Why Worrying is a Failure to Grasp the Gospel

Trevin Wax, Author, Pastor

"Don't be a worry wart!" people say… and those of us prone to anxiety promptly begin worrying about worrying too much.

I know the feeling. I worry too. I'm not the "lie awake at night" kind of person. But I notice that when I have a lot on my plate, I give an inordinate amount of attention to little details. Worry consumes me ina variety of ways: I lose patience quickly, I snap at my wife and kids, or I lose my sense of empathy for others. Worry turns my focus to me.

For a while, I thought that worry was caused by my failure to seek first the kingdom. If I would only fix my eyes on Jesus more, then I would stop worrying. If I would only think about the kingdom more, then anxiety wouldn't be an issue.

Certainly, those who are seeking the kingdom above all things are not preoccupied with food and drink and clothing (as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount). And yes, seeking the kingdom first is a good action plan if we find ourselves worrying.

But seeking first the kingdom comes after we have been sought by the King. The root cause of worry is not misplaced priorities. It's misplaced faith. It's a failure to grasp the gospel of a God worthy of our trust.

So worry shows up whenever my view of God is diminished and my view of myself gets too big. I worry because my vision of God is skewed. I rest when my vision is fixed.

"Look at the birds of the air!" Jesus said. "God gives them food, even if they don't work and earn their way." There's more to this parallel than a mere animal-to-human comparison about how much more God will care for us. There's gospel here. God has given undeserved favor to the birds. He blesses them apart from their merits.

God's grace and mercy is sustaining us too.Everything we have comes from God's hand. Salvation belongs to the Lord. And the powerful God who saved us is the loving Father who sustains us.

When I reflect on the gospel of a priceless Savior giving his all for undeserving sinners like you and me, then I am assured that our value in the eyes of God does not shift with the economic tides. Our worth is not measure din what we do for God, but what God has done for us.

This is God the Father who sent his only Son to the cross that we deserved.

This is God the Son who willingly took on flesh, lived among us, and died in our place.

This is God the Spirit who prompts our hearts and brings us back into unending fellowship with our Maker.

It is the costly actions of God that give us our value.

In these difficult times, we - the people of God's kingdom - need to be reminded of our true citizenship and true identity. The uneasiness of worry surfaces in our hearts when we lose sight of the gospel of God's grace to the undeserving. Failure to grasp the gospel is what causes us to take our eyes off the kingdom and forget who we are in Christ.

United to Christ, we are part of a royal family. Our *[Lord]  is the King of the world.

Pastor May’s Comments:

It is impossible to trust God and worry at the same time. In the six chapter of Matthew (6:25-34), Jesus states three different times, “Do not worry.” Christ understood and conveys to His followers that when we choose to worry we are in saying, “God, we don’t trust You enough to rely on You.” 

27 Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:27CEB)

The spiritual definition of worrying is “facing the challenges of everyday life and leaving God out of the equation!” 

The Lord tells us not to be anxious about anything, but rather to turn everything over to Him in prayer. (Philippians 4:6-9)

 Matthew11:28-30

"Then Jesus said, "Come tome, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." (NLT)

Finally, I leave you with Proverbs 3:5-6, “5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

If you truly trust in the Lord with everything inside of you and forsake your own understanding, but acknowledge him regardless of what is going on, and he shall direct your path.  Get Ready For Some Course Correction!  God bless!

 *[Lord] inserted by Pastor May