What on Earth Are You So Worried About?Sample

Anxiety doesn’t only affect you but others around you as well. It is generally the ones who are closest to you. Communication at home takes a hit. You begin to stonewall people, which is a way of shutting yourself out from others. This is not how we were intended to live. We were made to live in the presence of God. The “escapes” that we run to begin to shape our personality. So, our problems shape our personalities rather than being driven by our passions and desires.

We can see that in the case of Gideon. We see this reluctant/fearful judge getting instructions from God, but he still lives and acts out of fear. In verses 9-10, when God gives the Midianites in his hand, He knows that Gideon will be fearful. God advises him to take his servant Purah along to go down to the camp. We have seen the Israelites rally around this judge, but his fear and anxiety still rule his life.

What does Jesus have to say?

He starts with an imperative. “DO NOT be anxious about your life … .” Our life is at its peaceful best when we live in obedience to God and His Word. As we have already seen, we are made in God's image, which means we mean more to him than the birds of the air. They do not worry about their next meal. Nor do the lilies toil or spin. But even Solomon, at his best, was not arrayed like one of them. Worrying doesn’t help, as Matthew 6:27 reminds us that which of us can add a single hour to our life by being anxious.

In Matthew 6:33, we are given the remedy for this situation. First, seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness is the solution to overcoming our anxiety. All these will be added to us. Our biggest worry is the uncertain future. But as we’ve seen over the last few days, placing our faith in God and his unchanging word is the rock on which we can build our future.

Praise is a prayer to a powerful living God.

Worry is a prayer to a powerless, incompetent God.

Praise is a prayer to a loving, capable father.

Worry is the prayer of an unloved, abandoned orphan.

Listen to the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/O-AJhEUQXWE