The Value of Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25

Jesus said, “Do not worry” – this is a present imperative with the negative, a command forbidding worry. It could not be said more firmly by a more reliable person, so, don’t do it.

The Apostle Paul expressed it this way: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) 

“Be anxious for nothing”- the Greek construction forbids the continuance of an action already habitually going on. The word “nothing” is the Greek word medeis, it literally means: “not even one thing.”

Worry is unbelief! It is a failure to trust God to care for us. 

Don’t confuse concern with worry. It is proper to be concerned and work to resolve the concern with faith in the Lord for guidance. This is done with confidence and peace. It shows your opinion of God. To worry or not shows your opinion of God. Don’t try to excuse your worry by falsely calling it concern.

The Psalmist got it right, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalms 9:10)

“Those who know Your name” means those who know God’s character.

The value of worry is zero, nada, nul, ezer, nunda, rien, nichts, semmi, niente. Any way you say it it’s the same, nothing, you accomplish nothing by worrying. 

The better you know God the less you worry. If you habitually worry you need to get to know God better.

There is zero value in worry. It does nothing good for us. An average person’s worry is focused on: 40% – things that will never happen; 30% – things about the past that can’t be changed; 12% – things about criticism by others, mostly untrue; 10% – about health, which gets worse with stress; 8% – about real problems that will be faced.

Now consider, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:27

This can be applied two ways. One is dimensional. A cubit is about 18 inches. Who can add such to their height by worrying? The second relates to your life-span. You can’t add years to your life by worrying. However, you can shorten it and along the way cause all sorts of problems.

Frame this and hang it prominently in your memory hall. “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.  Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)