WORRY, WORRY, WORRY
LUKE 12:22-34
INTRODUCTION… www.experienceproject.com
I was perusing the internet this week and found experienceproject.com that has an entire section of the website called “I worry too much.” Worry must be one of those universal emotions and conditions that all of us deal with.
Rodwali: Yes, I worry too much, and I admit that I don't really like it. Although I know worrying is useless, but still can't tame my worrying nature! It all started when I was 9 and lost my dad, I was worried every single night because I was afraid to lose my mom as well and it scared me. Now I am 30 years old and sure life much harder and it leads to more worry! Sometimes, I just try to calm myself down by I wondering why I waste my precious time worrying about things that [are] totally out of my control.
Luci: I am a worry wart! I stress over everything. I wish I could just realize that nothing is perfect and to just let everything take its course. But I can't! I feel that everything needs fixed and I have to be the one to fix it. Knowing what a headache I'll get I go ahead and take the initiative to get it done. Even if it's not my responsibility. I also have a problem accepting help and yet I consider myself to be lazy. Need to work on that one. Right now I'm worrying about the last touches on my wedding and how my daughter is going to react to not being around her parents for 5 days. and how my mom is going to hold up taking care of her for 3 of those days. She's a complicated child. Ouch, the headache is starting already!
LiquidFire89: I worry ALL THE TIME about the stupidest little things: work, school, friends, relationships, family, home, sex...everything you can think of, I've probably worried about it.
Silvertears: Bills, will I have enough money to pay them all and still get groceries? Kids, will I be able to raise them right? Will they grow up to be good, happy adults? My husband, is his cholesterol to high? Is he gonna die to young because he doesn’t take care of himself? My mother, will she ever give me unconditional love? Did I make some one mad by saying something wrong? Are my friends really my friends? Everything worries me. It always has and it always will. I am the epitimy of a worry wart. So much for a stress free life.
I think that these folks and their thoughts and their confessions about worry sum it up well. We worry about a great many things. Our worry comes from many sources: fear of the unknown, the unpredictability of life, unmet and unrealistic expectations, and a whole host of issues. I think “worry” is one of those issues that if you have a pulse, then you deal with it. That means statues, robots, vampires, and anything else that isn’t alive doesn’t have to deal with worry, yet we do. We are fortunate that we have a Savior who lived life just like you and I. In fact, Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.” So just for kicks, let’s say we take a look at what Jesus said about worry and apply that to our lives. He is our Savior! He is sympathetic to us! What does He say?
READ Luke 12:22-34
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Can I be totally honest with you? I read that passage and when I think about worry I personally do not think about food or clothes. For some of us, perhaps worry for food and clothes is a part of the worry of life, but for most of us, I am thinking that our list of worries is a little more complicated or at least we think they are more complicated. Life seems more complicated than it was in Jesus’ day. I sometimes feel like this passage doesn’t apply to me because I worry about things which seem much more complicated and much more realistic in my life. Did Jesus have our lives in mind when He told us “do not worry about your life” (verse 22)?
The “more complicated” things that we may worry about:
Car accidents or being injured in one or not able to pay for the insurance after an accident
Aging ungracefully and being struck with Alzheimer’s or some other debilitating disease
Cancer
The price of gas
Criticism from others
Losing a job and not being able to find another one
Terrorism or Biological Attack which will directly effect us
Sexual predators or other evil characters hurting our children and grandchildren
For some of us, we look at that list and you say to me, ‘thanks, now I have 8 more things to worry and fret over. I hadn’t thought of any of that!’ For some reason, all of these worry issues seem so much more complicated than what Jesus describes in Luke 12. So what if Jesus did write this passage to us? What if we included more complicated issues into what Jesus said? Perhaps then we might feel that He was speaking directly into our lives. How about this…
ILLUSTRATION
Luke 12:22-34 (New Revised Updated Modernization Version for the E-Pad with notes) (NRUMVEPwN)
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, about evil people hurting you your family, or random biological terrorist attacks, or how the stock market will do. 23 Life is more than safety and security, and happiness is more than what does or does not happen to you. 24 Consider the Amish: They sow and reap without modern technology and God feeds them and protects them. And how much more of a tempting target are you than the Amish! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 "Consider how the Kardashians grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes people who are absolutely worthless in society, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on getting filthy rich or being physically perfect; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor on Craigslist. Provide purses for yourselves made out of duct tape that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Now, that is perhaps a little irreverent, but I hope in a moment you will see the point I am making. Jesus was attempting to teach the people about worry and used the examples that they were most familiar with. He used food. He mentions clothing. He talks about worries of the body. Those were the examples of His day. The examples are not the point. The examples are only examples and are meant to make the people think about their lives in the midst of the truths He is presenting. What we need to focus on are the eternal truths that apply to everyone’s life no matter when they have lived. You see, the Bible is full of Truths that are true in Jesus’ day and are true in our day and will be true in another 1,000 years because it is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
So, if we take a look at this passage and we strip away any examples that Jesus is trying to make and we take out talk of ravens and if we just briefly ignore for the moment any examples that we may not connect with, and just for the moment we take out verses about moths and rust, what are we left with?
