A "worry wart" defined, simply means, "one who tends to worry much". Worry defined
means, "a troubled state of mind; anxiety (worry or uneasiness about what may happen."
We live in a society that worries. If we've got wealth we worry about where it goes or
the possibility of it being lost. We've got good health but we worry about getting ill for, if
we have a pain we begin to think of the worst. To quote from Wendell Winklers Book:
"Heart Diseases and Their Cure", One worrier said to the other, "I have so many troubles
that if anything happened to me today it will be 2 weeks before I can get around to worrying
about it."
Let's establish early on in this article that there is a definite contrast between worry and
concern. For example, if you should be concerned about your health, then this will cause
you to practice good health practices. If you should be concerned about your wealth status
then this will cause you to practice rules of good economy. Concerns motivate us to action,
while worry wastes away time and does nothing about the thing worried over.
I find that a lot of times folks worry about things that will never happen in the first place.
They may create things to worry about as if that is what they are living for.....to worry.
Question: Is it sinful to worry? Now notice, Paul said in Romans 6:23 that the wages of
sin is death so this is a serious consideration. Again, is it sinful to worry?
John wrote in I John 3:4-"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin
is the transgression of the law." If it can be established that worry transgresses the law of
God, then it is evident that worry is a sin. Please note carefully the following passages of
scripture from the book of God, the Bible.
Phil. 4:6-""Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
I Peter 1:13-"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for
the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
James 1:5,6-"If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
Friend, for our prayers to be answered we must ask in faith. Worry expresses a distrust
in God.
Worry disregards these commandments of God and prohibits our prayers from being
answered. But to note further we must examine Matthew 6:24-34. Here Jesus teaches that
he would not have his people worry and be anxious for the things which belong to this
world. This over anxiety which distract the mind is forbidden by God for you see, the Lord
shows that worry about temporal things has become a distrust in God!!
We are commanded in Matthew 6:34 to not be anxious, don't worry, for the morrow.
Why? Because God will supply our material needs. We should let tomorrow take care of
itself and live one day at a time. We've got plenty of responsibilities for today without trying
to carry tomorrows "worries" with us today.
Some folks seem to excuse worry on the basis that "everybody does it." No friend, God
shows us to overcome such and not to continue therein. We can overcome the sin of worry.
How?
We need to put more faith and trust in God and His promises. Note what the Bible says:
Acts 27:25-"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me."
I Peter 1:4-"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you."
Philippians 4:19-"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus."
I Peter 5:7-"Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you."
Isaiah 26:3-"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because
he trusteth in thee."
We must learn to exercise the tremendous spiritual blessing that God has bestowed upon
us in times such as these. What is it? Prayer. David said, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Ps. 55:22). We
need to learn to lean on the Lord through the avenue of prayer.
Many times worry comes at times that we are idle. Thus, busy yourself. In Ephesians
4:28 Paul wrote, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with
his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." and in 2
Thess. 3:10-"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would
not work, neither should he eat." If we are busy it gets our minds off of things that may
cause us to worry. One may look at it like this, if in the daytime you're too busy, at night
too sleepy, then when do you have the time to worry???
Friend, don't rob yourself of a joyful, happy and peaceful life through worry. Phil. 4:4-
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." and Proverbs 17:22-"A merry heart
doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
I close with the following borrowed story: "There are two days in every week about
which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches
and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond your control. All the money in the world
cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase
a single word we said. Yesterday is gone. The other day we should not worry about is
tomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance.
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mass of clouds--but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn. This leaves only one
day...today. Any man or woman can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you
and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities-yesterday and tomorrow--that we break
down. It is not the experiences of today that drive men mad, it is remorse or bitterness for
something which happened yesterday and a dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us,
therefore, live but “one day at a time.”