Don’t worry about details beyond your control:

The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God [Wall] had commanded Noah.  Then the LORD shut him in.  – Genesis 7.16

Many have wondered how this animal kingdom roundup happened. Did Noah and his sons spend years collecting all the animals?  In reality the creation, along with Noah, was doing just as God had commanded.  There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals – God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the ark.  Often we do just the opposite of Noah.  We worry about details over which we have no control, while neglecting specific areas (such as attitudes, relationships, responsibilities) that are under our control.  Like Noah, concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God.

Can cause us to forfeit peace with God:

And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”  – Genesis 21.7

After repeated promises, a visit by two angels, and the appearance of the Lord himself, Sarah finally cried out with surprise and joy at the birth of her son. Because of her doubt, worry, and fear, she had forfeited the peace she could have felt in God’s wonderful promise to her. The way to bring peace to a troubled heart is to focus on God’s promises.  Trust him to do what he says.

Who could believe that Abraham would have a son at 100 years of age – and live to raise him to adulthood? But doing the impossible is everyday business for God.  Our big problems won’t seem so impossible if we let God handle them.

Can reveal a lack of faith in God’s control:

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. – Psalms 37.8-9

Anger and worry (fretting) are two very destructive emotions. They reveal a lack of faith that God loves us and is in control.  We should not worry; instead, we should trust in God, giving ourselves to him for his use and safekeeping.  When you dwell on your problems, you will become anxious and angry.  But if you concentrate on God and his goodness, you will find peace.  Where do you focus your attention?

Don’t worry if you can’t understand everything:

A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?  – Proverbs 20.24

We are often confused by the events around us. Many things we will never understand; others will fall into place in years to come as we look back and see how God was working.  This proverb counsels us not to worry if we don’t understand everything as it happens.  Instead, we should trust that God knows what he’s doing, even if his timing or design is not clear to us.  See Psalm 37:23 for a reassuring promise of God’s direction in your life.

(The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.  – Proverbs 20.23. “Differing weights” refers to the loaded scales a merchant might use in order to cheat the customers.  Dishonesty is a difficult sin to avoid.  It is easy to cheat if we think no-one else is looking.  But dishonesty affects the very core of a person.  It makes him untrustworthy and untrusting.  It eventually makes him unable to know himself or relate to others.  Don’t take dishonesty lightly.  Even the smallest portion of dishonesty contains enough of the poison of deceit to kill your spiritual life.  If there is any dishonesty in your life, tell God about it now).

(It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. – Proverbs 20.25. To dedicate something meant that you intended to give it as an offering to God.  Dedicated means set apart for religious use.  This proverb points out the evil of making a vow rashly and then reconsidering it.  God takes vows seriously and requires that they be carried out (Deuteronomy 23.21-23).  We often have good intentions when making a vow because we want to show God that we are determined to please him.  Jesus, however, says it is better not to make promises to God because he knows how difficult they are to keep (Matthew 5.33-37).  If you still feel it is important to make a vow, make sure that you weigh the consequences of breaking that vow.  (In Judges 11, Jephthah made a rash promise to sacrifice the first thing he saw on his return home.  As it happened, he saw his daughter first.)  It is better not to make promises than to make them and then later want to change them.  It is better still to count the cost beforehand and then to fulfil them.  (For a list of other Bible people who made rash vows, see the chart in Judges 11).

Its ill effects:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  – Matthew 6.25

Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry may (1) damage your health, (2) cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, (3) disrupt your productivity, (4) negatively affect the way you treat others, and (5) reduce your ability to trust in God.  How many ill effects of worry are you experiencing?  Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern – worry immobilises, but concern moves you to action.

(“No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money. – Matthew 6.24. Jesus says we can have only one master.  We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money.  They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind.  Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters.  Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about.  Don’t fall into the materialistic trap, because “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6.10).  Can you honestly say that God, and not money, is your master?  One test is to ask which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and efforts.   … Jesus contrasted heavenly values with earthly values when he explained that our first loyalty should be to those things that do not fade, cannot be stolen or used up, and never wear out.  We should not be fascinated with our possessions, lest they possess us.  This means we may have to do some cutting back if our possessions are becoming too important to us.  Jesus is calling for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen what is eternal and lasting).

