The Sinfulness of Worry
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We often forget the commands of Jesus in our everyday lives. In doing so, we often create barriers to our relationship with God. Any barrier we create that separates us from God is the very essence of sin.
Worry can be the worst.
Consider: Worry and Anxiety Bible Verses
[Do Not Worry] [6:25-33pp -- Lk 12:22-31] "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin."
"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'"
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
It is clear that Jesus was concerned about His people being too involved in the tragedy of 'worry'. The very real tragedy of worry is that in the depths of our worry we builds barriers between us and others, and worse, between us and God. Any barrier we put up to our Personal Relationship with God is our sinfulness.
Being concerned about any life event is ok. In our concern we pray about it, we talk about our concerns, we seek answers to our concerns, and we do something about them. That concern is not sinfulness, and neither is it worry. In loving others, being concerned for others especially our close loved ones, God expects us to (1)-be concerned, (2)-seek to do all we can do, and (3)- What we cannot do, give it up to Him.
Worry is a different story.
Far too often our concern slips into our excessive worry when we find ourselves at a point where we have done the praying, talked the talking, sought the answers, and tried to do all we can do about a concern. Worry and especially excessive worry comes because the problem/concern continues to grow in spite of our best efforts. In allowing the concern to slip into excessive worry, our real problem grows bigger than ever. After we have done all we can do, it is when we can no longer do anything else about a concern that we begin to worry. The worry Jesus is talking about are those activities in which we no longer have any control and there is nothing more we can do. But in our minds we continue to battle the concern fruitlessly, with no meaningful end, and worry overtakes our thinking, good judgment, and general behavior.
This point in some activities where we no longer have control and can do nothing about a situation and higher, more intense concern is not fruitful, then it is time we have to give up, let go, and let God. It is when we do not give up to God what we cannot control that we begin the rapid creep into a sinful situation of excessive worry. Sin gains control when we keep trying (worrying) to solve our problems and cannot do anything about them; we are spinning our wheels and nothing we do changes things, we are getting nowhere, and we worry, we fight, we worry, and excessively worry thinking nothing about God and His solutions for us.
Suppose your child is very sick in the hospital. We pray, we depend on and pray for doctors to find a cure, we get a bed in the child's room to be near, and we stay focused on what we can do to help the child get better. This is ok until we become distraught with worry. Maybe we begin to fuss at the doctors or to weep continuously; perhaps we blame God for not making the child better, or worse- we ask or wonder why it is His will for this child to be so deathly sick? There are many symptoms of behaviors that begin to show we no longer depend on God. These unforgiving behaviors are just some of the elements of not allowing our faith and trust in God to take over and give us peace. Being at peace does not mean we are no longer concerned. We can be at peace which brings greater clearness of mind to be concerned and continue to try and make sure everything humanly possible is being done. But, at some point in many problems we must give up our worry to God and seek His Peace in our heart. Being overly concerned beyond what we can possibly do leads us to worry and then excessive worry. Again, worry, especially excessive worry, drives us away from depending on and trusting God, and in that behavior, when we push God out of the solution equation. In this behavior, we most surely sin.
When we worry and worry and excessively worry we are essentially shutting out God as the central element in living our life. In our worry and especially our excessive worry we are essentially saying, "I do not need you God to help me solve problems in my life." That is the foundation of sinful behavior that separates us from our Personal Relationship with Him.
As with all commands of Jesus, they are good for us and our health. Jesus tells us not to worry and His Word is Truth for our lives. If we break His commands to us then we sin. We can be concerned, we should do all we can possibly do, but then we must depend on and trust God; But worry? no!
In worrisome times, forget the worry but keep the concern doing all you can do holding on to Trusting God and living in His Grace. In giving up worry we allow our minds to focus more on the Glory of God and what He can do to bring Joy to all our circumstances, even circumstances of grave concern. In that Joy we are more clear minded to help insure all is done to solve problems. St. Paul tells us to be thankful in all circumstances. Just as there is great Wisdom when Jesus said to not worry, so to is Paul's wisdom on being thankful*.
We must continuously focus and avoid building our barriers to our Personal Relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We do this by
Our prayers, Bible Study, and Worship,
Loving God and Loving Jesus
Trusting God and Trusting Jesus,
Praying for God's Spiritual Guidance, and
Feeling the Joy and Peace
that surpasses all understanding
in all our circumstances.
Thanks be to God.
