WHY YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO WORRY

One of man’s biggest enemies is this thing called WORRYING. Whenever we hear bad things, the most instinctive thing to do is to worry. Even Isaac, the son of Abraham, faced several reasons to worry at one point in his life.

The trials he encountered in Genesis 26 can be similar to what we face today. From Isaac’s experience, we can glean three basic things which men worry about.

The first is famine. Genesis 26:1 says that “there was a famine in the land…” In those times, people depended mainly on their livestock and farms for a living. But because of the famine, they did not have any provision. For us today, a famine could speak of a challenging economic standing like losing a job, or not having enough to pay the bills.

The second concern of Isaac was the possible threat to his own life. In Genesis 26:7, it says “…lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold”. This can speak of a concern on safety, security or health whether your own or of people you care about.

The third thing that Isaac faced was the blocked-up wells. In Genesis 26:17 to 21, it says that when he dug up wells of water, the people of the place got jealous. They covered up the wells which Isaac dug and took possession of them. This could speak of how at times we worry about trials that come our way.

The natural reaction of men to problems is to worry. Easy and natural this response may be, the negative effects of worrying are far worse than what we actually realize.

The first effect is that worrying can take us out of God’s will. In Genesis 26:2-3, the Lord instructed Isaac not to leave the place but to stay. God was warning Isaac of the very thing his father did when there was famine in his time. When famine struck Canaan, Abraham immediately went to Egypt and it cost him trouble and he went outside the perfect will of the Lord for him, which was to dwell in his promise land.

When we worry, we have a tendency to forget the promises of God and take courses of action on our own which can go against the plans of God. Panic makes us move without thinking and without seeking God.

Second Corinthians 12:9 says “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 

God’s grace is the divine enablement He imparts to us so that we can overcome every hurdle. The Lord longs to give us His grace but we have to stay in His perfect will to receive it.

The second effect of worrying is compromise. In Genesis 26:9, because of fear for his life, Isaac lied about Rebekah being his wife and told the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister.

When we worry, we forget to do things righteously and tend to focus on how to survive the trial. However, when we compromise, we are going outside of God’s protection. Psalm 5:12 and Psalm 34:15 tell us that God protects the righteous and He delivers or saves those who do what is right in His eyes.

The third effect of worrying is complaining and quitting. This was a possibility for Isaac when the people kept taking the wells he dug. However, instead of giving up Isaac and his servants just kept digging other wells until they found peace and rest.

Our trials may be persistent, but we have to guard our hearts not to worry and not to give up. The moment we give up, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to see God save us and move mightily on our behalf. The key is to press on and not quit.

These are just but few effects of worrying. But the ultimate question is HOW do we overcome worrying? The Scripture has provided us ways and assurance why we should not worry.

In Luke 12:22 Jesus gave the command “do not worry”. 

We need to realize that worrying is a choice. We can choose to let worrying overpower us or not. When we choose to trust in the Lord, we are availing God’s grace that empowers us not to worry.

Jesus in the same chapter of Luke also spoke of this in verse 24: Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? Whether big or small, the Lord provides enough for His creation (Luke 12:24).

Therefore, another key to overcoming worrying is to consider the Lord’s faithfulness over our lives. We are to remember how God has provided for our needs in the past; how He saw us through a difficulty; and how He sustains us everyday.

We can choose to remember the goodness of God in our lives instead of worrying (Psalms 77:10-12).

Whenever we get a breakthrough or a blessing from God, we can do as the Israelites did, set up memorial stones. When God performed a miracle for the Israelites by cutting off the waters of the Jordan River so that they can cross and enter their promise land, God instructed them to set up memorial stones (Joshua 4:8-9). It was such a breakthrough that God wanted them never to forget. Those stones were to be a reminder to them of His faithfulness.

How do we set up our own memorial stones? We can do so by recording God’s blessings in journals so that we can read and recall them in times of difficulty.

Worrying takes place in the mind. When our minds are full of worries, such thoughts have to be removed by replacing them with thoughts of God’s faithfulness. By meditating on God’s goodness, worries get displaced just like when you drop a stone in a container filled with water and the water is displaced and spills out. (Luke 12:24-27).

Another key is to stop trying to make it on our own. We need to learn to be still and wait upon the Lord. Looking for solutions to problems by ourselves does not resolve worrying. We have to lay these at the feet of Jesus and let Him reveal to us His mind on the matter.

Lastly, when we worry, we are basically just thinking of ourselves. It’s hard to focus on anything else as we are consumed with our worries. Thus, Jesus tells us to seek the kingdom of God instead of worrying.

In Luke 12, after Jesus spoke about not worrying, He gave this instruction in verses 31-32: But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Though this maybe the opposite of our natural responses, this is the way God intends for us to respond to problems. This is God’s way of saying that if we take care of His kingdom; He will take care of us. Problems are not for us to solve but for us to surrender to God.

Let us choose not to worry. The Lord God has given us His promises that “He will never leave us nor forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:6) and “HE will be with us” (Isaiah 41:10).

Trials are occasions to be intimate with God and He has promised that He will be with those who believe in Him.