Difference between planning & worrying:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6.34

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference.  Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God’s guidance.  When done well, planning can help alleviate worry.  Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God.  They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God.  Don’t let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

(But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6.33. To “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” means to turn [map] to God for help, to fill your thoughts with his desires, to take his character for your pattern, and to serve and obey him in everything.  What is really important to you?  People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority.  Any of these can quickly push God out of first place if you don’t actively choose to give him first place in every area of your life).

Holy Spirit helps us stop:

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. – Matthew 10.19-20

Jesus told the disciples that when arrested for preaching the gospel, they should not worry about what to say in their defence – God’s Spirit would speak through them. This promise was fulfilled in Acts 4.8-14 and elsewhere.  Some mistakenly think this means we don’t have to prepare to present the gospel because God will take care of everything.  Scripture teaches, however, that we are to make carefully prepared, thoughtful statements (Colossians 4.6).  Jesus is not telling us to stop preparing but to stop worrying.

(“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. – Matthew 10.17, 18. Later the disciples experienced these hardships (Acts 5.40; 12.1-2), not only from without (governments, courts), but also from within (friends, family; 10.21).  Living for God often brings persecution, but with it comes the opportunity to tell the good news of salvation.  In times of persecution, we can be confident because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16.33).  And those who stand firm to the end will be saved (10.22)).

Other ways to resist:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God [Wall] feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  – Luke 12.22-34

Jesus commands us not to worry. But how can we avoid it?  Only faith can free us from the anxiety caused by greed and covetousness.  It is good to work and plan responsibly; it is bad to dwell on all the ways our planning could go wrong.  Worry is pointless because it can’t fill any of our needs; worry is foolish because the Creator of the universe loves us and knows what we need.  He promises to meet all our real needs, but not necessarily all our desires.

(Seeking the kingdom of God means making Jesus the Lord and King of your life. He must control every area – your work, play, plans, relationships.  Is the kingdom only one of your many concerns, or is it central to all you do?  Are you holding back any areas of your life from God’s control?  As Lord and Creator, he wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what he provides).

(Money seen as an end in itself quickly traps us and cuts us off from both God and the needy. The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can use for God’s purposes, not how much we can accumulate for ourselves.  Does God’s love touch your wallet?  Does your money free you to help others?  If so, you are storing up lasting treasures in heaven.  If your financial goals and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God, sell what you must to bring your life into perspective).

(If you concentrate your money in your business, your thoughts will centre on making the business profitable. If you direct it towards other people, you will become concerned with their welfare.  Where do you put your time, money, and energy?  What do you think about most?  How should you change the way you use your resources in order to reflect kingdom values more accurately?).

Most will seem trivial in the future:

Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. – Luke 22.24

The most important event in human history was about to take place, and the disciples were still arguing about their prestige in the kingdom! Looking back, we say, “This was no time to worry about status.”  But the disciples, wrapped up in their own concerns, did not perceive what Jesus had been trying to tell them about his approaching death and resurrection.  What are you major concerns today?  Twenty years from now, as you look back, will these worries look petty and inappropriate?  Take your eyes off yourself and get ready for Christ’s coming into human history for the second time.

(The world’s system of leadership is very different from leadership in God’s kingdom. Worldly leaders are often selfish and arrogant as they claw their way to the top.  (Some kings in the ancient world gave themselves the title “Benefactor”.)  But among Christians, the leader is to be the one who serves best.  There are different styles of leadership – some lead through public speaking, some through administering, some through relationships – but every Christian leader needs a servant’s heart.  Ask the people you lead how you can serve them better).

Turn your worries into prayers:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God [Wall]. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4.6-7

Imagine never being “anxious about anything”! It seems like an impossibility – we all have worries at work, in our homes, at school.  But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers.  Do you want to worry less?  Then pray more!  Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.

(God’s peace is different from the world’s peace (see John 14.27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or in good feelings.  It comes from knowing that God is in control.  Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin.  Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety.)

(Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. – Philippians 4.5. We are to be gentle (reasonable, fair minded, and charitable) to those outside the church, and not just to fellow believers.  This means we are not to seek revenge against those who treat us unfairly, nor are we to be too vocal about our personal rights.)

(Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. – Philippians 4.8. What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions.  Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams?  Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, films, and magazines.  Replace harmful input with wholesome material.  Above all, read God’s word and pray.  Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure.  It takes practice, but it can be done.)

(Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practicum. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4.9. It’s not enough to hear or read the word of God, or even to know it well.  We must also put it into practice.  How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said.  How easy it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently.  How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning.  Exposure to God’s word is not enough.  It must lead to obedience.)