Psalm 130; Matthew 6: 25-34
I was at Jekyll Island for conference this week, we experienced a bit of a storm. I have learned that down on the Georgia coast, the weather can change from bright and sunny to an all out severe thunderstorm in a matter of minutes. It starts with one small dark cloud, then in seconds there’s a whole lot of them brooding over the far side of the water. Everything turns dark. Visibility drops in the clouds and the torrential rain. Thunder and lightning crack loudly overhead, and everything in the storm’s path becomes drenched in the blink of an eye. Interestingly enough, however, just as quickly as the storm came, it disappears. The sun returns and everything steams like the seafood at the restaurant.
This kind of storm formulating over the ocean waters is a perfect analogy for worry in our lives. It comes out of nowhere. It hits us quick and hard. Then just as fast as the problem resolves, things clear up, and we are left with the aftermath of all the worry in our lives. Worry can be immediate and acute—such as when we worry we forgot something. But worry can also be long-lasting and settle into everyday life such as when a loved one is sick for a long time. For some of us, worry becomes this never-ending sense of dread that seeps into all aspects of our lives. My Granny was much like this. She worried constantly about everything: burglars, kidnappers, choking, accidents that never happened, flying, driving, death, life…everything to her was a reason to worry.
Jesus talks about worrying in the scripture for today. There’s not a real 3-step plan, guidebook, or anything else found in this Matthew text. Jesus simply says, “Don’t do it.” He starts out right to the point, “I tell you not to worry about everyday life.” Jesus tells the disciples that everything we can worry about, we see God providing in life around us. He makes the comparison to lilies and birds noting that God provides for their needs. Likewise, God will provide for us.
Now, I want to make a caveat here. I say this from Matthew’s Gospel, and I hear the response of people saying, “But there’s starvation, poverty, suffering…all these things are rampant in our world!” Here’s the catch. Just because God provides all we need does not mean we use it wisely. There is more than enough in this world for the people in this world, but there are some bad stewards who hoard up God’s blessings and turn a blind eye to those who suffer as a result. In that sense, God doesn’t create worry. We do. As an example—when COVID hit, there was no toilet paper available—people hoarded it up and left many without. Less than 5% of COVID types have bathroom issues associated. But all the toilet paper was gone and was often sold on the black market for higher prices.
Worry comes from situations that are self-inflicted. But worry is also a very different experience for humans than other emotions. Grief is a direct response to pain, hurting, and many times loss, especially of a loved one. Grief comes from a real and painful event in our lives. Anger responds to injustice, to bad behavior, or something done to hurt us by others. Anger is often a direct response to some triggering event in our lives. Worry, however, responds to nothing. The vast majority of things we worry about are “what if’s.” Worry most often stems from situations, problems, difficulties, and pains we anticipate facing, not that we have already faced.
In that sense, worry is a thief. It steals from us the joy we should be feeling and replaces it with this intangible fear about anything and everything that COULD happen. I am worried about getting a presentation done for Tuesday. I am worried about court coming up in the next couple of weeks. I’m worried about getting my bills paid. I am worried about whether my elderly cat will get sick. My friend worries about whether aliens would like us if they existed or not. None of these things have happened or will happen for some time, and when they do, they will be handled.
But what if we have family that is sick? What if they could die? Jesus says to us, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” When we worry about everything in the future, worry about sickness, pain and death, we lose out on the time we have today. A friend of mine several years ago had terminal cancer. It was miserable because she had beaten it 3 previous times. Her death was going to orphan her 16-year-old daughter. I asked her what she needed, and she responded, “Everybody treats me like I’m dying. Can I please just have today? One normal interaction for today? We can worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Don’t let worry rob you of all the beauty you can find in being present in the present.
Living in worry will cripple your life physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physically, worry can cause muscle contractions, headache, dizziness, lack of sleep, long-term heart and blood pressure issues, diabetes, weakened immune system, loss of memory, and constant digestive issues. Living in a constant state of worry can destroy physical health. But also, worry can lead to memory loss, fatigue, mood disorders, anxiety issues, and suffering. Jesus says, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” No, they rob you of those moments. Spiritually, worry and faith are direct opposites. The greater the worry, the less the faith. Over time, letting worry win over faith will be destructive to faith. Jesus said right in the middle of this discussion, “Why do you have so little faith?”
The remedy for worry is a combination of trusting and seeking. Our Psalm says, “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him…hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love.” The Gospel says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and [God] will give you everything you need.” This is no guarantee against hard times. But it is a promise that God’s unfailing love is with us, that we can trust in God, and we can seek God in all circumstances whether it’s a storm off the coast or calm waters.
It’s very hard to find this space to live in. We understand that troubles exist in this life, but we find enough trust and hope to not constantly worry about those troubles we will endure. Yet worry is a thief. Worry will steal every bit of joy in your life, every tidbit of happiness, and every peaceful moment. God, however, is a restorer and redeemer. God is the giver of peace. God is the author of unfailing love. God is the keeper of all promises. God is the source of joy. For us, the choice is how and where we want to live our lives—in the never-ending pain of worry or the strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow found in trusting God.
In life, we are going to face troubles. We are going to experience grief. We are going to experience anger. But what we don’t have to live with constantly is the suffering of worry. Worry creates a fear in us about things that have not happened or may happen. And that will rob us of our peace and joy. This week I watched the storms engulf the land and water between Saint Simons Island and Jekyll Island. Visibility came to zero. Thunder, lightning, wind, and pelting rain took over terrorizing those who were wandering around downtown. But in just a short time, the rains stopped, the clouds lifted, and you could see the sun coming up in the distance.
Friends, let us live our lives in light of God’s love, God’s peace, and God’s grace. There is no need to fill our lives with unnecessary pain and struggle, for in all of life’s circumstances, God is with us, and God’s love is unfailing.
Worship Service Video : https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1697239581553734/