It is clear that Jesus was concerned about His people being too involved in the tragedy of 'worry'. The very real tragedy of worry is that in the depths of our worry we builds barriers between us and others, and worse, between us and God. Any barrier we put up to our Personal Relationship with God is our sinfulness.
Being concerned about any life event is ok. In our concern we pray about it, we talk about our concerns, we seek answers to our concerns, and we do something about them. That concern is not sinfulness, and neither is it worry. In loving others, being concerned for others especially our close loved ones, God expects us to (1)-be concerned, (2)-seek to do all we can do, and (3)- What we cannot do, give it up to Him.
Worry is a different story.
Far too often our concern slips into our excessive worry when we find ourselves at a point where we have done the praying, talked the talking, sought the answers, and tried to do all we can do about a concern. Worry and especially excessive worry comes because the problem/concern continues to grow in spite of our best efforts. In allowing the concern to slip into excessive worry, our real problem grows bigger than ever. After we have done all we can do, it is when we can no longer do anything else about a concern that we begin to worry. The worry Jesus is talking about are those activities in which we no longer have any control and there is nothing more we can do. But in our minds we continue to battle the concern fruitlessly, with no meaningful end, and worry overtakes our thinking, good judgment, and general behavior.
This point in some activities where we no longer have control and can do nothing about a situation and higher, more intense concern is not fruitful, then it is time we have to give up, let go, and let God. It is when we do not give up to God what we cannot control that we begin the rapid creep into a sinful situation of excessive worry. Sin gains control when we keep trying (worrying) to solve our problems and cannot do anything about them; we are spinning our wheels and nothing we do changes things, we are getting nowhere, and we worry, we fight, we worry, and excessively worry thinking nothing about God and His solutions for us.
Suppose your child is very sick in the hospital. We pray, we depend on and pray for doctors to find a cure, we get a bed in the child's room to be near, and we stay focused on what we can do to help the child get better. This is ok until we become distraught with worry. Maybe we begin to fuss at the doctors or to weep continuously; perhaps we blame God for not making the child better, or worse- we ask or wonder why it is His will for this child to be so deathly sick? There are many symptoms of behaviors that begin to show we no longer depend on God. These unforgiving behaviors are just some of the elements of not allowing our faith and trust in God to take over and give us peace. Being at peace does not mean we are no longer concerned. We can be at peace which brings greater clearness of mind to be concerned and continue to try and make sure everything humanly possible is being done. But, at some point in many problems we must give up our worry to God and seek His Peace in our heart. Being overly concerned beyond what we can possibly do leads us to worry and then excessive worry. Again, worry, especially excessive worry, drives us away from depending on and trusting God, and in that behavior, when we push God out of the solution equation. In this behavior, we most surely sin.
When we worry and worry and excessively worry we are essentially shutting out God as the central element in living our life. In our worry and especially our excessive worry we are essentially saying, "I do not need you God to help me solve problems in my life." That is the foundation of sinful behavior that separates us from our Personal Relationship with Him.
As with all commands of Jesus, they are good for us and our health. Jesus tells us not to worry and His Word is Truth for our lives. If we break His commands to us then we sin. We can be concerned, we should do all we can possibly do, but then we must depend on and trust God; But worry? no!
In worrisome times, forget the worry but keep the concern doing all you can do holding on to Trusting God and living in His Grace. In giving up worry we allow our minds to focus more on the Glory of God and what He can do to bring Joy to all our circumstances, even circumstances of grave concern. In that Joy we are more clear minded to help insure all is done to solve problems. St. Paul tells us to be thankful in all circumstances. Just as there is great Wisdom when Jesus said to not worry, so to is Paul's wisdom on being thankful*.
We must continuously focus and avoid building our barriers to our Personal Relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We do this by
Our prayers, Bible Study, and Worship,
Loving God and Loving Jesus
Trusting God and Trusting Jesus,
Praying for God's Spiritual Guidance, and
Feeling the Joy and Peace
that surpasses all understanding
in all our circumstances.
Thanks be to God.
© lonnie coggins
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Publication 0195
intro-
Any barrier we build that separates us from God is sin, and worry is one of the worst. Worry is bad not only for our health but also for your Spiritual well-being. Click the link for some thoughts on worry and share as you feel led to do so. God is good especially in our deepest concerns.
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-sinfulness-of-worry.html
intro-
Any barrier we build that separates us from God is sin, and worry is one of the worst. Worry is bad not only for our health but also for your Spiritual well-being. Click the link for some thoughts on worry and share as you feel led to do so. God is good especially in our deepest concerns.
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-sinfulness-of-worry.html
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