seekingchrist
Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2008
- Messages
- 128
Stop Worrying - Nicky Gumbel
1. Worry is to Miss the Point of Life
Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25)
Jesus tells us life is far more important than material things. So often our worries are about relatively unimportant and trivial matters, such as food, drink, clothing, houses and cars.
Do an analysis of any typical women’s magazine or men’s magazine and you will find it is preoccupied with the very things Jesus told us not to worry about - with clothes, food and drink. Most of the adverts will focus on the body: with how to shape it, how to 'take four-and-a-half inches off without moving an inch'; with how to look younger; how to rejuvenate your skin and make it as soft as a baby's'. Jesus says that life 'is more important than these things.’
Jesus says here that if we seek fulfillment in material things we are missing the whole point of life. The point of life is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Worry misses the point of life.
2. Worry is Illogical
Jesus says, “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)
Worry is actually a slander on God's character. Worry suggests that God is more interested in his pets than in his children. Birds are kept alive by food provided by nature, such as worms and insects. They have to spend a lot of time hunting and searching for the food, but it is there to be found. Jesus encourages us to look at them and to think about these facts. Worry misses the point of life because it is illogical.
3. Worry is a Complete Waste of Time
Jesus says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27)
Worry is illogical because it is futile, unproductive and pointless. Jesus reminds us we cannot add anything to our life. Worry can only subtract from our lives by causing things like ulcers or a coronary thrombosis. Most things we worry about never happen anyway.
Sir Winston Churchill once said, 'When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his death bed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.' William Barclay recalls the story of a London doctor who was paralysed and bedridden, but outrageously cheerful. His smile so brave and radiant that everyone forgot to feel sorry for him. His children adored him, and when one of his boys was leaving home, Dr. Greatheart gave him this advice: 'Johnny,' he said, ‘…please remember the biggest troubles you have got to face are those that never come.' Worry misses the point of life because it is illogical and a waste of time.
4. Worry is Incompatible with Faith
Jesus says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30)
Faith and anxiety are like fire and water. In our previous church we had a large 8’x4’ poster board outside. One of my favourite posters was 'Why worry when you can pray?' Another asked ‘Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?’ Faith means trust. Trust in God's care and provision. To be a Christian is to walk in a trusting relationship with God. But sin interferes with that relationship and leads to worry. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time and incompatible with faith.
5. Worry is actually Sub-Christian
Jesus says, 'For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them' (Matthew 6:32)
So worry is not only incompatible with faith, it is actually sub-Christian. Having a primary concern with material needs is the characteristic of unbelievers says Jesus. Some of these worry’s may be modest, such as food, drink and clothing. But others are more commonly found in Virginia Water: a bigger house, a new car, a better salary, reputation, fame or power. But all these are pagan because they are self-centred and do not satisfy. An article in the Evening Standard about Chris Evans drives this home. It asked, 'So why isn't this man laughing?' It went on to say why Evans ought to be a happy man. A multi-millionnaire, with cars, homes, girl friends, he nevertheless seemed depressed.
'It hit me one Sunday morning,' he explains, 'that all I ever wanted was the 10 o'clock Saturday night slot on Channel 4 and I'd achieved my life ambition at 27. So what do I do next? 'You can compare it to climbing Everest. You climb it, and what do you do then? Climb the north face? OK, but so what? And then? Climb the north face with a grand piano over your shoulder? There has to be more to life. Finding out what that might be is the problem I've had ever since that Sunday. I haven't got any closer to working it out.'
Have you? Have you worked it out? When we trust in Jesus and receive him as our Lord and Saviour we are born into his family and become children of God. We can be assured that God knows our every need. If our loving Father knows our needs we can trust him for them. Not our wants but certainly our needs. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time, incompatible with faith and is actually sub-Christian.
6. Worry is Unnecessary
'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.' (Matthew 6:33).
Worry is actually unnecessary. God promises to provide for our needs if we get our priorities right. Indeed, the Bible is full of such promises. For example, the psalmist says, 'No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless' (Psalm 84:11). The apostle Paul also writes, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' (Romans 8:28). Sometimes, as Paul knew only too well and Jesus experienced, our situation may be difficult or painful. Yet God will walk with us and hold our hand and use adversity to build our character.
The result may be increased intimacy with God, greater spiritual insight or far deeper faith with which to encourage and affirm others. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time, incompatible with faith, sub-Christian and a complete waste of time. And if you remain unconvinced, here’s one more.
7. Worry Contradicts Common Sense
Jesus says, 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' (Matthew 6:34)
God intends us to live one day at a time. God has given us our lives in units of twenty-four hours and we should take life a day at a time. If we wish to live a long and fruitful life, we should respect and live by the biological clock he has built inside us. Fiona Castle, who had to face the stress of her husband Roy's battle against cancer, wrote this in her book ‘Give Us This Day’:
“Recently a friend commented to me that many people live their life as though it were a dress rehearsal for the real thing. But in fact, by tonight, we will have given the only performance of 'today' that we will ever give. So we have to put our heart, our energy and honesty and sincerity into what we do every day. As a show business family, we find that a very suitable illustration. And every show comes to the end of its run, when we must lay aside the costumes and step off the stage, into another, larger world. So as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us, we ask God to 'Give us this day' - thankfully receiving one day at a time - looking to him to sustain us with everything we need, whether it be food, shelter, love of family and friends, or courage and hope to face the future. And at the same time we echo the words of the psalmist: 'This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it' (Psalm 118:24).
So how do we stop worrying? Jesus gives us that the answer in Matthew 6:33-34. The verse begins “But”. “But seek first…” Jesus is stressing by way of contrast that to fill the vacuum, to eradicate worry we must focus our minds and energy on the kingdom of God.
