It amazes me how much can nag at me in the back of my mind:

– “You’d better consider this scary possibility!”

– “Have you thought of what might happen if….”

– “What if this situation never changes?”

– “How will you deal with life if that happens?”

– “Maybe your friend is betraying you, not honest, talking about you behind your back.”

– “Is she taking advantage of me?”

– “Why would he be so mean to me? Did I do something?”

– “This hurtful thing is in the past, but when I think of it, it’s almost comforting.”

– “What he did was not right. That’s terrible.”

– “You’d better get on that right now. If you don’t, bad things will happen.”

– “The doctor said that, but I’m not sure she understood all your symptoms. I don’t trust her.”

– “The plumber said we need new pipes. Maybe he’s just saying that to make more money.”

– “My needs aren’t being met. What can I do to make sure they are?”

Being worried, concerned, anxious, ill-at-ease, and feeling unsettled are common to us these days. God tells me in His Word that I don’t need to be worried . . . about anything! How can this be? Isn’t that part of my job as a human? Wouldn’t I be negligent as a mom if I didn’t worry at least a little about my child? Wouldn’t that testify that I don’t care? If I don’t worry when my kid is in the ER, something would be wrong with me. Right?!

In Luke chapter 12, I am reminded SEVEN times not to worry, be anxious, or be afraid. This is GOD telling me how to behave! He even goes so far as to give reasons why we shouldn’t worry.

1. Don’t fear what humans can do to your physical body. There’s no need to worry about physical safety from torture, for instance. People can kill your body, but that’s all they can do. (v. 4).

2. Don’t be afraid that God doesn’t see you or care. You are valuable to Him! (vv. 6-7).

3. Don’t worry how to defend yourself when faced with persecution, accusations, and condemnation. The Spirit will aid you (vv. 11-12).

4. Don’t worry about your daily life – what to eat, what to wear. God takes care of you (v. 22).

5. Don’t worry about anything! You have no control of the tiniest parts of your life! (vv. 25-26).

6. Don’t be anxious about striving to meet your own needs. God knows! (vv. 29-30).

7. Don’t be afraid in seeking God’s kingdom. The Father delights to give it to you (vv. 31-32).

My worry doesn’t change anything for the better. It might make me feel somewhat productive, like I’m busy doing what’s expected of me by other humans anyway! But by worrying, I can’t add one minute to my lifespan (or anyone else’s). I can’t change someone by worrying. God asks me: “If you can’t do these small things, why should you worry about anything else?” Which leads me to remember that adding one minute to a lifespan IS easy for the Lord! He called it easy!

What it comes down to is this: My Father knows what I need. I’m to seek Him, His kingdom, and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33), and He’ll provide ALL I need. In fact, He delights to give it to me!

Thoughts from Luke 12 (CSB)