HELP I AM A WORRIER. IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR ME?

 FIVE TIMES out of 10 verses in Matthew 6:23-33, Jesus tells them, “don’t’ worry” or “stop habitually worrying.” Em, what do you think the point is the Lord is trying to make?

 

“Look at,” Is an intensive verb, means “look carefully at.”

” 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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?”And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”- Matt 6:25-33

 

“Worry” the word is an old  word which meant “ to strangle, it was used to grab someone by the throat and strangle them.”

 This is what worry does to us. In the Physical realm to strangle someone,… it cuts off the breathing, oxygen- which is PRETTY IMPORTANT if you want to live, isn’t it!

 In the Spiritual realm, It sucks the life out of us, the vitality, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. It Distracts, Detracts from devotion to the Lord Jesus to something or someone else. He lists WHAT not to worry about {see the categories He gives and see which of your present worries fall into, the body, food, drink, cloths, time};

 He tells WHY not to worry; He tells WHAT to do Instead of worrying; CONSIDER His faithfulness. CONSIDER your value to Him; Consistently, instead to choose to not yield to worry.

“BUT”…can be translated “RATHER,” seek first as the priority of your living, the Kingdom of God….”

So in these FOUR things He tells us where our THINKING is to be set…FIXED Upon.

1. – On His Faithfulness  – v26, 30
2. – On His Value of you – v26
3. – On not behaving as a “pagan”- v 32
4. – On where your responsibility to Him is to be- to seek continually as the priority in your thinking and doing- the kingdom of God.- v 33

 

 Worry is a trust issue. – “…oh you of little faith” -v 30

Worry is a revelation of what we truly think of God;

Worry is our evaluation that God cannot be trusted! -It is to say, He is not trustworthy, He does not care about me.

Worry is an attack on the character of God.

Worry is to say I choose not to value His kingdom as my priority. It is a secondary matter.

Worry is sin!

 

 In these verse Matt 6:25-33- we see the categories of what we often worry about.

We hear the testimony of Jesus and we have to choose which one to submit to- worry or the Lord Jesus. It is a… choice what or Whom we yield ourselves and our thinking to.

 THINK on His TRUTH for you – today

Remind yourself;
He cares…for me, He values…me, I am…free to be about His business today.

 It is Time to stop allowing worry to grab you by the throat and strangle you. Would you allow someone in the physical realm to do that without putting up a fight? No- I didn’t think so…why then allow your THOUGHTS to drift and not take them captive to obedience to Christ and CHOOSE to think on Him, His Word and business. CONSIDER the Lord Jesus and His words from Matthew 6:23-33 and see you nor I have to be slaves to worry but can THINK on His TRUTH and ACT on it by CHOOSING…To BE TAKEN UP WITH THE KING and KINGDOM Business.

 Don’t worry, trust the Lord Jesus- It really is an EITHER…OR… choice…! Both offer different solutions… one leads to behaving like a “pagan” -v 32; the other to fulfilling the priority of life, “seeking first the kingdom of God.”- v 33 You have the power to choose.

 IT IS A FIGHT FOR YOUR THOUGHT LIFE – ultimately for your FAITH;

 It begins with CHOOSING and MAINTAINING…to focus on God and what He says and obeying Him as an expression of love to Him and honoring Him or choosing to IGNORE Him, His Word, His way and TAKE the choice to “worry” – and be stressed out!

 When we choose to worry who’s fault indeed -… sin, is it? Is it God’s- NO!!! Is it someone else? Or is it you, me making choices and maintaining those choices to “worry?” Can anyone outside of you make you worry? No- didn’t think so, same in my case. So why worry? Because we CHOOSE to!

HOW DO I STOP WORRYING?

1.- SEE IT AS SIN – It is an attack on the character of God and His Word.

 2.- SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY to tempt to DIVERT you from seeking the Kingdom of God as Priority in your moment by moment living

 3. – START THINKING on Him and what He says to think upon. His Character, Will, Promises.

4. START OBEYING His Word.

So in these FOUR things He tells us where our THINKING is to be set…FIXED Upon.
A. – On His Faithfulness, – v26, 30
B. – On His Value of you – v26
C. – On not behaving as a “pagan”- v 32
D. – On where your responsibility to Him is to be- to seek continually as the priority in your thinking and doing- the kingdom of God.- v 33

 HELP I AM A WORRIER; IS THERE ANY HELP OR HOPE FOR ME?

Of course in the LORD JESUS and His Word there is Hope for you, for me and others; You or I don’t have to choose to YIELD to the thoughts of worry which are always accompanied by fear{see Luke 12: 4-7, 22}- By His grace we can choose to be taken up with him and eternal things, in any and all circumstances!

 Read for yourself -Matt 6:23-33 and be encouraged!

 “DON’T WORRY… THINK ON and TRUST THE LORD JESUS”

Grace and peace to you… He loves you, and you and me can be about Kingdom business and leave the rest to …Him:)