Why do you worry what what do you worry about more than anything else what's the thing that
had you up at 3:30 this morning and your mind started spinning because this is what happens
your mind starts spinning and you get a hold of a thought and and you let it take you somewhere but
where you take that thought eventually you find out it takes you somewhere and for me a lot
of times I end up in this spin cycle of stress I've noticed this about worry worry is circular
worry is going round and round it's not being concerned about something that's that's not
what Jesus means by don't worry Jesus is saying that you cannot use worry to accomplish your goal
it's futile to worry and if you try it all it will do is ruin your life and you will never accomplish
anything with it where is inconsistent it's irrational it's ineffective now in verse 28 and 30
it's illogical listen to this so why do you worry about clothing consider the lilies of the field
how they grow they neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all of his glory
was not arrayed like one of these now if God so clothes the grass of the field which today
is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothe you oh you of little faith
Jesus perhaps was standing where the lilies of the field could be seen
and he says to them look at these lilies they don't even toil they don't spin and look how they
are adorned he says they're more beautiful than all of the beauty of Solomon great
kingly robes and if your father in heaven would take such great care of the lilies of the field
do you not think he cares about you if God takes care of that which only has a short
life span they grow and then they're destroyed ladies and gentlemen if you know the Lord Jesus
Christ you're eternal if God will take such great care of the temporal don't you think he's
going to take great care of the eternal he will take care of you he'll take care of your family
he'll take care of your business he'll take care of the crisis that you're facing he'll take care
of the medical situation that's confronting you he'll take care of the worry that's filling your
heart and mind while I'm talking we're commanded by Jesus Christ not to worry five times Jesus says
in Matthew 6 take no thought do not be anxious God has given us an owner's manual of the soul
in this owner's manual it says we were designed and made by the architect of heaven to function
without worry life without tension life without turmoil life without stress and strife life that
is filled with the power power over the world the flesh and the devil life that is carefree life
that is happy life that is joyous how by casting all of your care upon him for he careth for you
Peter tells us his own version of this he was telling us how to deal with anxiety and other
things and he said this he he gave a teaching with a warning and he says this in First Peter 5:8 he
says cast all of your anxiety on him if you're anxious right now if you're afraid if you're
worried about your job if you're worried about your health if you don't know what's coming what
you do with that anxiety is you cast it on to God now Peter was a fisherman and so when he's talking
about casting you can imagine I mean he's talking about taking this thing and just hurling it
hurl your anxiety your cares your fears your worries your burdens on God because
he cares for you wherever you are if you're in a hospital room right now what I want you to feel
is that God is near he is with you he's not going to leave you he will never forsake you
he cares for you if you're worried about how you're going to feed your kids
he cares for you then Peter gives a warning and he says be alert kind of like be on your guard don't
drop your guard be ready with prayer be ready with praise be alert and be of sober mind why because
you have an enemy the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour
he's always coming and the devil is always swinging and it only hurts if you drop your guard
be on guard be alert your enemy is on the attack how does he attack well the devil's target is your
mind and his weapon is his lies what does he do he'll he'll tell you you're not gonna be able to
pay your bills you're not gonna be able to make rent your marriage is not going to survive this
he'll tell you you're going to get sick you're going to be all alone if God really loved you
then he wouldn't be allowing this to happen in your life and the devil comes at you again and
again his target is your mind his weapon is his lies and that's why you have to tell yourself
again and again the devil is a liar you have to guard your mind this is where the main battle
is taking place because good thoughts they don't automatically come into our mind most of the time
especially in difficult situations the first thoughts are negative
the easy thing to do is to believe those lies start dwelling on it what if I don't get well
what if the report isn't good what if I can't make those payments don't fall into that trap
your life is going to follow your thoughts if you live worried anxious uptight you're
inviting discouragement bad breaks negativity you have to turn your worry into worship thank God
that he's fighting your battles thank him that no weapon formed against you will ever prosper
when I look back over my life most of the things I worried about never came to pass I wasted a lot
of time and energy being uptight it's easy to wake up in the middle of the night and find something
to worry about somebody asked me if I could do anything over again what would I do differently
I told them I would trust God more I wouldn't lose sleep worried about the budgets worried
if I was able to minister worried if I was people going to like me none of that worrying helped me
to move one inch forward I wonder how many things you're worried about that are never going to come
to pass worry is concerned about something that we cannot do anything about that we cannot even
be sure about one who worries looks off into the future but the problem with the person who
does that is twofold first of all the future is not here and secondly the future is not his
no one but God knows its true shape and according to the bible worry is concern over the unknown and
uncontrollable future Jesus put it this way don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will
have enough worries of its own God has given you grace for today you don't have grace for tomorrow
don't try to figure out the next five years play out all the what-ifs the what-ifs will depress you
the truth is if a what-if does come to pass God will give you the grace to handle it what
if the report's not good what if my loved one doesn't make it what if I do get laid off Joel
then the peace that passes understanding will be right there waiting for you
God promises he will arm you with strength for every battle we may not know what the future holds
but we do know who holds the future now don't miss today worried about tomorrow today is a gift
we can never get this day back I believe like with me many of the things you're worried about are not
going to happen if they do it's not going to be as difficult as you think you don't have the grace
for it today and sure we should plan we should use common sense but at some point you have to turn it
over to God and say God you know what's best for me you said you'd give me grace for every season
just like you clothed the lily of the fields just like you feed the birds of the air I know you will
take care of me it's very freeing when you learn to turn things over to God so don't dwell on your
tomorrows and don't dwell on your yesterdays oh how many people ruined their lives with a faulty
yesterday stop worrying about your past stop looking at where you have been and start looking
at where you can be with God's help friends worry is a thief it will rob you of your sleep at night
it will rob you of your joy rob you of your creativity you don't make good decisions
when you're worried if you allow it worry can keep you from your destiny worry doesn't make
anything better being frustrated doesn't get God's attention begging God reminding him what's wrong
that only makes us depressed take the problem off the throne and put God back up on the throne
if you're talking more about your problem than you are about God you have the wrong
thing on the throne you're not supposed to go through life weighted down by worry stress
anxiety start lightening your load really it's important every morning you should start the
day off in peace not stressed hurried rushing around look at the sunrise listen to the birds
singing breathe in God's goodness thank him for his blessings in your life the bible says let not
your hearts be troubled neither let it be afraid for he is God almighty he is an ever-present
friend in the time of trouble he's greater than the crisis that you're in he's greater than the
mountains that you're claiming he's greater than the giants that seem unbeatable he's greater than
the greatest he's higher than the highest he will make a way where there seems to be no way he's the
God of all hope he's the prince of peace don't worry because our God cannot fail don't worry
because he makes streams in the blazing desert don't worry because he can turn your darkest night
into glorious day don't worry about your past it's been forgotten and forgiven the blood of Jesus
Christ has set you free from the pain and the penalty of sin you are free you're a child of God
you are a royal ambassador of the kingdom of God stop worrying be happy live in the sunshine
of God's joy you are somebody right now God's in charge the sun will come up in the east tomorrow
it will set in the west God is on his holy throne and everything is going to be all right