I believe we are left with three core eternal principles that apply to our lives no matter your worry.
* Perhaps you do worry about food and clothing and your body and you will find that Jesus’ words apply to you.
* Perhaps you worry more about your job or your grown children or finances, you will find that Jesus’ words apply to you.
* Perhaps you worry about terrorist attacks or capital gains or illness, you will find that Jesus’ words apply to you.
You see Jesus did have our lives in mind when He taught these things. He knew that our lives would become ever more complicated, but that His Words apply no matter the situation. That’s the way it is with God’s Words. They apply to matter the situation.
I. PRINCIPLE ONE: WORRY SUBTRACTS FROM OUR LIFE (VERSES 25-26)
Jesus says in verses 25-26, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
I imagine Jesus thinking of life as a math problem when He speaks these words to the crowds. Word problems are the worst kind of math problems ever. I think a math teacher and an english teacher got married and decided to make a word problem… just horrible. I always drew out my word problems, so here is Jesus’ life math problem drawn out for you. Suppose you are walking through your life at 5 mph towards eternity which is about 30 years away. You are worried about someone in your family getting cancer and so you begin to worry and cry and have stress. If you do not worry about cancer, insert any worry you wish into the problem. Now here is the math problem, what have you added to your life? What have you gained? What benefit has worry brought into your life? Jesus would tell us that by worrying we have added nothing or gained nothing in our lives but have only subtracted from our lives.
You see, worry is the enemy of faith. Faith has many enemies of course, but one that we experience most often is worry. Jeremiah 17:7-8 tells us, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." In Luke 10, Martha was “worried and upset about many things” (verse 41) and had neglected to enjoy in faith the presence of Jesus and Jesus compliments Mary’s activities over Martha. Worry subtracts from our lives. It is the enemy of faith.
Worry subtracts faith and trust in God’s purposes and will from our lives.
Worry subtracts peace and assurance that God will take care of us.
Worry subtracts hours of sleep and health and can cause varying physical heart issues (webmd.com)
Worry subtracts from your muscles and causes aches and pains (webmd.com)
Worry subtracts from your thought life and can cause memory loss and lead to depression (webmd.com)
Worry subtracts from your relationships because it can spread and become frustrating to others
Worry subtracts from your willingness to do and to act.
This is not just a medical opinion or one that Jesus offers only once. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 12:25 tells us, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Jesus tells us again in Luke 21:34, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” Worry is a trap that subtracts from our lives and weighs us down. Worry does not add anything to our lives of note and Jesus points this eternal principle out as He teaches the disciples and the crowds. And this principle is true no matter the issue that is causing worry. It simply doesn’t help… worry subtracts.
ILLUSTRATION… Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (p)
When my daughter Abigail was 2 or so she came down with what is now known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Basically, a person’s entire body gets covered in cold sores. The end result is skin scars, loss of vision, and even death. She could not be touched. She was in constant physical pain. She could not see. She could not eat. Even talking about it all these years later gives me a queasy feeling in my stomach. It was a horrible time for her. She still does not like doctors or hospitals to this day.
I can think of no greater time in my life when I have worried. What if she went blind… that was a real possibility. What if she was disfigured for the rest of her life… that was an even greater possibility. Yet even in the midst of this situation, Jesus would say to me and to you, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
ILLUSTRATION… Moving Churches (p)
My wife reminded me about a time when I was greatly worried. It was just before we moved to Florida in 2006. Can you believe it has been six years?! I had experienced a great time of testing in the church I was at and was looking to move out of that situation. I was looking to perhaps leave ministry all together. I was quite broken. I was broken down. I was worried about providing for my family. To be honest, a Bible degree lets you be a minister and the greeter at Wal-Mart and that is about it. I was going to have to go back to school. What was I going to do as my next career because God had called me into His service and had not removed that calling? What would people think of me? Where would we live? The unknown haunted my steps. Yet even in the midst of this situation, Jesus would say to me and to you, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
II. PRINCIPLE TWO: GOD KNOWS, SEEK HIM (VERSES 30-32)
Jesus continues and says, “For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
ILLUSTRATION… No Creature is Hidden From His Sight [Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity, Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, pp. 35-36]
In the movie The Truman Show, Truman Burbank played by Jim Carrey believes his life is no different from anyone else’s—until he begins to notice peculiar things happening, like instances that repeat every day. Then he gets suspicious that something strange is going on. What he doesn't realize is that every second of his life from the day he was born has been telecast live to the entire planet. He is the star of The Truman Show, the most popular television show in the world, which broadcasts every aspect of his life around the clock. From the moment he wakes up until he goes to bed at night, the world eavesdrops on Truman's life through the aid of five thousand hidden cameras. Finally Truman comes to the life-changing realization that an unseen audience is watching his every move.
