“Do not worry about your life.”
Do you know who said those words? It wasn’t Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Plato, or Socrates.
It was Jesus.
God himself tells us not to worry. It’s one thing when your parent, your friend, or your coworker tells you not to worry about something. But think about the implications: the Lord is the one who tells us not to worry.
It’s the same Lord who also said:
- “Do not murder.”
- “Do not lie.”
- “Do not steal.”
- “Do not covet.”
Sure, it’s not in the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s words are no less authoritative when He says, “Do not worry.”
Yet for some reason, we don’t take this command as seriously as the others. Maybe it’s because we don’t believe worry has any repercussions. I mean, if you commit murder, theft, or perjury, you could end up in prison! As far as I know, no one has ever been arrested for worrying too much.
So, what are the consequences of worrying and why does it matter? Why does Jesus give valuable time in His greatest sermon, “The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7),” to speak on the issue of worry?
Because…
Something happens when you worry.
Worry causes you to doubt your worth to God.
You see, we connect our worry to our circumstances. We think if our situation improved or if our conditions weren’t as unstable then our worry would go away.
However, Jesus knows that our worry is not really connected to our circumstances. If our situations changed, we would find something new to worry about. Everyone has worries.
Jesus connects our worry to our worth.
Jesus connects our worry to our worth. Click To TweetNotice what Jesus says about worry.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
Jesus points us to the truth that we have extreme value to God. We have incredible worth in His eyes. That truth is what helps us battle our worries.
Worry causes you to believe at the moment that God doesn’t care. Worry tells you to doubt if God is actually in control and makes you wonder if He really has your best interests at heart.
So, even though you won’t be put in prison for worrying too much, worry will cause you to doubt your self-worth.
And remember, there’s no switch to simply turn off our worries, but there is a way to replace our worries.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6