WHY DO YOU WORRY?
Dear reader, it is with much joy that we bring you the word of God. Worry comes to everyone in diverse ways and times. Worrying thoughts will tell you, “What if the interest rates keep going up? What if you cannot find a place to rent? What if the medical report is not favorable.” The list goes on. Most times, worry can be temporary, yet excessive worry can affect your health, physically weakening your immune system while mentally it can cause you to become depressed.
Often, we worry about trying to figure out everything, or we are afraid not to lose control of our situations.
Once, a man was riding his donkey with a load on it. After travelling for some time, the man thought his donkey was carrying too much weight, so he picked up the load and put it on his head. A man passed by and asked why he did not let the donkey carry that load instead. Worry is like that. One scripture says, “Drop all things that will weigh you down.”
Just like the man on the donkey, when we worry, we are carrying someone else’s load. It will weigh you down. It does not belong to you; it belongs to someone else.
Jesus told His listeners (Matthew 6v31,33), “Do not worry, saying what shall we eat, drink, or wear… But seek the kingdom of God first, and all these things shall be added to you.” Jesus says that when you worry, you doubt what God can do for you. God is not going to add to you when you put a limit on Him.
Some of the things you could be worried about, God has already fixed it for you. In the unseen realm of what was meant for your harm, God has the situation all turned around in your favour. That medical report is now in your favour. God has put the right person in charge of your application, and your visa application has been successful.
In the bible (Acts 9), we read God told Ananias to go and pray for Saul. Now, Saul was one of the greatest threats to the Christians of his day. He was going about persecuting Christians, putting them in prison, and some died at his hands. Fearing for his own life, Ananias did not want to go and pray for Saul. But God already had heard their prayers. As Saul was moving to persecute more Christians, Jesus met him. Saul fell from his horse after seeing a bright light from heaven. For three days, he became blind and could not eat or drink. During this time, the Lord had changed his heart completely. Now, he was no longer an enemy but a friend of the very Christians, including Ananias, he was going to harm.
Here are 3 things we can learn from Ananias.
1. Worry does not take away tomorrow’s trouble. It takes away today’s peace. Worry does not change anything. It does not add anything. The only person who changes is you. When your peace is taken away, you feel pain and live upset and frustrated.
2. Most of the things we worry about never happen. What Ananias thought was a problem, trouble, and disaster for him, God had changed everything in his favour. Saul was no longer going to hurt him but help him. You will have no time to worry about what has not changed when you get busy thanking God for what has already changed in your favour.
3. The less you worry about what others think of you, the less complicated your life will become. Worry robs you of your energy; it weakens your immune system. God supplies you with enough grace for a day. Worry can cause you to lose that grace much quicker, so you go through the day tired, exhausted, and weak. Jesus said, “Do not worry but … seek God and His kingdom first.” The more your trust is in the Lord, the less worry-free and complicated your life will be. So don’t worry about tomorrow; God is already there. He is called the Alpha and the Omega. God who was, Who is, and Who is to come.
I believe a worry-free life is possible with a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus. When you make Jesus Christ your Lord and your Saviour, God helps you trust Him in every situation and need you could have. The word of God says the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now available to you. God bless you.
—By Pastor Suresh Dass Joseph
josephdass@optusnet.com.au
