The Cure for Worry
By: Charles Steiner
If worry were a disease it would be a global pandemic. I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t at least struggle with it. Worry is defined in this way: feeling anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.[1] Jesus shares the cure for worry. If you want to worry less, or better yet, not at all, consider what Jesus has to say.
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25b-34 NKJV)
Jesus’ teachings on worry are clear. Followers of God should not worry. Notice Jesus doesn’t say only worry a little. Jesus doesn’t say only worry about the big stuff, you know, the stuff that could make you loose money, embarrass you, or hurt your family. Jesus says, “Do not worry”. Don’t worry about necessities, or anything else for that matter, “for after all of these things the Gentiles seek.” The Gentiles represented to the audience Jesus spoke to on this occasion, a group of people who did not seek to know God or obey God, but were consumed by worldly things. They wanted plenty of good food to eat, nice clothes to wear, a nice house to live in, and lots unnecessary fun stuff that costs lots of money. Most of us want these things, right? We worry about them. We think about them. A lot of us have all of these things, and yet we worry and dream about having more! We will have everything we need if we “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Beyond what we need, we shouldn’t worry about. Let’s make sure our treasure is in the right place. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mt. 6:19-21 NASB)
