When I was much younger, I used to tell people I was a “champion worrier.” (I had to be careful when I articulated this though because without careful enunciation it sounds remarkably like “champion warrior.”) Then a day came when I realized that this was akin to bragging that I was a “champion sinner.” The statement was true, but it instead of being boastful about it, I should have been chagrined. Jesus is clear that His children are not to worry (Mt 6:25-34); what I thought of as an ability to anticipate and think through potential negative events, had become a complacency, and even satisfaction with, my tendency to take on burdens that were not mine to carry. As a child of God, my job is to cast my anxiety on to Him knowing that He cares for me (I Peter 5:7).
One of the reasons Jesus tells us not to worry is because worry does not actually accomplish anything (Lk 12:25-31). Not only does it indicate that I am trusting in myself rather than God, but it is also a futile endeavor, not producing any useful outcomes. In his little book, Living Without Worry. Timothy Lane reminds us that there are additional negative results of an anxious life. Those who worry are inclined to greater health problems, and worry impacts our relationships and out ministry. As Lane writes:
Worrying may appear to be an effective coping skill and it may even make you feel “safe,” but it will not produce fruit in your life. You will find yourself not taking opportunities that God is laying in front of you, because you are trapped worrying about what might go wrong. You may find yourself holding back in relationships with others, failing to love and serve them, because you are worrying about getting hurt. And as we have already said, you may find that worrying is affecting your ability to sleep or impacting your health. [p. 13-14]
Did you catch that? When we worry, we are not only indicating a lack of trust in God, but a preoccupation with our own thoughts and concerns may prevent us from effectively serving others. Christians have been called to love God and love people (Mt. 25:34-40); worry inhibits our ability to do both.
Precious saint – the Bible is clear; worry has no place in the life of the child of the King. If your heart is filled with anxiety, your capacity to love God and love others well will be diminished. A life without worry may sound impossible, but if we couldn’t cast all our anxiety on God, He would not have commanded us to do so. Let us fully and completely place our trust in Him – focusing our thoughts and our affections on how we can serve Him and others more and relying on Him to take care of what we desire and what we need.
