Why worry?
As we continue our series, “Lord, Teach Us...” this weekend's focus is on not worrying. We’ll hear Jesus’ familiar words about how the Father provides food for ravens and clothes wildflowers in such beauty so we can be certain that our Father knows how to take care of us. And who by worrying can add even a single hour to his or her life? As Martin Luther once said, “We should not be full of any other care for ourselves than this: not to be full of care for ourselves and thus to rob God of His care for us.” Yet we still worry.
Dr. Seth Gillihan identifies five reasons we worry: We think that if we worry, 1) we’ll never have a bad surprise; 2) it lowers the chances of a dreaded outcome; 3) we show care; 4) it motivates us to be productive; and 5) it helps us solve problems. But as he points out, “As we get older and look back on our lives, many of us will think, ‘I wish I’d worried less.’ We come to recognize that worry isn’t worth what it can cost—tension, poor sleep, irritability, fatigue, problems concentrating, and general unhappiness. After all, most of what we worry about never happens.”
The Holy Scriptures are filled with plenty of reminders not to worry and how to redirect from worry to peace. The key? It has to do with focusing on the center of the Holy Scriptures: Our Lord Jesus and what He did for us on the cross that we might be the forgiven, redeemed children of God. St. Paul, who endured many worrisome situations, learned that skill through the working of the Holy Spirit, and so writes, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)
How blessed we are when the Holy Spirit enables us to follow the advice of King David: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22) And again, the advice of Peter: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)