What Worry Reveals

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

Matthew 6:24–26

Worry seems to be a constant part of life in our world today. Surveys show people have all kinds of fears, some of which are about common things and others about things that are unlikely to happen. But we worry just the same. This is not new. Jesus instructed the people in His day not to worry in the context of teaching about the choice we make between loving and serving God and loving and serving money and material possessions. This is the “therefore” that leads into Jesus saying not to worry about the necessities of life.

While we should never be foolish and wasteful in handling our resources, we do not have to wonder if our needs will be met. Just as God cares for the birds and flowers and all of creation, He cares for us. When we worry, we reveal that He is not the center of our hearts, and that we do not really trust Him as we should. If He is in first place, the presence or lack of particular resources will not change our outlook on life. From a prison cell in Rome Paul wrote, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Worry is an insult to our loving Heavenly Father who has promised to supply all of our needs.