Thursday, April 06, 2006

Worry, worry

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)

Some years ago, the United States Public Health Service issued a statement about how worrying tends to weaken and shorten one’s life. It reads in part: "So far as is known, no bird ever tried to build more nests than its neighbor. No fox ever fretted because it had only one hole in which to hide. No squirrel ever died of anxiety, lest it should not lay by enough for two winters instead of one, and no dog ever lost any sleep over the fact that it had not enough bones laid aside for the declining years."

There was a time in this country when it was considered un-Christian to carry a life insurance policy. The reason was that it showed that you did not trust God to take care of tomorrow; you had to take care of the future yourself. This is what worry is all about. Worry is being preoccupied in making plans because you think that something bad might happen in the future.

It should be immediately obvious why worrying is bad for you. Time is spent on making plans for a problem that might never happen; this time spent on worrying comes at the expense of enjoying right now and putting today to good use. Not only does worrying waste your time, it is also unhealthy; when you worry, your body chemistry changes to prepare you to fight or run away. Your blood pressure rises and you are constantly on edge, ready to overreact to any surprise or bad news. But with no one to fight and nowhere to run to, the tension filling your body finds no release.

Jesus said, who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Our Lord makes a subtle point—research has repeatedly shown that worrying actually shortens life. So what is the solution? Time with Jesus. Time studying His words of promise in the Bible. Time in prayer. We need to distinguish between what might happen from what is likely to happen. For example: winter is likely going to be cold; it makes sense to cut firewood before it is needed. But will you still be alive in two years? Do you really need to cut that much firewood right now? Perhaps there are more immediate things that need your attention—an evening stroll holding hands with your spouse, an hour playing catch with your child, twenty minutes spent with the Lord in devotions. The future should not take you away from today, or you will end life wondering what you accomplished with it. Jesus can help; ask Him to help you to stop worrying and reset your priorities. Focus your planning on what is likely to happen, and trust God to protect you from what might come to pass.

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