Do you realize an unseen audience is watching your life, too? Not through television cameras, but through the eyes of God. Although we can’t see him, he is watching everything we do. Hebrews 4:13 tells us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13).
Jesus teaches us that no matter the issue we are facing, God knows. We serve an all-knowing all-caring God who is intimately invested in our lives and knows what we need even before we do.
Are you worried about your job or about an evaluation coming up? God knows. Seek Him.
Are you worried about a medical test coming up or a surgery that you must have? God knows. Seek Him.
Are you worried about the safety of your children or grandchildren? God knows. Seek Him.
No matter what issue we face or think is above God’s notice or God’s power, we are simply wrong. He knows our situations and asks us to seek Him in faith in the midst of such trying circumstances and emotions. God’s way of faith and provision is best. Psalm 139:23-24 reminds us, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Seek Him.
In Psalm 139, King David prays that God would find the anxious thoughts we hold and remove them. He prays that God will lead him in the way that is everlasting… in God’s way. That is actually the third principle that Jesus teaches us. He first teaches us that worry subtracts. He secondly teaches to seek Him. He lastly teaches us to mind our hearts.
III. PRINCIPLE THREE: MIND YOUR HEART (VERSE 34)
Jesus says in verse 34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus commands us at the end of this passage on worry to have an eternal perspective in our hearts. We should have our treasure in Heaven. We should mind our hearts and align them with Him. This fights worry.
How do we do that? Jesus wants us to mind our hearts and actively push worry away. How do we do that in the midst of worrying about terrorist attacks or our insurance bill or the job interview or the loss of benefits at work or the blood test results or the cost of the CAT scan or the 16 million other things that may weigh on our hearts? How do we do that? Here comes the practical applicable part of the sermon.
First, I think we should make up our minds to trust in God and allow Him to change us. Psalm 94:17-19 says, “Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. 18 When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. 19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” We are to make up our minds that worry will not take us to the “silence of death,” but we are to verbally and mentally make up our mind that our support comes from God and that we will allow His joy to take hold in our hearts. This is not something easy. This is a constant decision that must be made and affirmed that God will direct our hearts and we will let His joy reign. This is how people of faith deal with obstacles that cripple most others. We make up our minds to trust in God and He molds our hearts to deal with the stress and circumstances. You see sometimes God changes the worrisome situation and sometimes he changes us in the midst of the worrisome situation. He works both ways. And He always works.
Second, we have got to be people of prayer. There is no substitute and there is no alternative to getting down on your knees or laying face first before the God of the Universe and pouring out your heart to Him. It probably will look and sound a lot like divine therapy. But it is what God commands us to do. When we are stressed and overwhelmed, God commands us to come to Him and lay our concerns before Him. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Notice that the promise of Philippians 4 is the same as in Psalm 94. When we make up our mind to trust God and allow Him to change us and we come to Him in prayer, God fills our heart with joy and peace and understanding which pushes out worry. Worry has no place in the heart of one filled with God-given joy, holy peace, and divine perspective.
Third, we must add self-control and the willingness to constantly come to God in the midst of worry. For some of us, this process of making up our minds and coming to Him in prayer may be a one time thing. Mutants, you all can tune out for a moment. The rest of us need to do this over and over to keep the worry away. We must continually ask for God’s strength and joy and patience in our lives. We must continually be on top of our thought life and prayer life because Satan is waiting to throw temptations to worry our way.
The Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-9, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
CONCLUSION
Let’s say you were surfing the internet and you came across a website called experienceproject.com and it had an entire section called “I worry too much.” The people were asking what they should do about all the worry that they are experiencing. What would you tell them? As you list the many worries that you have… what advice should you give yourself? What should be our perspective on worry.
Jesus would tell us worry subtracts.
Jesus would tell us seek Him.
Jesus would tell us mind your heart.
