Why worry?

 

There is something in the human heart that likes to worry. Worry is a false sense of being in control rather than feeling totally helpless. A friend laughs saying, “Why pray when you can worry?”

Worry is taking a task that can be solved or accomplished by God and loading on ourselves, making it my responsibility to ‘fix’ even though I cannot fix it. When that happens, I have decide that I can ‘fix’ it by praying, but instead of asking God to attend to it according to His will, I am telling God what to do, another form of control.

Whether it is mine or another person’s dilemma, what if the problem is actually God’s will? He does allow tough circumstances and uses all things to make His children more like Jesus. We suppose that His will has the purpose of making us happy — without realizing that something might need to change in my heart before I experience the comfort of His joy.

I read this morning how God’s laws are not given in His authority so we will respect His glory, but given in wisdom with the purpose to benefit us.  

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7–11)

The will of God is perfect. Without it, I would be like an animal, without justice, faith, and other things that are good for body and soul. His world would be changed if everyone could live according to what God wants for us. It be summed up by love God and love one another. Even those who break His laws tend to see and agree that they are good. All realize that love would bring an end to enmity, and the noise of groans and cursing would not be heard. Peace would prevail and much joy and singing would fill the air. As Job 36:22 says, “Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?”

Our problem is not that God wants good. We might agree on that in principle, but are not able to express it in practice. His love is not a mushy feeling and impossible is without the presence of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Note this brief description:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

Mothers can be patient and kind with their babes, but as they grow and have minds of their own, that patience easily gets tainted with other attitudes that do not come from God’s kind of love. I boast about my kids; it makes me look good. I can be arrogant or rude or want my own way. Human love is so often selfish. The only cure is to be filled with the Spirit of God who gives what is needed by producing what I cannot do apart from Him:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22–26)

Love is a God-thing. Being crucified is a gospel event, another God-thing. Keeping in step with the Spirit is another God-thing. I cannot turn off my conceit, or any other bad attitude. I can only confess it as sin and experience the important God-thing of forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Without that, faking it is a form of boasting (not love) and is also living in my own way (not love).

PRAY: Jesus, I know that worry is not love either. It is a God-denying self-effort to make right something that I cannot fix. It is an arrogance, not love for You or even respect for Your great power. Instead of worry, enable me to love You and encourage those who worry to also love You rather than worry about anything. You rule the universe and because You love us, You can deal with all our teeny problems!