Do you worry a lot? Are you ever anxious and troubled?
Jesus never said, don’t worry because there is nothing to worry about. What he said was that He overcomes all worry.
John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The answer to fear and worry is to trust and obey. Jesus gives us seven ways to deal with worry, anxiety, and fear.
If you have a right and healthy fear of God, you need fear nothing else
Matthew 10:28 NIV
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Don’t be bluffed religious bullies.
Matthew 10:28 MSG“Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
2. Know your value to God
Jesus tells you not to worry or be afraid because you are of infinite value to God. He loves you. He knows you intimately
Matthew 10:29-31 NIV Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
3. Trust the Holy Spirit
He tells you not to worry because you can trust the Holy Spirit to help you. As you face opposition, and difficult situations. The Holy Spirit will teach you when and what to say.
Luke 12:11-12 MSG “When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don’t worry about defending yourselves—what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.”
4. Don’t miss the point of life
Jesus tells the story of a successful businessman who thought his success would last forever but because he thought that success was the point of life Jesus called him a fool.
Luke 12:16-21 NIV And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
This man's life was focused on himself. He thought he was worth what his possessions were worth. He failed to understand the way to be truly rich. You are as a person are far more important than what your possessions?
5. Realize that showing unnecessary or excessive concern about something is not productive
Jesus encourages you to look beyond material possessions and physical needs.
Luke 12:22-23 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
There is nothing wrong with these things, but they should not be your focus.
6. Trust God’s care and provision
Jesus points out that worry is the opposite of faith. If you trust you will not worry.
Luke 12:27-28 NIV “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, 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, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
Faith involves trust in God’s care and provision.
7. Seek God’s kingdom
Trust and obedience go hand in hand. Rather than storing up things for yourself you need to be rich towards God. Rather than worrying about material things you should ‘seek his kingdom.
Luke 12:30-31 NIV For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Jesus never said, don’t worry because there is nothing to worry about. What he said was that He overcomes all worry.
John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The answer to fear and worry is to trust and obey. Jesus gives us seven ways to deal with worry, anxiety, and fear.
- Fear God and nothing else
If you have a right and healthy fear of God, you need fear nothing else
Matthew 10:28 NIV
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Don’t be bluffed religious bullies.
Matthew 10:28 MSG“Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
2. Know your value to God
Jesus tells you not to worry or be afraid because you are of infinite value to God. He loves you. He knows you intimately
Matthew 10:29-31 NIV Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
3. Trust the Holy Spirit
He tells you not to worry because you can trust the Holy Spirit to help you. As you face opposition, and difficult situations. The Holy Spirit will teach you when and what to say.
Luke 12:11-12 MSG “When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don’t worry about defending yourselves—what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.”
4. Don’t miss the point of life
Jesus tells the story of a successful businessman who thought his success would last forever but because he thought that success was the point of life Jesus called him a fool.
Luke 12:16-21 NIV And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
This man's life was focused on himself. He thought he was worth what his possessions were worth. He failed to understand the way to be truly rich. You are as a person are far more important than what your possessions?
5. Realize that showing unnecessary or excessive concern about something is not productive
Jesus encourages you to look beyond material possessions and physical needs.
Luke 12:22-23 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
There is nothing wrong with these things, but they should not be your focus.
6. Trust God’s care and provision
Jesus points out that worry is the opposite of faith. If you trust you will not worry.
Luke 12:27-28 NIV “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, 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, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
Faith involves trust in God’s care and provision.
7. Seek God’s kingdom
Trust and obedience go hand in hand. Rather than storing up things for yourself you need to be rich towards God. Rather than worrying about material things you should ‘seek his kingdom.
Luke 12:30-31 NIV For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
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