Worry? Or Worship!
I think we all understand what worry is because we all have occasion to worry. Often it's something as simple as what I'm going to wear or what to serve for supper. Or whether rain will ruin our plans.
Some people worry about their health. Others are concerned about cleanliness and hygiene. Some worry about what others think of them. Still others worry about diet. Then there's worry about money.
There's nothing wrong with any of those concerns. We all want to be healthy. Most of us want to be clean and keep our surroundings clean. And I'm sure we all want to pay our bills and stay out of debt. But when we become preoccupied with legitimate concerns, allowing them to consume our thoughts and negatively influence our behavior, the worry is extreme and even sinful.
Sinful? Yes. The Bible tells us not to worry. In Matthew 6:25, we are told not to worry—"do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." Jesus even asks, quite pointedly, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (verse 27). And in verse 34, He says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." That admonition follows what should be our solution to worry: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (verse 33).
For years, money was my consuming anxiety. Granted, our income was limited and my husband often worked extra jobs so I could stay home with our three children. I worked hard to keep costs down. Back then, it saved money to sew our clothes, so I made almost everything we wore. We gardened and we canned. In those early days, I worried somewhat, but not to the extreme. But as the children grew, everyone needing new winter coats and boots at the same time, our credit card debt also grew. And as the debt mounted, so did my level of anxiety.
I read Matthew 6:25-34 many, many times, hoping the truth of it would help me trust God and take away my fears, my anxieties. But I kept on worrying.
Then my husband was unemployed for 10 months—and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I learned the real solution to worry is worship! During this time I learned how to truly worship God.
Oh, we all know that worship is an attitude of the heart. It's more than music; it's more than a church service. Music, preaching, Bible study, fellowship—they are all aspects of worship, tools of worship.
The very word "worship" means "'worthship,' and denotes the worthiness of the individual receiving the special honor due to his worth" [The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, General Editor; ©1963, 1964, 1967, page 899].
So, I began meditating on God's character. On who He really is. And somehow, my problems became miniscule by comparison.
Of course, worry often continued to rear its ugly head and keep me from focusing on God Himself. So I learned to use Scripture to help me. It helped to remind myself that God said "every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). That verse, in turn, reminded me of an old chorus, "He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills" and I would sing that over and over again.
Speaking of music, I have found that many old hymns, and some new ones too, have marvelous words that help turn my thoughts to the Creator God.
More often than not, however, I would turn to worshipful passages, like Psalm 8 or Psalm 19. Maybe I'd start with Isaiah 40. Or even verses from Revelation 4 and 5. Or so many other passages! I would turn these verses into my own prayers, speaking them aloud to God.
Because I learned to worship God during those 10 months of living on my part-time secretarial salary, I was equipped when other difficult situations arose in our lives. When I couldn't sleep, I'd slip out of bed with my Bible and turn my thoughts to God. Oh, what joy and peace resulted from those times! I can remember thinking, "What was I so upset about? Oh, yes..." Then I could turn my concerns, my worries over to God. But not until I had spent time considering how great is my God, how worthy and awesome He truly is. Only then could I fully trust Him to take care of me in my situation, no how desperate it seemed.
Some people worry about their health. Others are concerned about cleanliness and hygiene. Some worry about what others think of them. Still others worry about diet. Then there's worry about money.
There's nothing wrong with any of those concerns. We all want to be healthy. Most of us want to be clean and keep our surroundings clean. And I'm sure we all want to pay our bills and stay out of debt. But when we become preoccupied with legitimate concerns, allowing them to consume our thoughts and negatively influence our behavior, the worry is extreme and even sinful.
Sinful? Yes. The Bible tells us not to worry. In Matthew 6:25, we are told not to worry—"do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." Jesus even asks, quite pointedly, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (verse 27). And in verse 34, He says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." That admonition follows what should be our solution to worry: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (verse 33).
For years, money was my consuming anxiety. Granted, our income was limited and my husband often worked extra jobs so I could stay home with our three children. I worked hard to keep costs down. Back then, it saved money to sew our clothes, so I made almost everything we wore. We gardened and we canned. In those early days, I worried somewhat, but not to the extreme. But as the children grew, everyone needing new winter coats and boots at the same time, our credit card debt also grew. And as the debt mounted, so did my level of anxiety.
I read Matthew 6:25-34 many, many times, hoping the truth of it would help me trust God and take away my fears, my anxieties. But I kept on worrying.
Then my husband was unemployed for 10 months—and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I learned the real solution to worry is worship! During this time I learned how to truly worship God.
Oh, we all know that worship is an attitude of the heart. It's more than music; it's more than a church service. Music, preaching, Bible study, fellowship—they are all aspects of worship, tools of worship.
The very word "worship" means "'worthship,' and denotes the worthiness of the individual receiving the special honor due to his worth" [The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, General Editor; ©1963, 1964, 1967, page 899].
So, I began meditating on God's character. On who He really is. And somehow, my problems became miniscule by comparison.
Of course, worry often continued to rear its ugly head and keep me from focusing on God Himself. So I learned to use Scripture to help me. It helped to remind myself that God said "every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). That verse, in turn, reminded me of an old chorus, "He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills" and I would sing that over and over again.
Speaking of music, I have found that many old hymns, and some new ones too, have marvelous words that help turn my thoughts to the Creator God.
More often than not, however, I would turn to worshipful passages, like Psalm 8 or Psalm 19. Maybe I'd start with Isaiah 40. Or even verses from Revelation 4 and 5. Or so many other passages! I would turn these verses into my own prayers, speaking them aloud to God.
Because I learned to worship God during those 10 months of living on my part-time secretarial salary, I was equipped when other difficult situations arose in our lives. When I couldn't sleep, I'd slip out of bed with my Bible and turn my thoughts to God. Oh, what joy and peace resulted from those times! I can remember thinking, "What was I so upset about? Oh, yes..." Then I could turn my concerns, my worries over to God. But not until I had spent time considering how great is my God, how worthy and awesome He truly is. Only then could I fully trust Him to take care of me in my situation, no how desperate it seemed.
[Scripture Quotations for this post are from the NIV, ©1986, 1994]
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