Do not worry about your life
Luke 12:22 — The next time you find yourself obsessed with worry, do something that you know would please God.
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“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.”
Luke 12:22 NIV
There is nothing more counterproductive — or commonplace — than anxiety.
Most people spend their lives fretting about everything, yet there is little we can actually do about eliminating the root causes of things we’re worried about. That’s probably one of the reasons we are such an anxious people — we aren’t in control of everything, and we think that if only we were calling the shots on every decision that is made, we’d be happier and less worried. Of course, few of us think of the stress and anxiety that would be heaped upon us if we had that control that we seek!
Worry has been a problem for humans since Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and were suddenly worried about their nakedness. As we see here in the gospel of Luke, Jesus knew just how anxiety preyed on His disciples. They were worried about everything: Were they understanding the lessons that Jesus was teaching them? Were they good disciples? Were they going to have enough to eat as they followed Jesus? The clothes the disciples wore were tattered from all the time on the road — how would they impress potential followers if they were wearing rags? Would they be enslaved or killed by the Romans? Their teacher was telling them things that seemed contrary to what they had learned in synagogue through their lives — were they pleasing God and the Sanhedrin, or would they be stoned for blasphemy?
This verse is in the middle of a group of wonderful parables Jesus was using to teach His followers. Barb wrote about these parables found in Luke in September and October of 2022. At this point, Jesus must have noticed the disciples were distracted by worries and not grasping the messages found in the parables, so He bluntly commanded them “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life.” These words are not directed to the crowd of people listening to the message of Jesus; the verse distinctly points out that “Jesus said to His disciples.”
Concern about having enough food was a primary worry to most people in 1st century Israel. So how could Jesus alleviate the fears of the disciples about such things as food and clothing? Bible theologian William MacDonald, cited on Precept Austin, noted:
One of the great dangers in the Christian life is that the acquisition of food and clothing becomes the first and foremost aim of our existence. We become so occupied with earning money for these things that the work of the Lord is relegated to a secondary place. The emphasis of the NT is that the cause of Christ should have first place in our lives. Food and clothing should be subordinate. We should work hard for the supply of our current necessities, then trust God for the future as we plunge ourselves into His service. This is the life of faith.
Jesus was commanding His disciples to have faith and trust God rather than worrying about where their next meal would come from or how they looked.
Also from Precept Austin were these words from Pastor Ray Pritchard from 1989, who pointed out that worrying is a sin:
Worry is excessive concern over the affairs of life. The key obviously is the word “excessive.” Worry happens when you are so concerned about the problems of life that you can think of nothing else. It is an all-consuming feeling of uncertainty and fear. And it is a sin. Worry is a sin for two reasons: First, because it displaces God in your life. When you commit the sin of worry, you are living as though God did not exist. And you are living as though you alone can solve your problems. Second, because it distracts you from the things that really matter in life. As long as you are worrying, you can’t do anything else. You are strangled by worry.
But how can we tell when the legitimate concerns of life have become sinful worries? Here are three practical guidelines. You are probably well into worry...
1. When the thing you are concerned about is the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night.
2. When you find yourself thinking about it during every spare moment.
3. When you find yourself bringing it up in every conversation you have.
Seen in that light, most of us worry a lot more than we would like to admit!
Jesus is probably shaking His head at the latest fear that seems to have taken hold of our society: Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). Not familiar with that acronym? Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know about or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, which may lead to concerns that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, a memorable event, profitable investment, or the comfort of loved ones. It is characterized by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing, and can be described as the fear that deciding not to participate is the wrong choice. FOMO could result from not knowing about a conversation, missing a TV show, not attending a wedding or party, or hearing that others have discovered a new restaurant.
Fortunately for us, Charles H. Spurgeon (cited on Precept Austin) knew precisely what would ease FOMO and all of our other worries:
The best cure for the cares of this life is to care much to please God. If we loved him better, we should love the world far less, and be less troubled about our portion in it.
Perhaps we should take Spurgeon’s advice to heart. The next time you find yourself obsessed with worry, do something that you know would please God:
Praise Him.
Pray on behalf of those also feeling anxious.
Be kind and loving to everyone you meet.
Help someone who needs assistance.
Forgive someone for the way they treated you.
Thank God for everything He has done for you, and for everything He will do in the future.
Read Scripture.
Be satisfied with what you have.
…and any one of a million other ways to take your mind off of yourself and place your trust in God
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, continue to teach me to trust You completely. Help me to cast my worries aside, relying on Your provision for my daily needs. In times of uncertainty, grant me peace and remind me that You care for me and will provide for me. When I am worried, give me the strength to overcome those anxieties, focusing instead on Your promises and my joyful future eternally praising You. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, AMEN.