Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV “Therefore I say to you, 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? (26) 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? (27) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (28) “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) 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? (31) “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Jesus said to “take no thought…”. What that tells us is that thoughts are going to come but you have a choice as to whether you take them or not.
Worry is when you accept the thoughts.
You cannot stop worry from coming but you just don’t accept it. Thoughts of doubt, worry and fear are going to come; you just don’t receive them.
Wrong thoughts coming at you are no more a sin than temptation is a sin. You just don’t yield to the temptation.
When that delivery person shows up at your door, just don’t sign for it and refuse to accept it.
If God can take care of something that has a short life-span or quick blooming plant, can He not take care of you? After all, Jesus did not die for the plants and birds, He died for you. But yet, He takes care of things that He did not die for; how much more will He take care of us.
For us to worry, we have placed ourselves below the level of a bird or flower.
Matthew 6:32 AMPC (32) For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
What is the Lord saying in all of this? Imagine if you did not have to think about any of the necessities of life such as clothing, food, etc. what you could spend your time thinking about. You could expend a lot more energy thinking about doing the will of God and serving other people.
Worry gets you to stop and think about the things that God wants to take care of. Have you ever noticed that you don’t worry about the things that you know that can take care of?
Worry is a sin, and we disguise it as concern that we pass on to others through our prayer requests.
Mark 11:23 NKJV (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
The word “doubt” in this verse is not in the causative sense but in the passive voice and therefore means that the person is the recipient of the action and not the cause of the action. In other words, this verse could be better translated: “… and does not receive doubt in his heart…”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV (23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The spirit of man is the eternal part of you. It is the part of us that makes contact with God.
The spirit of man is where God lives in you, and this is where He speaks to you.
Proverbs 20:27 NKJV The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
The spirit of man is the place from which answers from the Lord come. It is the place where He reveals His solutions to us.
Your mind is a wonderful tool, but your mind can only give out what you put into it. If you do not put the information into your mind, you cannot ever retrieve that information.
Your mind does not always do a perfect job of giving you back everything you put into it. It can sometimes give back what you put in it in a way that is a little bit inaccurate.
Worry and anxiety is the direct result of a fruitless search for life’s answers out of your human mind.
If there is an answer that you need, and your mind has never known the answer, then you will never be able to recall or get that answer from your mind.
There are just some things that your mind does not have.
Proverbs 16:1 NLT (1) We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.
If you face a new problem, then the answer is going to have to come from the Lord.
When you are searching for the answer in your mind by going over and over the problem to look for the solution, you only cause yourself more anxiety and frustration.
1 Peter 1:13 NLT (13) So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
You have to control your thoughts and prepare your mind for action.
Chasing after all these thoughts is where confusion comes from.
Confusion = lack of clarity or distinction, perplexity or bewilderment.
1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV (33) For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
To overcome worry, there will be a striving BUT you are able to overcome sin through the power of God in you.
How do we stop worrying and conquer it?
Luke 10:38-42 NKJV Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (41) And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was worried and running around trying to serve everyone and Mary was at His feet listening to the Word.
You can never substitute hearing and receiving the Word of God for service. Your service should be an outward display of the Word working in your life.
- The very first step to rid yourself of worry is to apply yourself to hear the Word of God.
If you want to conquer worry, then the very first place you need to go is to the Word of God.
Worry is a manifestation of a deeper problem: fear.
The reason that we worry is because we fear that God will not come through for us. You fear that this time that God will not provide this time.
Knowledge and faith is what will keep fear and worry away.
Build your faith and confidence in the Lord taking care of you!
Philippians 4:6-8 AMPC Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (7) And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (8) For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
- Pray about those things that you are tempted to worry about.
The opposite of fear and torment is the peace of God.
- A life of thanksgiving and praise will defend against worry.
Psalms 56:3-4 TPT But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. (4) What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side I will not be afraid of what comes. The roaring praises of God fill my heart, and I will always triumph as I trust his promises.
Psalms 34:1 NKJV I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Anytime that you have an extended period of time to think, there will be an opportunity to worry. That is why it is so important to fill those times with praise and worship so that your mind stays on the Lord.
You will not spend time thinking about how YOU are going to handle that problem.
When you praise the Lord in the morning, you not only set the course for your day, but you are mapping out your day according to what God can and will do instead being afraid that He will not come through for you this time.
Fear is often imagining what will happen in your life if the Word of God does not work this time.
Worry is often based on a fear of what men can do to you.
- Reminding yourself that Jesus is your Shepherd!
Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
A Shepherd provides the following four things for the sheep:
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- Guidance
- Food
- Comfort
- Protection
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- Walking in humility will defeat worry and fear.
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV (6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Worry is a manifestation of pride.
1 Peter 5:7 GNB Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.
Psalms 55:22 AMPC (22) Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). [I Pet. 5:7.]
Cast means to throw, indicating a quick thing like you were letting go of a snake.