Question 1

When does worry become sin?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 13:22“The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”Colossians 3:2Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.Worry in our lives is like thorny weeds in a garden—left uncontrolled, it will crowd out what is good. Worry over the concerns of life becomes sin when it prevents the word of God from taking root in our lives. Worry is the misuse of our God-given imagination, using it to create distractions from what is most important and to imagine that our anxiety actually accomplishes something.

Question 2

How can I worry less?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 55:4-5My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.Worry and fear are normal responses to threatening situations, but often we imagine far worse scenarios than ever happen. Most of our worries never come true.Psalm 62:6He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.Remembering that God’s love and care for us are as solid as a rock can help keep our worries in perspective. God has everything under control.Matthew 6:27“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”Instead of adding more time or giving us a better quality of life, worry steals our time, robs our health, and kills our joy.Philippians 4:6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.We should talk to God openly about our worries. We should hand off our worries to him as if to a friend, consultant, or supervisor we totally trust.Philippians 4:8-9Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.Colossians 3:2Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.We should fix our thoughts on the power of God, not the problems in our lives. Worry will always change us for the worse; God has the power to change us and our circumstances for the better. We should turn our attention away from negative, unbelieving thoughts and turn our minds toward the positive, constructive thoughts of faith and hope.Exodus 14:13Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”Combat worry and anxiety by remembering and trusting what God, in his Word, has already promised to do for you.1 Samuel 17:32-37“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”When our own problems and obstacles consume us, we begin to give in to fear—that we will fail, that we will let others down, and that God will not help us when we most need him. Fear will tempt us to focus on the size of the problem rather than on the size of our God. When we focus on God instead, we will see him fighting by our side.John 14:1-4“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”If we had ten million dollars in the bank, we wouldn’t worry about providing for our family if we lost our job. In the same way, we know that God has provided for our future by preparing a perfect place for us in heaven. We should let that assurance keep us from panicking in today’s storms. The eternal outcome is certain.Matthew 6:26-34“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”In his extended teaching on worry, Jesus mentions five specific actions that displace anxiety by deliberately altering our focus: (1) We should look at the birds and notice God’s care for them. (2) We should look at the lilies and acknowledging God’s abundance in their lives. (3) We should seek the Kingdom of God by identifying where and how God is active in our circumstances. (4) We should seek to live righteously by considering what God wants us to do and then doing it. (5) We should live today fully, leaving tomorrow in God’s hands.Philippians 4:6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.We combat worry by placing our cares in Jesus’ hands.

Question 3

Where can I turn when worry overwhelms me?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 55:22Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.Matthew 6:25-34“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”Worry is a great time-waster! The evidence of God’s care is everywhere, even in the smallest details of life. Worry erodes our faith and robs us of the joy of anticipating God’s faithful provision. Jesus’ words suggest three questions we can ask ourselves when we start to worry about something: (1) Is it important? Many of our anxieties revolve around issues that are even less important than food and clothing. (2) Is it helpful? Worrying is useless; in fact, it’s usually counterproductive. (3) Who is in charge? God is in control, and our heavenly Father delights to meet our needs.

Question 4

What can I do with the problems that worry me?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 55:22Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.Philippians 4:6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.Prayer and a godly perspective drive worry from our minds and hearts. Peace comes when we pray, release all our cares to the Lord, and focus our minds on the promises of God. The test is always the temptation to reclaim our worries after we have given them to the Lord.

Question 5

How does worry touch a leader’s life?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 14:10-12As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”Exodus 15:24-25Then the people turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help.The people of Israel were often overwhelmed and took their anxiety out on the leader. Wise leaders, like Moses, must be able to recognize the anxiety for what it is so that they can respond appropriately to quell the people’s anxious feelings.2 Corinthians 11:28-29Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?Leaders carry the burden of care for their group or organization. This burden can be either an occasion for worry or an opportunity for trusting God.