{"id":839234,"date":"2024-11-04T05:00:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/?p=839234"},"modified":"2024-11-01T11:29:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T16:29:41","slug":"the-idol-of-worry-or-the-answer-to-worry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/the-idol-of-worry-or-the-answer-to-worry\/","title":{"rendered":"The Idol of Worry, or the Answer to Worry?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I admit it: <\/span>sometimes I allow the idol of worry to divert me from the answer to worry<\/span><\/i>. Maybe you do, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me explain. You might think that worry that consumes us would drive us to prayer. The burden is deep, so we pray. The anxiety is palpable, so we turn to God. The anguish is overwhelming and persistent, so we give it to God in prayer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You would think this would be the case, but that\u2019s not always so. At least not for me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I know what Jesus taught us about worry: <\/span>\u201cDon\u2019t worry about your life . . . So don\u2019t worry . . . don\u2019t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Matt 6:25-34). Paul, too, echoed those same words in his letter to the Philippians: \u201c<\/span>Don\u2019t worry about anything\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Phil 4:6).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I read these words, and it\u2019s hard to miss what Jesus and Paul emphasized: \u201cJust don\u2019t worry.\u201d\u00a0 Indeed, I cannot help but conclude that my worry is nothing less than a lack of trust in the sovereign hand of God. Worry grips my heart with angst and robs me of the rest that ought to be mine in Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even as I write those last words, though, I\u2019m reminded that I already know the answer to my worries. Jesus put it this way in His discussion about worry: <\/span>\u201cSeek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Matt 6:33). Paul, then, also offered direction for dealing with worry: <\/span>\u201cin everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Phil 4:6).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In essence, my seeking the King is the remedy for my worry. Temporal \u201cstuff\u201d is often the source of worry for me, but the eternal King reigns over all\u2014including those things that trouble me. I can, and must, seek Him through taking my petitions to Him. Even if that prayer sounds remarkably like the struggling faith of the father of a demon-possessed boy in Mark 9\u2014\u201cLord, I do believe. Help my unbelief\u201d<\/em> (9:24)\u2014I must turn to Him with thanksgiving. I can trust the One who knows my needs before I ever ask Him (Matt 6:8).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The process is simple, it seems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seek God. Pray about everything. Worry about nothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, that process gets complicated when you do what I too often do: try to reach the latter goal without intentionally doing the first two steps to get there. Here\u2019s the way that sometimes happens for me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n