"Fear Not..."

Without a doubt, these are difficult times. Corporations are cutting jobs, 401ks are loosing value and mortgage rates are adjusting. In these challenging times it's important to remember one of the most often repeated commands in the Bible: "Fear not!"

The word "worry" comes from an old English word meaning “to choke or strangle”. Of course, that’s exactly what worry does to your productivity and happiness. It’s a self-defeating waste of time.

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave four reasons for not worrying and the secrets of overcoming it.(Matthew 6:25-34)

First, WORRY IS UNREASONABLE. To worry about something you CAN’T change is useless. To worry about something you CAN change is stupid! And every time you review a worry in your mind it just gets bigger. Worry amplifies problems out of proportion. "Don't worry about the clothes you need. Life is more than what you wear.”

Second, WORRY IS UNNATURAL. You weren’t born a worrier. It is a learned response to life. In fact, you have to practice to get good at it. Fortunately worry can be unlearned. The only species in God’s creation that worries is human beings. We don’t think God will take care of us. “Bird don’t worry but God takes care of them. Don’t you realize you’re more valuable to God than mere birds?”

Third, WORRY IS UNHELPFUL. It doesn’t make things better.It can’t change the past. It can’t control the future. It only makes you miserable today. Worrying about a problem never solves the problem. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Finally, WORRY IS UNNECESSARY. God has promised to take care of you if you’ll trust him with the details of your life. As a child, if you asked your father for lunch money you never worried about where it would come from. That was his problem. Let God be God in your life! “God will take care of you, just have faith.”

In my next post we'll discuss how to break free from worry!