WHAT FEAR AND WORRY SAY ABOUT US

 

Our behavior always says something about us. For instance, there are reasons why we fear and worry, although we know we shouldn’t. As God’s children, there are subtle reasons behind our worries and fears.

1)    We worry because we don’t care to obey God. If we care to obey Him, we will not worry after He tells us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). And “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6). “Don’t worry” is a command to be obeyed.

2)    We worry and fret because we don’t trust God. If we did, we’d believe His Word: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” If we trusted Him, we could say with confidence, “‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6). We worry because we are not sure we can trust Him 100% of the time.

3)    We worry because we so quickly forget His goodness in the past. The Israelites did the exact same thing in the wilderness over and over again. After God had met a need, you’d expect them to remember it the next time a need arose, but they didn’t. Instead, they resorted to murmuring and complaining. When they refused to go into the Promised Land because of fear, God said to Moses: “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?” (Numbers 13:11). One could hear the frustration God felt in His response. And sadly, we are no better than they were. We have the Scriptures in hand, the recorded Israeli experience, and yet we worry as if our God were dead, powerless, or uncaring.

 

It's okay to care and be concerned about an issue because the concern is what will drive us to pray. However, it is not okay to worry! Let’s stop worrying so much, and instead, focus on expressing gratitude for the past and the ongoing goodness we enjoy.  

At this point, we need to pray and confess our lack of faith and ingratitude, and how we insult God’s goodness through our behavior. We need to focus a lot on God’s promises and His faithfulness in His dealings with us in the past. He is the same yesterday and today and forever!