Christ can take away a lot of that anxiety. It’s never in our plans to complicate our lives, but it happens. Over time, we keep adding layers to our lives. We think a plan that’s overflowing with activity, money, or possessions will lead to a cup overflowing with joy and satisfaction, but we then realize that true contentment isn’t there. When we quit filling our lives with everything else, and simplify our lives, and focus on the one thing that matters most, then we find the contentment we want. And it’s all wrapped up in Christ, trusting and living simply in Him. Are you content right now, or are you worried a little bit?

Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can. 2 out of 5 Americans admit to worrying. And I’ll have to admit that at times I’m in that group. That worry list includes church, family, health, my future, and lost people. The list goes on and on. Worry can consume you and even spiritually paralyze you. We play the “what if” game. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my loved-one never comes to know Christ?

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ, that changes everything. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

Turn to Matthew 6:25-30.

In His Sermon, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. That wrong focus is what leads to anxiety and worry. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, the world creeps in. And along with it comes worrying. Let’s read

Matthew 6: 25-30

Jesus’ words are unmistakable. READ v. 25a above. Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying.

We know that God loves and cares for us, right? Jesus illustrated this truth by focusing on two of our most basic needs: food and clothing. The birds are fed and provided for and the wildflowers are clothed. The birds and the flowers have no concern, and since God loves us so much more than that, why should we have any concern? Jesus was clear: don’t worry about things we shouldn’t be worrying about. Worry saps our energy. It steals hours from our day and days from our lives. Worry says something about us. Worry reveals a lack of faith and trust in God.

WE CAN TRUST GOD BECAUSE HE’S OUR CREATOR WHO HOLDS ALL AUTHORITY.

Jesus’ words in this verse are powerful, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that we’re hearing these words from the mouth of our Creator. The Creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who controls the oceans, the One who holds the world in the palm of his hand is telling us, “Don’t worry!” You would think that would be enough to cure us of worry, but it often isn’t. Worry is the state of mind we choose. Did you catch that? We CHOOSE to worry. When we worry, it’s because we’ve allowed our mind to focus on and live in disbelief.

Worry won’t change anything. The old saying is that worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. Rocking back and forth in the chair gives us something to do, but it really doesn’t get us anywhere. Worrying will consume our thoughts, imprison our emotions, and take away the joy in our lives. But it won’t do anything to solve the problems in life that are pressing down on us. No, worry won’t change anything because it can’t. But God can.