Worry Not!

Worrying is something most people do every day. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, man or woman, black or white or of any other race, we all worry about something from time to time, if not daily. Growing older we fend off some worries, but frequently those are replaced with new troubles. As Christians, we have been expressly told not to worry. We have to learn how to stop worrying so we can deal with the meaningful aspects of our everyday lives. I know, easier said than done! But we have scriptural guidance support. Worry or “worrying” is so unimportant it is mentioned less than a dozen times in the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible.

One example therein is Matthew 6:25-34, which is titled “Do Not Worry.” Those words tell us, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

The same Matthew line from the 1599 Geneva Bible starts as, “Therefore I say unto you, be not careful for your life . . .” Moreover, in the 1599 Bible, “worry” is not mentioned a single time.

Referring back to the NKJV, Philippians 4:6 interprets the words “worry” and “be not careful for your life” as; be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

The topic of this essay deals with how we should strive to manage worry and anxiety, which all of us face in life time after time. The Amplified Version of the Bible states it this way, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything.”

Standing against worry and anxiety is one of the subjects of the NKJV New Testament. Jesus Himself taught that we should have no anxious thought for tomorrow, or for what we should eat or drink, or about what we would wear.

Yet, for many people, being tranquil and not distressing over anything is seemingly impossible. How can we fight fretting over things? The answer, of course, is to consult the Bible and do what it says to do. And that’s where faith comes in because it takes faith to obey the word of God. So, let’s look at this passage in Philippians 4:6-7 and see what the Bible says for us to do concerning worry, anxiety, or fear. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The writer of this verse, Paul, tells us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not be anxious for anything. In other words, do not be worried or fretful. These are the divinely inspired word of God to us, not merely the suggestions of a man.

But many folks exclaim, “You don’t know what I’m going through. There is no way I can't worry!” Answer this, would the Lord tell us to do something we are not capable of doing? The answer is no. He would not task us to do something we could not accomplish. So then, your worrying can indeed be stopped, if you work at it. Nobody is “under the thumb” of something we cannot control, for God has given us the ability, by faith in Christ, to refuse worry's ability to rule over us.

Yes, that might sound idealistic, even radical, but this was a truth for both Jesus and Paul. If we’re not supposed to be nervous or worried about things, then what are we to do? We're going to do what the Bible tells us to do. Take our troubles and fears to the Lord in Prayer.

Notice that Paul says to pray with thanksgiving, by giving thanks. This is not thanking God for the problems or issues, but thanking Him in advance for the solution to your concerns. Can you, or should you, fret and worry while giving thanks? No! Giving thanks stems from faith, whereas worrying and agonizing come from fear. Let's all take every problem in our requests to the Lord by prayer and faithful trust in Him. Then when everything works out, we need to be thanking Him that He is with us and that He is faithful in helping us.

Hebrews 13:5, Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”