1. Worry is to Miss the Point of Life
Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25)
Jesus tells us life is far more important than material things. So often our worries are about relatively unimportant and trivial matters, such as food, drink, clothing, houses and cars.
Do an analysis of any typical women’s magazine or men’s magazine and you will find it is preoccupied with the very things Jesus told us not to worry about - with clothes, food and drink. Most of the adverts will focus on the body: with how to shape it, how to 'take four-and-a-half inches off without moving an inch'; with how to look younger; how to rejuvenate your skin and make it as soft as a baby's'. Jesus says that life 'is more important than these things.’
Jesus says here that if we seek fulfillment in material things we are missing the whole point of life. The point of life is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Worry misses the point of life.
2. Worry is Illogical
Jesus says, “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)
Worry is actually a slander on God's character. Worry suggests that God is more interested in his pets than in his children. Birds are kept alive by food provided by nature, such as worms and insects. They have to spend a lot of time hunting and searching for the food, but it is there to be found. Jesus encourages us to look at them and to think about these facts. Worry misses the point of life because it is illogical.
3. Worry is a Complete Waste of Time
Jesus says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27)
Worry is illogical because it is futile, unproductive and pointless. Jesus reminds us we cannot add anything to our life. Worry can only subtract from our lives by causing things like ulcers or a coronary thrombosis. Most things we worry about never happen anyway.
Sir Winston Churchill once said, 'When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his death bed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.' William Barclay recalls the story of a London doctor who was paralysed and bedridden, but outrageously cheerful. His smile so brave and radiant that everyone forgot to feel sorry for him. His children adored him, and when one of his boys was leaving home, Dr. Greatheart gave him this advice: 'Johnny,' he said, ‘…please remember the biggest troubles you have got to face are those that never come.' Worry misses the point of life because it is illogical and a waste of time.
4. Worry is Incompatible with Faith
Jesus says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30)
Faith and anxiety are like fire and water. In our previous church we had a large 8’x4’ poster board outside. One of my favourite posters was 'Why worry when you can pray?' Another asked ‘Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?’ Faith means trust. Trust in God's care and provision. To be a Christian is to walk in a trusting relationship with God. But sin interferes with that relationship and leads to worry. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time and incompatible with faith.
5. Worry is actually Sub-Christian
Jesus says, 'For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them' (Matthew 6:32)
So worry is not only incompatible with faith, it is actually sub-Christian. Having a primary concern with material needs is the characteristic of unbelievers says Jesus. Some of these worry’s may be modest, such as food, drink and clothing. But others are more commonly found in Virginia Water: a bigger house, a new car, a better salary, reputation, fame or power. But all these are pagan because they are self-centred and do not satisfy. An article in the Evening Standard about Chris Evans drives this home. It asked, 'So why isn't this man laughing?' It went on to say why Evans ought to be a happy man. A multi-millionnaire, with cars, homes, girl friends, he nevertheless seemed depressed.
'It hit me one Sunday morning,' he explains, 'that all I ever wanted was the 10 o'clock Saturday night slot on Channel 4 and I'd achieved my life ambition at 27. So what do I do next? 'You can compare it to climbing Everest. You climb it, and what do you do then? Climb the north face? OK, but so what? And then? Climb the north face with a grand piano over your shoulder? There has to be more to life. Finding out what that might be is the problem I've had ever since that Sunday. I haven't got any closer to working it out.'
Have you? Have you worked it out? When we trust in Jesus and receive him as our Lord and Saviour we are born into his family and become children of God. We can be assured that God knows our every need. If our loving Father knows our needs we can trust him for them. Not our wants but certainly our needs. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time, incompatible with faith and is actually sub-Christian.
6. Worry is Unnecessary
'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.' (Matthew 6:33).
Worry is actually unnecessary. God promises to provide for our needs if we get our priorities right. Indeed, the Bible is full of such promises. For example, the psalmist says, 'No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless' (Psalm 84:11). The apostle Paul also writes, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' (Romans 8:28). Sometimes, as Paul knew only too well and Jesus experienced, our situation may be difficult or painful. Yet God will walk with us and hold our hand and use adversity to build our character.
The result may be increased intimacy with God, greater spiritual insight or far deeper faith with which to encourage and affirm others. Worry misses the point of life, is illogical, a waste of time, incompatible with faith, sub-Christian and a complete waste of time. And if you remain unconvinced, here’s one more.
7. Worry Contradicts Common Sense
Jesus says, 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' (Matthew 6:34)
God intends us to live one day at a time. God has given us our lives in units of twenty-four hours and we should take life a day at a time. If we wish to live a long and fruitful life, we should respect and live by the biological clock he has built inside us. Fiona Castle, who had to face the stress of her husband Roy's battle against cancer, wrote this in her book ‘Give Us This Day’:
“Recently a friend commented to me that many people live their life as though it were a dress rehearsal for the real thing. But in fact, by tonight, we will have given the only performance of 'today' that we will ever give. So we have to put our heart, our energy and honesty and sincerity into what we do every day. As a show business family, we find that a very suitable illustration. And every show comes to the end of its run, when we must lay aside the costumes and step off the stage, into another, larger world. So as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us, we ask God to 'Give us this day' - thankfully receiving one day at a time - looking to him to sustain us with everything we need, whether it be food, shelter, love of family and friends, or courage and hope to face the future. And at the same time we echo the words of the psalmist: 'This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it' (Psalm 118:24).
So how do we stop worrying? Jesus gives us that the answer in Matthew 6:33-34. The verse begins “But”. “But seek first…” Jesus is stressing by way of contrast that to fill the vacuum, to eradicate worry we must focus our minds and energy on the kingdom of God.
