Surrendering the Need to Worry
Matthew 6:25-34
Primary Purpose: To encourage the congregation not to worry and to give their anxieties to the Lord.
A man said to his friend, “I have a mountain of credit card debt. I have lost my job. My car is being repossessed and our houses is in foreclosure, but I am not worried about it”.
“Aren’t you worried.” Exclaimed his friend.
“No, I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for me, and that way I don’t have to think about it.”
“That’s fantastic!” said the friend. “How much does your professional worrier charge for his services?”
“$50,000 a year” he replied.
“$50,000 a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?”
“I don’t know”, comes the reply. “That’s his worry.”
What I want to talk to you today about is worry. I want to talk to you today about what God’s will is regarding to worry. Jesus talked about this subject in Matthew 6:25-34. As we read this passage we will look at how Jesus would have us handle the cares and anxieties of our lives. (Read Scripture)
I got a call one day from the nursing home where I worked. One of the men was asking to speak to me. The nurse called and asked if I would come in since he seemed very depressed and wouldn’t talk to anyone else. We were in the middle of a severe thunderstorm watch at the time. It was raining hard, very hard. I drove from Nacogdoches, Texas to Diboll in about 45 minutes, it would normally take about 25. I got there and for the first few minutes the man wouldn’t speak to me either. Then he asked me if I would take the pillow and cover his face with it to stop him from breathing. He was sucidial. Part of his problem was a prolonged illness and anti-depressants that was making the situation worse instead of better. I talked to the man for a while. He was consumed with worry over family and other issues. He wanted to give up. I’m glad to report that he didn’t kill himself. In fact, about 6 months later he went home.
Jesus first brings to our attention the futility of worry in v.27. Jesus points out that worry cannot add to my life. Rather it takes up precious energy that I need for other things and people in my life. It is a waste. It also reflects a lack of faith in God. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us that we are to cast up our anxieties to the Lord because he cares for us. When you start to worry let me tell you what to do—Go to God. Give your cares to Him. Stay on your knees till they hurt. Use your energy in a productive way. Get closer to Him. He can do something about it when nobody else can. He wants to hear from you.
Someone once said that “Worry is fear’s extravagance. It extracts interest on trouble before it comes due. It constantly drains the energy God gives us to face daily problems and to fulfill our many responsibilities. It is therefore a sinful waste. A woman who had lived a long enough to have learned some important truths about life remarks “I’ve had a lot of trouble—most of which never happened.” She had worried about many things that had never occurred and had come to see the total futility of her anxieties.” (source unknown)
What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty today of its strength. It does nt make you escape the evil; it make you unfit to cope with it when it comes. God gives us the power to bear all the sorrows of His making, but He does not guarantee to give us strength to bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces. (Ian Maclaren) Let God set you free from worry. Give it to Him.
The second thing I want you to notice is that Jesus reminds us of the care of the Father v.32. Jesus tells us that God cares for his creation. In Matthew 10:29 he said that not a sparrow falls to the ground that the Father doesn’t know about it and they are worth about ½ a cent a piece. Then he goes on to say that even the hairs on our head are numbered. The point of that is not hair counting, but the care that God has over his creation. He does care about you and what your going through. He knows what you need and when you’ll need it.
I want to point out that this is not a license to laziness. God says he provides for the birds, but the bird still has to go out and get the worm. Both in Heb 6:12 and in 2 Thess 3:10 it warns us against laziness. God expects his children to work. There is work for you to do somewhere.
One of the issues that came up in the Ministerial Alliance I was a part of in Texas was this issue. We would help people time and time again every 6 months. Their situation never got any better. They were always in need. A lot of times God did give them money, but they would spend it on cigarettes and beers and sometimes drugs. So, we began asking more questions before writing the checks. Questions like, “What’s your plan for getting out of this situation?” “Are you looking for work?” A few times we had to say “no” to the person because they weren’t looking for help. We’d tell them go apply for some jobs and then come back. Help yourself a little for a change. Give God a chance to bless you.
Instead of wasting this time, Jesus tells us in v.33 where our real focus should be. It should be on his kingdom and His righteousness. We are kingdom people. Our cares and worries aren’t suppose to just be here and now. We are to be living for different reasons, united with a different purpose. Our goal isn’t just to build a kingdom here and now.
By spending time with God and giving our cares to God, God will give us a spirit to overcome our fears. 2 Tim 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. It isn’t God’s will for you to allow today and tomorrow’s worries to steal your joy. Realize the futility of it. Realize the peace that comes from letting go.
