Let’s turn in our Bibles to the Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Chapter 6, beginning at the 25th verse. Matthew 6, verse 25.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Heavenly Father, comfort the hearts of your people with the truth of your Word, that all the cares and troubles of life may press us nearer to you, and prepare us for the eternal comfort of our heavenly home; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Do you ever worry? We all worry about some things, some of the time. But some of us are prone to worry. We are bona fide worriers. Our mind runs and races. Feelings of dread swell up inside us. And it doesn’t help when people just say, “Ah, don’t worry about it.” Because at some level, worrying isn’t a choice. There are some worries that are intrusive. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, involuntary ideas that pop into our mind, causing distress.
For some people, these intrusive thoughts and feelings are a constant battle, and some people may even have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Someone with an anxiety disorder is plagued by the emotional state of fear, worry, or excessive apprehension. They may experience symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, impaired concentration, irritability, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep. These symptoms may wax and wane, but they have a chronic course and can dramatically affect someone’s quality of life. The American Psychological Association says that anxiety disorders are now among the most common mental health problems in the United States.
As Christians who believe that God made the whole person, and who believe that the whole person is broken and affected by the fall, we need to be aware of these issues and sensitive to them when coming to a passage like Matthew 6, which says, “Do not be anxious about your life”—or as some translate it, “Do not worry about your life.”
We especially need to be aware of these things, because there are some of us who are not worriers. You probably know someone who is not a worrier. And these people can be very frustrating to the worriers. Because the smoke alarm can be going off, the sink can be overflowing, the bank account can be nearly empty, and the non-worriers will just doddle along like nothing is happening.
If you’re a non-worrier, you need to be especially sensitive and compassionate when it comes to Matthew 6. Because it’s really easy for you to say, “Look, Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry,’ ‘Don’t be anxious,’ so just stop it. Just stop worrying. It’s that simple.” Well, it’s not that simple. Because not everyone has had the same experiences, and not everyone’s brain works the same way. And it’s actually quite arrogant and mean for you to talk down to someone just because their struggles are different than yours.
We need to stop over-spiritualizing things and remember that God made us as whole persons, body, mind, and spirit. Sometimes anxiety can be the result of a physical or chemical issue, like a hormone imbalance, or an overactive thyroid, or even a respiratory disorder or cardiovascular disorder or metabolic disorder or neurological disorder. And if you tell someone with those struggles, “Just don’t worry—just get over it”—well, they might be more sanctified than you’ll ever be, but they aren’t going to be able to flip the switch.
I believe that Jesus knew that, and I don’t believe that what he’s saying here is “Thou shalt not ever have feelings of worry or anxiety, or thou hast sinned.”
In fact, you might be a worrier if that’s how you read it—if you read Jesus’s words, “Do not worry,” and the first thing that you do is start to worry about not worrying! “Oh my word… Jesus said ‘Don’t worry,’ and so if I worry, I’m disobeying Jesus, and that means I’m sinning, and what if I can’t stop worrying… that means I can’t stop sinning… and that means I’m a sinner and I’m going to go to hell.”
Those are the kind of mind games that we can play with ourselves, and Satan loves that—I mean, the more he can get us to operate in that gear, the happier he is. You see, anxiety or an anxiety disorder may not be a spiritual problem at its root, but it very often has a toxic effect on our spiritual lives. Romans 14:17 says that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” And anything that Satan can do to rob us of that, well, he’s going to be quite pleased with himself.
Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you this morning that Matthew 6:25–34 doesn’t come from the mouth of a harsh taskmaster who is saying, “You better not worry or I’m going to be mad at you!” No, it’s coming from one who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Isaiah said, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” That’s the Jesus who spoke the words from our passage this morning.
Psalm 147 says “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” “He remembers”—he remembers and never forgets—“that we are dust.” “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” “His mercies never come to an end.”
