Do You Worry?

Do you worry?  I mean seriously…do you?  Sure, we know that we are not supposed to worry, so we call it other things.  Concern, doubt, fear, heartache, uneasiness, apprehension are all terms that we use to replace the word “worry” in our everyday lives.  I confess that have my share of worry in my own life.  It is when I find myself in the midst of a very trying situation that I begin to let these thoughts consume me. 

I have heard the term defined in this way, “Worry is telling God that He can’t…”    Another source shows the root form of the English term worry to mean, “to strangle, or to choke.”  When we make the decision to worry, we are making the judgment that our problems are bigger than God is.  Our lack of faith “chokes” out the power of God in our lives.  Jesus tells us this:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.”  -- Luke 12:22-23 (NIV)

 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -- Matt 6:33-34 (NIV)

I need to be reminded that my focus MUST remain on God, and not the things that the world tells are important. God must show me these important things!  I think of this quote from Francis Chan quite often.  It’s words are so true!

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” – Francis Chan