Don't Worry? Man, I am anxious about that!!!

What do you worry about?

Let’s face it, we all worry. We worry about the future, we worry about the present, and we worry about the past. We worry about finances and not having enough. We worry about our health and the health of our loved ones. We worry about what people think about us. We watch the news and worry about the things that we hear, or we pick up the newspaper and worry about the headlines.

We are a worried people. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety disorders are the leading mental health diagnosis in America. An estimated 40 million people live with anxiety problems. But the truth is, 100% of us worry about something.

As Jesus is speaking to his followers on a mountainside, he spends a significant portion of his time talking about worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…” (Matthew 6:25) Jesus tells his disciples to stop worrying about the things of this world: food, clothes, possessions. Jesus wants his disciples to put their anxieties aside in order to live a happier, more productive, more God-filled life.

But let’s be honest: this seems almost IMPOSSIBLE for us. After we got done discussing this passage at Refresh the other night, one of my students told me that she had already broken her resolution and had begun to worry about school. How can we follow Jesus’ teachings? How can we move beyond our anxious thoughts?

I think Jesus gives us the secret in the passages that come before this. Jesus begins his discussion of worry with the word “Therefore.” Thus, we have to figure out what it is there for. Jesus’ immediate words talk about not being able to serve two masters; serve God only (Mt 6:24). Jesus discusses storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Mt. 6:19-21). Jesus tells his disciples to fast; he calls them to intentionally abstain from the things of the world (mt. 6:16). These three admonitions teach us that God is more important than the things of this world.

But I think the real secret comes in the passage right before. Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done… Give us this day our daily bread…” (Mt. 6:9-11, emphasis mine). Did you catch the secret? Did you hear how we can begin to overcome our worries? It doesn’t just start with prayer; it starts with how we pray! We must pray that God’s will may overcome our own, that we will seek his kingdom. And we are called to pray for our daily bread; it doesn’t talk about storing up bread for the future, but simply worrying about today, for “each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I pray that each of us may learn how to trust God with our future, because he knows (and provides for) all of our needs.