Welcome To Adulting By JP PokludaSample

Day Seven

Giving Up Control

Scripture: Matthew 6:25

“Worried for no reason” could be my generation’s motto. Should we be worried about being worried? It might not seem like a serious problem, but worry is a big deal. Not only is the time we spend worrying unproductive and unpleasant but it negatively impacts our physical health. 

For believers, avoiding worry is more than just a good idea. It’s the law. God commands us not to worry. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25). To drive home the point, he says the same thing—“do not worry”—three times in that one passage. The God who tells us not to murder and not to commit adultery also tells us not to be anxious. Worrying, in other words, is a sin. Don’t let that label cause further guilt to your anxious mind; read on.

Worry is always directly related to control, because if we fully trust whoever has control over our situation, we would have no reason to worry about what will happen. The problem comes when we either don’t know who is in control or don’t trust the one who is driving.

The truth is that God is in control, and he is good. He wants what is best for us. His power is infinite, and he loves us. Since he is completely in control and completely loves us, we can trust him in unemployment, late projects, break-ups, singleness, sickness, and even death. It might not appear that way in the short term, and our nearsightedness might make it seem like a certain situation could never end up resulting in anything good, but we can only see the here and now. God sees everything, from the beginning to the end, and he already knows what the end result is going to be.

The source of anxiety is a lack of trust in the One who is in control. The solution, therefore, is to learn to trust him more. So next time you are tempted to worry, pause to consider this very powerful equation: God is in control + God is good + God loves you = Your peace 

What are you most worried about today? How does your lack of control correlate to the things that cause you anxiety?