Not Normal
In 1988 Bobby McFerrin released a song that I’m guessing you know the lyrics to.
Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy now
It would be nice if we could simply live in a world where “Don’t worry, Be happy,” was normal. But that’s not normal. The truth is we worry a lot.
Americans Worry A Lot!
Many of us worry about everything. We worry about money and we worry about our kids. We also worry about work, about school, about friends, about the economy, about the country, about… fill in the blank. There is so much to be worried about.
According to a Gallup poll done in 2018, Americans are among the most stressed people in the world and nearly half, 45%, feel worried a lot!
Here’s the problem: Worry is the enemy of counting every blessing.
When you are consumed with worry you are unable to see the blessings around you. You are blinded to the good because all you can see and all you can count are the worst-case scenarios around you. You are afraid and terrified of the answer to the one question you can’t answer, “What if…”
I heard one person describe it as if you’re suffering from Pre-Traumatic Stress Syndrome because you’re worried to death about what might happen!
Anxiety Disorder & Mental Health Note:
I do want to pause right here and say this… what I’m talking about is what I would call “normal worry.” What I’m not talking about are real issues concerning mental illness, excessive worry, or an anxiety disorder. And I want to make sure I make this distinction.
What I’m talking about is not the kind of anxiety that requires medication and/or treatment. And if you or someone you love is experiencing that kind of anxiety, I want you to know that you are loved, you are supported, and God’s church is here to help you. I mean that! I want you to get the help you need because I believe that God wants you to be well because he loves you and he cares for you and so does His church! What I’m talking about here is the kind of worry and anxiety we all experience when we take our eyes off of the goodness of God our Father and we begin to be afraid.
Jesus on Worry
A crowd of new and would-be disciples have gathered around Jesus and here is what he says…
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” – Jesus, Matthew 6.25
One of the first things Jesus teaches his new followers is that in the Kingdom of God, in this new way of living, you don’t need to worry. Other translations say, “do not be anxious.”
Can you imagine if you were one of these early followers of Jesus and you hear this new Rabbi from the no-name town of Nazareth stand before you and tell you that even though you’re living under Roman oppression, even though you’re being overtaxed and you are literally struggling to feed your family and make it from one day to the next, even though you’re not sure about where your next meal is coming from or if you will have clothes for your kids when they outgrow the one set of clothes they’re wearing right now, Jesus says, “Do not worry… Do not be anxious…”?
My guess is that some of you can imagine that.
Because right now you’re worried about the same kinds of things. You’re not living under Roman oppression but you watch the news and you’re more worried about the government, politics, and what’s going on right now in the world than you’ve ever been. Even though you’re not living from one meal to the next you are living paycheck to paycheck. Truth is, you’re one new problem away from being in real financial trouble. You’re praying that the car doesn’t break down or the heater doesn’t go out. You are worried about how you’re going to pay for college, how you’re going to be able to pay for health insurance, how you’re going to be able to afford to retire, how you’re going to be able to…
You’re worried about a lot. If you think about it too much it will keep you up at night.
It’s into all that worry, into all that anxiety, that Jesus says… “do not worry about everyday life…”
What worry does…
Some of you have real worries today. You have things that normal people should be anxious about.
You’re worried about your kids. About your aging parents. Some of you are worried about your health or the health of someone you love. You’re worried about having enough money to make ends meet this month or next month. Some of you are worried about your work. Others of you are worried about your marriage. Some of you are worried about school. Still, others are worried about your safety.
Some of you are worried and here’s what I believe Jesus wants you to know today: Worry won’t sustain you, it will only drain you.
You know this is true. You’ve experienced this truth. Worry cannot and will not sustain you. You can worry yourself sick. Worry will deplete you physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. It will drain you. Worry may be one of Satan’s greatest weapons. If the enemy can make you worry then he can deplete your strength, weaken your defenses, and may even destroy your faith.
Jesus wants you to know…
But here’s what Jesus wants you to know today… You can trust God to take care of you.
What Jesus wanted those first followers to understand and what I believe he wants you to know today as well is that God, your Father, can be trusted to take care of you. That you do not need to worry about everyday life. And if you need proof, if you need a reminder, just look around. Look at the birds in the air. God knows every one of them by name. And he knows your name, too. Look at the flowers of the field. God is providing for every one of them. And God is providing for you, too.
God will take care of you. That’s a blessing from God that you can count on!
And this is what life looks like for believers. This is what happens when you place your trust in God to take care of you.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. – Jesus, Matthew 6.33
This is how we “do not worry.” This is how we practice and participate in believing, we seek first God’s Kingdom. When you seek His Kingdom and live rightly, here’s what you can know is true… God will take care of you.
Can you trust God to take care of you?
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