Why we should not worry

"An anxious heart weights a man down" (Proverb 12:25).

Anxiety also steals emotional peace and removes spiritual assurance.

The Bible reminds us why we should not worry :

Firstly, worry is foolish (Luke 12:22-24).  It is falling into the folly of the rich fool who believed that his life consisted of his possessions.  But life is more than food and clothes, and God has promised us that He will care for us, much more so than He does for His creatures, the birds.  To worry is foolishly to forget that we are God's valued children and He is our loving Father.

Secondly, worry is futile (Luke 12:25-28)

Worry can shorten life, but it can not lengthen it - and God who gives beauty to the fields will not strip us bare.  Anxiety denies the care of God - and all to no effect.  So the alternative is not to be "careless" but "trust-full".  A little bit of reflection helps us to recognize that most worry is about things that can't be changed (the past), things that can't be controlled (the present), or things that might not happen (the future).

Thirdly, worry is faithless (Luke 12:29-31).

To be absorbed with physical and personal needs is ultimately to be captured by unbelief.  If the  gospel is really true, our lives should be different qualitatively from the lives of pagans.

Worry is the product of an inadequate understanding of our Father.  He is the One who knows, cares, and acts.  The way we look at God determines the way we will look at life, and this will determine what we worry about.

Our great need is to worry about the right thing.  That is, to seek His kingdom.  We do not refrain from worrying.  We replace concern about secondary things with concern about the primary thing.  Only His kingdom is worthy of our ultimate concern.

[Extract from "Jesus' parables about money" by Gary Inrig]