READ: Matthew 6:25-34
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

REFLECT: On Sunday we talked about Jesus’ perspective on worry. Hint: He’s against it. That doesn’t mean that he’s unsympathetic. You see, the reason he hates worry is that he hates what it does to us. How it can consume us and leave us timid and anxious, afraid and unhappy. He hates how it consumes our thoughts, kills our dreams, and squashes our joy.

Even though Jesus hates worry, he loves worriers. That’s why he spent so much time here explaining himself. You see, he could have just said, “don’t worry” and moved on. Instead, because of his great compassion for people who worry, he explained how worry wasn’t useful since most of what we worry about never happens. That worry doesn’t change anything. And that worry shows that we don’t trust God. So, he says, don’t become a worry wart. And don’t be a work-a-holic either, because you can never work hard enough or accumulate enough money to give you security. Give up worry because God promises to take care of you. Full stop.

So if you’re a worry wart, or even a work-o-holic, how can you stop worrying? Read the Bible, for one. It’s a book littered with stories and reflections on how God can be trusted. You can also pray. Christians for nearly 2,000 years have discovered inner peace that comes from God’s Spirit who meets us when we bring our cares and concerns to him. Paul put it this way: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

But here’s one more really important way to fight worry; never worry alone. When you feel anxious. When you start to feel overwhelmed by anxiety. When chronic worry or panic attacks start to grip you, don’t suffer alone. One of the best ways to defeat the soul-sucking, life-draining, joy-depleting enemy worry can be in our lives, is to share your fears with a friend. Sometimes you’ll need a professional to talk to. But often it helps to just disclose your fears to a friend. They may have perspective you’ve never thought of and help you see things in a way you haven’t. But often it’s the simple reassurance that someone else is there for you, someone who cares for you and promises to support you even if they can’t fix things in the moment.

Worry can be crushing. But others can prop us up. It’s not that God alone isn’t enough. It’s that God never intended for us to go it alone.

RESPOND: Worried? Weighed down by anxiety? Feeling on the verge of a panic attack? Pick up your Bible and read a few of these verses: Joshua 1:9. Psalm 34:4. Matthew 11:28-30. 1 Peter 5:7. Psalm 56:3. Then pray, putting your concerns in God’s capable hands. Then call a friend, someone you can trust to listen and give you some perspective. Whatever you do, don’t worry alone.