Why worry when you can pray?

  • Shelly Webb
  • January 29, 2011
  • 365
                        
An old hymn entitled, “Why worry when you can pray”, admonishes us to “trust Jesus he’ll be your stay”. The hymn is old but the subject is current, ‘worry’ is something we all face, every single day. We worry about our jobs, the economy, the price of gasoline and whether or not our kids will wear their seatbelts and drive carefully. We worry about our parents, our spouses, what to make for dinner, how our physical will go, and the list goes on and on. We all worry about lots of things and we all worry too much. Today there are many names for ‘worry’. Worry can be referred to as ‘anxiety’, ‘panic’, ‘depression’, ‘fear’ or about a hundred other nouns. Getting a handle of ‘worry’ is one of the best things a person can do to make their life more positive and more pleasing to God. Evangelist John Damron of Killbuck First Church of Christ believes that God addresses the subject of ‘worry’ in the Bible for a reason. Philippians 4:6 tells us that we are to ‘be careful for nothing’, other translations say, ‘be anxious for nothing’ or ‘do not worry about anything’. Paul wrote the words to the church at Philippi as an encouragement to them. But are the words, “be careful for nothing” a command for us today to not worry ever or are these words an encouragement that we have no need to worry? “I believe that God teaches us in three different manners,” Damron shared, “through command, through example and through implication or inference. In this particular scripture (Philippians 4:6), the apostle Paul is using the inference manner, because he is speaking that in light of the present stress factors in their lives, they really had no reason(s) to worry because of their relationship with God through His Son Jesus, who is all capable of meeting their needs.” According to Damron the actual definition of the word, "worry" is to "have undo concern". “The apostle Paul would have certainly known that even if he had commanded his followers to not worry, they, like us, would probably have worried to some degree anyway,” Damron said. “So, is worrying a "sin?" Well, what is the definition of sin? The Bible says that it is the transgression of divine command. But how does an individual who wants with all of their heart to obey God's commands as much as it lies within them, not have ‘undo concern?’ Damron believes the concept of worry versus faith is one that “lies within the area of experiential spiritual growth in one's obedient Christian living.” “One meaning for the Greek word "know" refers to knowing God through life experiences with Him,” Damron added, “proving Him to be true to His Word over and over again. When we continually recognize God's intervention within our lives we cannot help but trust Him for the outcome and in so doing worry is increasingly displaced in our lives.” Logically the more an individual can trust in God’s grace, the less they will worry about their life. Damron believes we all need God’s grace and that when Jesus said ‘don’t worry’, He knew our nature was to worry. “When Jesus said, "don't worry", He certainly knew that we as humans have that tendency,” Damron shared. “He knew that for us this would be a work in progress. No doubt, Satan works upon our minds 24/7. He knows that when we worry just one tiny bit, we aren't practicing faith and this is really what he wants from us. We have to remember what the Hebrew writer said (11:6), "that without faith, it is impossible to please God."” Damron believes when Satan can cause us to worry and have no faith in God, it is a way for him to get back at God or hurt him. “In this way Satan gets back at God,” Damron added. “How do you hurt a father? Simply (as Satan well knows,) attack his children. In Jesus' day He walked and talked with legions of people, and when He reminded them that one day He wouldn't be around to protect and provide for them, guess what they did? Worried. Jesus' teaching in Matt.6, was to remind His followers of their true value in His and His Father's eyes, that they were a whole lot more valuable than the other things of His creation. This was to enhance their self-esteem, and to help them keep on trusting God's provisions, even in Jesus’ absence.” Worry isn’t good for anyone, but it’s almost impossible not to have some concerns or worries from time to time. The key may be not allowing worry to dominate your life, recognize the concern, pray and move on. “When one allows undo concern to dominate their minds and thinking then they aren't any better off then the unbelievers of their time period,” Damron added. “That is what Christ taught in Matthew 6:32.”


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