Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)

Worry, Worry, Worry

The story has been told of Death walking toward a city. A man stopped Death and asked, “What are you going to do?” Death replied, “I’m going to kill 10,000 people.” “That’s horrible,” the man said. “That’s the way it is,” Death answered, “That’s what I do.” So, the day passed. That evening, the man met Death coming back, and he said, “You said you were going to kill 10,000 people, but I heard that 70,000 were killed.” Death said, “I only killed 10,000. Worry and fear killed the others.”

Jesus taught in the mountain sermon that worrying cannot add anything to life but fear and trepidation. The birds of the air do not worry because they know the Lord will care for them. They do not plant, harvest, or store food in barns to care for themselves and others. Birds trust that their Creator will care for them and live worry-free lives. The object lesson should be clear for those made in the image of God, but one of the greatest challenges of life is to allow our hearts to trust completely in God’s care. While God has promised to feed the birds, He never said anything about bringing the seed to the nest. Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and given responsibilities to look after the garden.

Worry and fear can and have destroyed lives because the focus is not on what is important. Life is filled with clothing, feeding, and protection. Provisions must be made to clothe a family. Food must be prepared daily to care for the body. There is a need for measures to be taken to keep a family safe. Letting the heart be overwhelmed with worry and fear destroys the blessings of life. God has provided what man needs – yet man believes he needs so much more to be happy, and in doing so, destroys his life with worry. Learning to keep life in focus on important things is where the difficulty comes.

The tragedy of worry can consume a life to the point where there is no joy. Working tirelessly will not bring happiness and fulfillment. Lost time can never be regained. Life is more than the physical things of life. The fear of disease and dying is very real, but it is a reality no one shall escape. Worry does not change reality. Trusting that God knows and understands gives the heart pause to enjoy life and treasure the most important moments. The Bible is a message from God to calm the nerves, focus the mind, and build trust in the Creator. Believing in the word of God will remove the fear and worry that consumes the world.