“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
Introduction
Last week, we began unpacking the powerful truths from Dr. David Jeremiah’s Keep the Faith,
focusing on Jesus’ comforting teachings about worry from the Sermon on the Mount. We
explored how Jesus highlights two key points: worry is inconsistent and worry is irrational.
Through Matthew 6:25, we learned that worry is inconsistent because the same God who
created us and sustains the universe will surely meet our daily needs. Jesus reminded us that if
God takes such care in providing for His creation, how much more will He provide for us, His
beloved children.
We also saw in Matthew 6:26 that worry is irrational, as Jesus pointed to the birds of the air
and assured us that if God feeds even the sparrows—creatures of little value—He will certainly
care for us. The evidence of God’s meticulous love and provision is everywhere, giving us no
reason to doubt His faithfulness.
This week, we’ll continue our journey through these timeless lessons, discovering why worry is
both ineffective and illogical. Let’s dive in together and be reminded of the peace that comes
from trusting in God’s unshakable promises!
3) Worry Is Ineffective
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? — Matthew 6:27
Have you noticed all the units of measure in this passage? It’s fascinating how Jesus deals with
the concept of anxiety by calling on various lengths and weights and values. It’s because when
we deal with worry, we’re dealing with matters of perspective and true worth. So, we have coin
and cubit, hair and sparrow.
A cubit, as Noah knew, comes to about eighteen inches — the length of your forearm, since
rulers and yardsticks were rare in those days. There are two possible interpretations of Jesus’
point here. One is, “Who can sit back in his chair and worry himself a few extra inches in
height?” If that were possible, the implications for basketball would be profound. But it’s not
possible, and I say that with some regret. When I was growing up, I watched the great players
of the NBA and wanted to add a cubit — well, at least a few inches — to my height. I was six
foot one, and I wanted badly to be six five. But no amount of dreaming, no amount of yearning,
could add an inch to my height. Wilt Chamberlain’s and Bill Russell’s jobs were safe.
That interpretation of the verse seems clear, but perhaps Jesus was going a bit deeper. What if
we’re talking about days instead of inches — futures instead of forearms? “Which of you by
worrying,” He might be saying, “can add a day to your life?” The answer, of course, is that we
can’t add a day, an hour, or a flickering moment. Worry divides the mind and multiplies misery.
It subtracts from our happiness. But it never adds.
What if we took a walk through the cemetery in your community and discovered that each
tombstone included a gauge indicating the years of life that person lost through worrying? We
might be amazed. Could it be that some of us take five, ten, or fifteen years off our longevity by
the force of gravity weighing us down with needless anxiety? I’ve known a few of these
individuals. I’ve counseled people who have worried themselves out of this world early, simply
because they couldn’t leave things in God’s hands.
- Worry is the most ineffective use of your time.
A friend of mine told me about visiting his brother, who kept a little white mouse in a cage. The
mouse could climb onto the inside of a big wheel, and as he ran the wheel spun ’round and
’round. My friend’s brother said, “It’s fun to watch this little guy. It’s as if he wakes up and says,
‘Must get on the wheel! Must keep running!’” The average pet mouse, we’re told, will run nine
thousand miles on such a wheel in his lifetime, and he’s still inside the cage.
That’s the way it is with worry — a lifetime of frantic running with no destination. After a while
you run out of the strength God gave you, and you’re still in the cage. “Worrying doesn’t rob
tomorrow of its sorrow,” someone said. “It robs today of its strength.”
4) Worry Is Illogical
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they
neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? — Matthew
6:28–30
We can agree that worry is an unattractive thing, shabby and gloomy and careworn. But what
does lightheartedness look like? Jesus gives us a clue in these verses. Have you walked through
a beautiful garden in the springtime? It’s very difficult to be weighed down by the cares of the
world when you’re surrounded by the majesty of God’s beautiful art. Solomon was a glorious
king, Jesus tells us, with the wealth of several kingdoms at his disposal. But all of his sparkling
finery pales in comparison to the simplest lily that God placed beside your feet.
And how many office hours have those lilies put in? How many dues have they paid? Have you
ever seen a lily suffering through an anxiety attack? They neither toil nor spin. They simply sway
in the breeze, reaching heavenward toward the source of their water and sunshine and
sustenance. They do neither more nor less than they were designed to do, and what they were
designed to do is to glorify God. Would that you and I could glorify God with the simple
eloquence of that little flower.
Yet the greater point is that God values you so much more than a lily. The lily is merely
something He created for your pleasure, for you’re the one that bears His image. If He cares for
each petal or stem that blooms and fades within a season, how much more does He care for
you? How much more does He take to heart the things that cause your anxiety?
He took the answer to that question and displayed it on a cross two thousand years ago. He’d
never suffer and die for the same children He planned to neglect. That’s why worry is illogical,
and that’s why we can press forward toward the finish line with confidence.
Conclusion
As we conclude this reflection on worry, let’s remember the gentle but powerful invitation
Jesus extends to us: to leave our burdens in the hands of our loving Father. Worry accomplishes
nothing—it neither adds a day to our lives nor solves the challenges we face. Instead, it drains
our strength and clouds our view of God’s goodness.
Jesus’ teaching reassures us that our Heavenly Father, who provides for the birds of the air and
adorns the lilies of the field, will never neglect us. We are His treasured creation, worth far
more than the wonders of nature. His care for us is unmatched, and His provision is unfailing.
So, the next time worry creeps in, let us redirect our hearts to Philippians 4:6-7, choosing
prayer over panic, thanksgiving over fear, and trust over anxiety. The peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, is available to guard our hearts and minds when we surrender our
concerns to Him.
May this truth encourage you to replace the hamster wheel of worry with the solid foundation
of faith, resting in the unshakable love and sovereignty of God.
Stay
Blessed!
Please continue to join us on Asempa 94.7 FM – Sundays 5.30 am., Sunny 88.7
FM – Tuesdays 5:30 am; and YFM 107.9 – Sundays 6.30am; for our Radio Bible
Study as well as Sunny FM 88.7 FM every Sunday at 3:30 pm. for Hymns and their Stories.