And so to you worriers, Jesus says, “Do not be anxious my child… do not worry, my beloved one. You are more valuable to me than all the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and my Father cares even for them. Your life is about more than food and clothing and finances and even health and length of days. Worrying won’t change your circumstances, anyway. By my help, by my grace, focus instead on my kingdom of righteousness, joy, and peace; seek to be everything that God wants you to be, and to be a light to others; and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Now, I’m not ignoring verse 32, where Jesus says that the Gentiles seek after food and drink and clothing. And I’m not ignoring verse 30, where Jesus has a gentle rebuke for those of “little faith” who are consumed with these things. There is a kind of worrying that can arise from a worldly mindset that’s preoccupied with the present age. And there is a kind of anxiety that can arise from a lack of faith or trust that God can or will provide for us. We do need to be open to that possibility—that maybe we need to be more detached from worldly concerns, and that our faith needs to be stronger.
But as you’re searching your heart in those ways, don’t forget the other truths that we’ve discussed. God has grace for you as you learn to fight the good fight against worry and anxiety. It’s a process. As the songwriter says,
Learning to lean
Learning to lean
I’m learning to lean on Jesus
Not, “Hallelujah, I got saved and automatically leaned on Jesus and have completely and perfectly leaned on him every moment since.” “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus”—yes. But “O for grace to trust Him more!”
I don’t think of myself as a worrier, there’s a lot of things that I don’t worry about, but there are a few things that can make me pretty anxious. There are things that “trigger” me, and can send me into a spiral. And it’s taken me years to learn how to manage those feelings in a healthier way. And I’m still learning. We’re all in this battle together.
And so I want to conclude with four points of practical advice for dealing with worry and anxiety in your life.
First, if it’s severe, contact a healthcare professional. There may be physiological components that need to be diagnosed and treated, or deep-rooted issues that need to be searched out with a counselor. None of us are above needing help, and it’s actually a sign of Christian maturity and healthy spirituality when we acknowledge our need and seek help.
Second, when you start worrying or feeling anxious, try to tell yourself a different story than the one that your brain’s telling you. Sometimes our brain starts getting away from us, like a runaway rail car. It says, “Something is going to go wrong. I can feel it. I know other people handle these things fine, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something important and everything will fall apart because of me. Even if nothing bad has happened yet, it’s only a matter of time. I should have prepared more. I should be doing more. Why can’t I just calm down?” When a story like that starts to gain momentum in your head, try to switch railroad tracks. Remind yourself of the story that Jesus tells about you: “God sees me. I am valuable to God. I am more valuable to him than all the beautiful birds and lilies. He is my Father. He provides for me. He will take care of me. He will not leave or forsake me. And so by his grace, I will cast my cares upon him, for he cares for me. I will focus on his kingdom and his righteousness today. I will focus on how to be more like Jesus and how to make Jesus known to someone else.”
Third, memorize and rehearse Scripture. Memorize psalms of comfort. Psalm 23… Psalm 27… Psalm 34… Psalm 46… and so on. Say those psalms over and over and over again.
Fourth, pray openly and honestly when you’re struggling. Sometimes when we’re struggling, that’s when we are the least likely to pray! We think God doesn’t want to hear about our struggles. Well, go read the Psalms. Wow. The Psalmist didn’t mince words: “I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief.” “I am lonely and afflicted.” “How long must I have sorrow in my heart all the day?” “My soul is greatly troubled.” “I am feeble and crushed… My heart throbs, my strength fails me… I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.” I could go on and on. These are words of Scripture.
And so maybe you start by saying, “Heavenly Father, something is going to go wrong. I can feel it. It’s only a matter of time.” But if you are intentionally involving God in your worst feelings and your intrusive thoughts, that’s already a step in the right direction.
Fifth and finally, sing. Birds don’t have insurance policies or five-year plans, but they still sing every morning. And like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, God can help us to sing even in the worst circumstances. God gave us the gift of music to be a balm for our souls. Even Saul, when he was afflicted by an evil spirit, was soothed by David’s music.
In the catechism book, there are two hymns that are recommended for regular use at Evening Prayer, and I encourage you to memorize them and soak in their words. Be Still My Soul, and Abide With Me. They’ve ministered to me many times over the last year.
Abide with me; fast falls the even-tide;
the darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Be still my soul! The Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul! Thy best, thy heav’nly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Glory be to Jesus Christ.
Glory forever!
