Worry & Anxiety

Do Not Worry

"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? 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 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? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 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." (Matthew 6:25-34)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phillipians 4:6)

"Careful" and "anxious" are from "merimnaō" and means "to be anxious" or "to be troubled with cares." (Strong)

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10: 41,42)

"Troubled" is from "thorybazō" and means to "disturb, trouble" or "to be troubled in mind, disquieted."

Troubled in spirit

We can expect troubles in life. We ought not to expect that we will ever be free of all worry, care, and anxiety. But, we can learn to deal with it as Christ taught.

When we murmur, complain, and are troubled in mind and spirit, it often shows how unbelieving and untrusting we are of God. Unbelief is sin. For us to worry is to sin, for we say thereby that we do not believe God, do not trust him. "Whatever is not of faith is sin." (Rom. 14: 23)

So many are like Martha and pace about in a franctic state of mind, worried and anxious about "many things." But, Mary showed us how to deal with it. She, unlike Martha, "sat at the feet of Jesus."

God will take care of you! Just believe and trust in him with all your heart. He will give you food and raiment and supply all your needs. He cares for you more than he cares for birds. He will take your cares and worries and replace them with joy, faith and peace. He asks us to "seek first" things of greater importance and concern, things that deserve our mental attention more than anxious thought.

Are you seeking God today? Seeking his rule and his righteousness? Seeking his peace and blessing? Do you have a heart full of care? Then "tell it to Jesus alone" as the old song goes, for "he is a friend indeed." He also knows what we need and will be sure to supply it. So why worry, you of little or no faith?