Wrestling with Worry

"When faced with trials on every side, we know the outcome is secure"-Stuart Townend, O Church Arise.

How do we work that out in practice? Yes we know the outcome is secure, for we know the truths of the Bible. However, do we remember that the outcome is secure?

Now, I am a worrier, a very anxious person. It does not at all take much to get me worried at all. For example, today, I have just retured from what will be (if all the forms clear) my new place of work, and have just been informed that it is going to cost me 50 pounds to get a medical form cleared, this is money that I do not have. So it's going to be interesting!

Anyway, I'm very ready to hold my hand up and confess that I am a worrier. When trials come at me, I melt very, very quickly.

But worrying is like guilt, it is a feeling that is irrelevant and illogical, yet still felt by many of us. And again, it is not a feeling that we can dismiss as weak and needs to be swept under the carpet with glib phrases of comfort or randomly quoted Bible verses with no understanding behind them.

We worry because we are scared. The satan convinces us that whatever we are going through will completely consume and defeat us. And yes, on our own, it would do. What the accuser tries to make us forget is that we are saved, part of God's plan, cleanses by the blood of Christ.

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Suffering will end. (Revelation 21-22). That is what the devil wants us to forget. We need to remember that truth when we worry.

Jesus addresses the issue of worry here in Matthew 6:25-34. Why not have it open in front of you (just type in the passage reference into www.biblegateway.com if you don't have one on you.


Jesus tells us in verse 25 to not be anxious about our lives, what we will eat and what we will drink and wear. v26 tells us to consider the birds, whom do not earn a living in order to feed themselves, but God still provides for them, and we, who are made in the image of God, are so much more valuable than they. For Christ died for us, and that alone elevates us away forever from hopeless and destitute neglect, though that is what we deserve.

The point Jesus makes here is very interesting, and points us primarily to the truth that our Heavenly Father is completely in control of the universe. He feeds the birds, who have no jobs or income, yet He feeds them. So much will be more for us so, for we, created in God's image and cleanesd by the blood of Christ, are of much more value than the birds (v26).

Jesus goes on to make a similar point about clothing (v28-31), asking why are we anxious about what we wear, for God grows the lillies of the field, clothing them, and the grass, in such a way that King Solomon in all of his own glory (for he was a famous king in Israel long ago, and was indeed very rich and finely attired [see 1 Kings 10:14-29]), did not match up.

Jesus then points out in verse 30 that if God so finely clothes grass, which grows today and is gone tomorrow, how much more will He clothe us, His people.

This is what we need to remember. It is in our sinful nature to worry, a lot of people do it. It is a strategy of the devil in effort to undermine God's Word and kingdom progressing, by attacking us, the vulnerable, who are so suseptible to attack. We forget the sovereignty of God, we all do it. We need to be constantly striving to remember the gospel and not succumbing to fear. We need to adhere strongly to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:33-34.)

We are called to stand firm in our fear, yet we always succumb to faith. Let us consider Mark's gospel for a moment. When studying it, it becomes noticible that fear occurs a great number of times. For example, when Jesus stands up in a boat and calms a storm in Mark 4:35-41, His response to the disciples fear is "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" (Mark 4:40). This event is soon followed by the faith demonstrated by a very ill woman, who, knowing Jesus has the power to heal, reaches out and touches His garment (Mark 5:21-34). Jesus has these words to say to her "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." (Mark 5:34)

So already we see, our natural response is to fear, when in fact we are called by God to have faith. Consider the disciples' reaction to seeing Jesus walk on the water towards them in Mark 6:45-52: "for they all saw him and were terrified." (Mark 6:50). How does Jesus respond? Well, with the very name of God Himself: "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afriad." (Mark 6:50b) It is I can also be translated as I AM, which, as we see in Exodus 3:14, is the name of God Himself. We are called to have faith in God.

After all, this is the challenge at the end of Mark's gospel. Some keen readers may see that it ends in a rather strange way, almost in the manner of a cliffhanger. The earliest (and therefore more reliable) manuscripts of Mark's gospel do not include 16:9-20, so ignore that. The style completley changes, and it is indeed a fearful way to try and clarify what can be seen as an ambiguous ending.

Forgetting this added extra, Mark's gospel ends with two women visiting the tomb of Jesus, to find His body gone, and a yong man sat there, who informs them thus: "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." (Mark 16:6-7).

For indeed, three times Jesus has told of how He would die, and later rise again (Mark 8:31, 9:31 and 10:33-34). Everything he has said has come true so far. He has suffered and died for us. Now these two women stand at the tomb and hear that Jesus has risen again. What do they do? Tragically, verse 8, the last verse of Mark's gospel records thus: "And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." (Mark 16:8)

We fear, but what we are called to do is have faith. Fear is followed by faith in this gospel, and how it ends is Mark's challenge. Do you have faith? Here is the evidence, what do you think?

We naturally worry, but we are called to be faithful. Worriers, do not get sucked in to fears about food, clothing, money, grades. God is in control and takes care of His people. Rememer the gospel, keep remembering the promises of Christ, never made redundant, but everlasting. Do not fear, have faith.

Those of you who have worriers for friends, get alongside them, and love them by gentely leading them through the passages I've mentioned. Calm them, and remind them again gently of the wrath you have been saved from, and the glorious, everlasting, overcoming truth of the gospel.

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God...For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world-our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:1, 4-5.)