Find yourself worrying? Focus on God’s agenda

By Editor | October 17, 2013 |

I have a confession to make that I am not proud of, but that I do struggle with in my life. My confession is that I am a worrier. In fact, I’m no ordinary run-of-the-mill worrier, I am a purebred worrier.

I come from a long line of very successful worriers, generations of worriers that have passed down this tradition over time.
I know this may sound weird coming from a pastor; and, trust me, I would love to say I am some super-spiritual person that never worries. That I don’t worry about money or my family or my job, but that would be a lie, because at times I do, I worry.
I imagine that I am not alone. I would venture a guess that many of you worry, as well. You may worry about your kids. “Should I spank or give a time out?” “Was I too harsh in my discipline or not harsh enough?” You worry about your kids being sexually active or drinking or doing drugs. You worry about money. You worry about paying your mortgage. You worry about keeping your job. You worry about getting an A in the class or maybe even just passing the class. Worry is just a way of life for so many of us.
I must admit that I am better about worrying than I used to be. I’m no where close to perfect, and God is continually working on this area of my life, but I still worry and I hate every minute of it. Some of you may be saying, “Well, Todd, what’s the big deal? We all worry. Worry is just a part of life. Accept it. Deal with it.” But I can’t accept it, because worry is a big deal.
First, on just a practical level, worry does nothing good for us. Worry weighs us down and wears us out. Worry negatively affects us physically, emotionally and relationally. Worry does nothing on a practical level to benefit us.
But more importantly, and this is the reason I really hate the worry in my life, worry is a sin. My worry hurts God, and that’s what really bothers me. You see, when we worry, we are basically saying to God that we don’t trust him. Even though I, as a Christian and a pastor, believe with all my heart that God is all-powerful and in control of everything, when I worry, I’m basically saying I don’t think God is big enough to handle what’s bothering me.
Now, I am not going to tell you that whatever your situation is in life, that it isn’t tough, or that everything is going to be just fine. Or that you don’t have any reason for concern. Because the bottom line is that it is just not helpful. You may have some pretty tough things going on in your life that you need to be concerned about or that are going to be tough. But what I do want to do is to help you see that there is a better way.
I want to challenge our thought process about worry, and look at what Jesus says about worry and what we should do instead of worrying.
Jesus addresses this issue of worry head on in Matthew 6:25-34. I would challenge and encourage any of you fellow worriers out there to take the time to stop and read this passage. The Bible is fascinating, but don’t just take my word for it, read it yourself.
Simply put, Jesus says '"Don’t worry." But he doesn’t just stop there; he also tells us what we should do. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus says that instead of worrying, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” In other words, be devoted first to God’s agenda versus our own agenda. Jesus is basically saying, "You want to take care of your worry problem, shift your devotion. Because, what we worry about most is typically what we are most devoted to. Jesus is saying, shift that devotion. Shift that devotion from our agenda to God’s agenda.
I know, at this point, you may be saying, great Todd, but how? How do we shift our devotion? How do we deal with worry? Here is one practical thing that we all can do – something I try to do on a regular basis when I'm struggling with worry. When you are facing worry, ask yourself two simple questions:
First, ask yourself, “Have I done all that I can do?” Jesus never said we shouldn’t take responsibility. He never said we shouldn’t work and use the resources and talents we have to take care of issues and challenges in our lives. So when we face a worry issue, we need to do all that we can do.
Then, ask yourself the second question: “Am I willing to trust God to do what only he can do?” Once we’ve done all that we can do, we have a choice: To worry and stress, (which is not helpful and is harmful), or to trust God to do what only he can do.
The next time you face a worry situation, stop, shift your devotion and ask yourself: “Have I done all that I can do?” If you haven’t, do something about it. Then, once you’ve done all that you can do, ask yourself: “Am I willing to trust God to do what only he can do?” Jesus’ promise to us is that when we shift our devotion to God’s agenda, versus our own, is that “all these things will be given to you as well.” All what things? All those things that God knows we need. Shift your devotion. Ask yourself: “Have I done all that I can do? And am I willing to trust God to do what only he can do?”