The Pinch of Worry

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 than food, and the body more than clothes?
Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

So many people live with constant worry that is negatively affecting their health and tempting then to live with far too deep a sense of insecurity.

It’s obvious that people these days are uneasy. They are edgy, disquieted, unsettled about almost everything, ranging from dealing with personal identity all the way to fear of future events. We are a worried people.

Worry is everywhere. It’s straining theological thought. It’s frustrating the pursuit of individual dreams. It’s creating limitations and making imaginative leaps of faith. It’s unsettling many people’s deep core convictions. It’s bringing conflicts to human exchanges and relationships.

But Jesus gave us comforting words that can be summarized like this: “Do not worry about your life. Don’t worry about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about how you will clothe your body. Living is about more than merely eating, and the body is about more than dressing up. Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow, nor do they reap, and yet they’re always fed because your Heavenly Father feeds them. You are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you.”

Worrying does no good. The image of worry that the original Greek text gives is of being pinched all day long.

If you trust that God has promised to take care of your needs…

If you trust that He was part of the imagination that created you…

If you believe He will be there to receive you when your life reaches its finality…

If you believe that He’s preparing rooms for you in the kingdom of heaven...

If you believe that He can prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies…

If you believe that He answers prayers and makes ways for you…

If you know that He is a hedge of protection around you…

…then here’s what He says: “Do not worry about your life.”

Through our relationship with Jesus, He inserts His presence, His power, and His promises in our lives—particularly in places where we are restless, overly concerned, disquieted, and feeling like our emotions, experiences, and encounters are pinching us.

Here’s what God wants us to understand: worrying doesn’t weigh as much when you know what you are worth to God. When you realize just how valuable you are to Him, you won’t feel the need to worry about anything.