Worry = ?

 
Recently someone said that it is normal to worry because we are human and God gave us our human nature. That surprised me. This person knows the Word of God so I responded with: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

While that verse tells us not to worry, I’m thinking about the bigger picture. God did create us with our human nature, yet made in His image. However, at the evil suggestions of Satan in snake disguise, disobedience to God (sin) marred that nature. Since that first sin, all are born with a sin nature and fall short of the glory of God. The NT makes it clear that no one is able to live as God intended. Our spirits are separated from Him. The NT uses the term ‘dead in sin.’ 

God’s redemption plan began immediately with a promise to send a Redeemer. He did. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s solution to the sin problem that ruined our human nature.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Jesus traded His perfect righteousness and took our sin, paying its penalty by dying for us and giving us a new nature. This is not about behavior change. We are forgiven, clean before God, and given a new nature, our spirits made alive to God.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

With a new nature, comes the ability to live a new way. Instead of listening to the world’s way of thinking, or that old nature with its desire to rule, or to the lies of Satan, God gives us the ability to listen to Him and do what He says. That means we need not worry about anything.

However, that old nature is stubborn. Even though it is dead to God, Christians who listen to it instead of the Lord, allow those ‘I wants’ to govern rather than trusting the Lord. We even ask God for things we want without asking for what He wants and then, when no answers come, we start to worry…

Worry has many synonyms. It is giving way to anxiety or unease; allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. It is also fretting, being concerned, agonizing, brooding, feeling panic, losing sleep, getting worked up and in a fluster, overwrought, stressed, torturing oneself, being perturbed, bothered, unsettled, harassed, feeling nerve-racked, upset, traumatized, grave, afraid, and so on. None of these are what God gives us through His Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)

The Bible does not include worry as part of a God-directed life because it is not only harmful to us, it hides an important truth. Worry opposes faith and self-effort takes the place of praying. Worry is not believing God will answer our prayers with wisdom and grace but a wasted effort concerning what we want without relying on God. Instead of resting in Him, worry produces such things as lack of sleep, ulcers or headaches.

God knows that if we are united with Him in our inner being, we will certainly do right outwardly. At the same time, He gives much instruction of what comes from flesh, and what is the result of hearing and obeying the Spirit. Worry and anxiety are activities of that old sinful nature while trusting God is enabled by His Spirit. I need to cooperate by recognizing and denying that old nature, and refusing to walk in it. This means being in the Word and obeying it. As some quip, why pray when I can worry?

The Galatian Christians lost sight of how the “new creature” was the only thing that helped them grow in grace. They began with faith but had “fallen from grace” because they chose the “oldness of the letter” to replace “newness of the spirit.”

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

PRAY: Jesus, keep me walking with You. Warn me when I listen to anyone or anything false. My prayer is for others too — as even those with Your ‘new nature’ can be deceived. Grant each of us discernment quickly whenever we are tempted. Don’t allow deception ruin our walk with You and block that new nature from governing our lives. You are enough for every problem; worry adds nothing. It actually blocks You from shining through our lives.