Let us start off by defining what I mean by worry.
A. The bible doesn’t even use the word, “worry”...it
uses the words, “careful”, or “cares”.
1. The Greek word that is used is the word
merimnao - merimnaw.
a. The definition for this word is: to be
anxious about.
2. There is a time and place for genuine and
real concern but a Christian should not allow
anxiety to set in.
We have an old English meaning for the word, “worry” which,
even though it has passed out of use, it gives us the best definition
of what the word really means:
A. They used to speak of a dog “worrying” his prey,
or a person “worrying” his sore that had scabbed
over.
1. It means to keep on messing with it...to keep
bringing it back up...something that has your
attention that you should leave alone.
It’s perfectly permissible to be concerned with the fact that you
don’t have enough money to pay the bills, but it turns into an
illegitimate worry when the solution to the problem starts to
consume an unrealistic amount of your time and energy.
Let us take a look at a passage in which Christ addressed the idea
of worry.
A. It may be hard to put into practice, but it still is the
best advice that we could ever have on the subject
(Matt. 6:25-34).
In the time that we have left I would like to address some remedies
for worry.
I. Do not borrow worry...there are plenty of problems to
deal with and if we worry about each one that comes
along, we will soon be consumed with worry.
(Matt. 6:34 - Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is
its own trouble.
A. There are a multitude of things out there that can
consume us, if we let them:
1. Our health.
2. The things that we own.
3. The fear of accidents.
4. Aging.
5. Criticism from others.
** Just know this...WORRY IS COMPLETELY
USELESS.
B. Some would say, “It helps me be better prepared
for the bad that might come my way”.
1. In truth, it does not prepare you for reality.
a. When we worry about what might
happen, we worry in the “worst case
scenario” mode.
1.) Think about the things that you
have worried about in the past...
did they turn out as terrible as you
had anticipated?
a.) Probably not...worry
can really change
nothing.
(Luke 21:34 - “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be
weighed down with...(the) cares of this life...”)
** In short, worry is a negative...it has no positive benefits...
and it goes against everything that the Lord, Jesus Christ
told us.
II. I’ve already touched on it in my last point, but let me
expand on the subject...NOTHING IS
ACCOMPLISHED BY WORRY (Matt. 6:26-33)
A. Let us just realize a truism...The past is gone and
the future is not even a reality.
1. We may be worrying about something in the
future that may never touch us.
a. It is possible that situations will change
and what we think is going to happen
never does.
b. It is also quite possible that we may not
live another day.
(James 4:14 - “Whereas you do not know what will happen
tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears
for a little time and then vanishes away.)
(Read the story of the rich farmer - Luke 12:13-20)
B. What can be changed by the worry?
1. We can’t pay the bills with worry (no-
body will accept this as payment).
2. Our health will not improve with worry.
a. As a matter of fact, it may just get
worse FROM THE WORRY!
3. Worry is no protection from accidents.
a. Again, it is possible to create
accidents...BY WORRYING.
III. The remedy for worry...
A. Psalm 37:5 - “Commit your way to the Lord,
trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”
1. Turn it over to God (Commit your way to
the Lord)
a. Your worry can’t do a thing about the
problem, but GOD CAN!
2. Trust in God (trust also in Him).
a. Perhaps we’ve been “burned” way
too much by trusting someone.
1.) Trust God...YOU WILL NEVER
BE “BURNED”.
Psalm 55:22 - “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall
SUSTAIN you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved
(shaken)”.
Proverb 16:3 - “Commit your works to the Lord, and your
THOUGHTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED.”
1. In other words, you will have “peace of mind”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 - “Blessed (happy) is the man who trusts in the
Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree
planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and
WILL NOT FEAR when heat comes; but its LEAF WILL BE
GREEN, and will NOT BE ANXIOUS in the year of drought,
NOR WILL CEASE FROM YIELDING FRUIT.”
Phil. 4:6 - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God.”
B. Heb. 13:5 - “Let your conduct be without covetous-
ness; BE CONTENT with such things as you have.
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you
nor forsake you.”
1. Be content...do not plot and scheme and worry
when those schemes don’t “pan out”.
a. There is much worry associated with
plotting and scheming...especially when
the plots of mice and men go awry.
** Be content. A contented man is not full of cares and
concerns...he has learned to take things as they come.
C. I Peter 5:6-7 - “Therefore humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time, casting all your care
upon Him, for he cares for you.”
1. Just who do we think we are?
a. Do we think that we are strong enough
to change the events in our lives?
1.) Certainly we can change some
things, but so much that happens
to us...simply HAPPENS and we
have no control over it at all.
b. Let us humble ourselves and admit our
inability’s and weakness and turn to
God as our source of strength.
1.) He has said that He cares for us...
why not take our hands off of the
tiller and let Him take control of
our lives?
CONCLUSION:
It is to be worldly minded to worry about the things of life.
A. We do nothing that the world hasn’t already done
and is still doing.
1. One of the marks of a Christian is that he
doesn’t fret and worry.
(II Tim. 2:4 - “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with
the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as
a soldier.”)
a. A Christian trusts in his Lord and his God.
1.) Nothing overwhelms one who is
standing strongly in the Lord.
We stand strongly in the Lord by doing and realizing a couple of
things.
A. We don’t borrow trouble.
1. We are content to deal with the problems of
day and we deal with them.
a. We don’t dwell on these problems or pick
at the scab (Matt. 13:22 - “Now he who
received seed among the thorns is he
who hears the word, and THE CARES
OF THIS WORLD...choke the Word,
and he becomes unfruitful”).
2. We know that the past is done....it’s over with.
Tomorrow....tomorrow, and any problems
associated with tomorrow may never come.
a. Today is the only time frame that is real
and needs our attention.
B. We also realize that nothing is ever accomplished
by worry.
1. We know that worry can’t change anything...
BUT GOD CAN!
a. So...we place our unsolvable problems in
the good and capable hands of our God.
When we have unburdened ourselves from these cares, we
can be effective for both ourselves and our God.
A. It’s similar to a computer...if we load it up with all
kinds of information, we bog it down and can even
cause it to crash.
1. When we delete all the superfluous junk...it
runs so much better...AND SO DO WE!
