Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/81

Contributor - Mary Van Essen

Title - Worry

Topic - Worry

Worrying is something that always came naturally to me, and still does if I don't allow God to hold it in check. I invariably found something to be anxious about, and being a student there was always the next assignment lurking around the comer. Now I've graduated. This is the first September in 17 years that I don't have to go back to school. A new chapter of my life is beginning. It seems natural now to worry about getting a job, since jobs in journalism aren't easy to come by. But Philippians 4:6 - 7 says, "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Concern is a healthy, human emotion which everyone experiences at times. But it is wrong to let concerns breed anxieties which take over our thoughts.

Worrying is a habit, and an almost impossible one to break by our own efforts. Worry robs you of your potential beauty both outwardly and inwardly., Its burden puts a frown on your face, fear in your eyes, wrinkles on your forehead and ulcers in your stomach. It affects your mental ability to act wisely and think logically. It engulfs your entire being, leaving you in a truly miserable state.

But the worrier not only causes him-self to be wretched. Worrying is a contagious disease. It often spreads to those with whom the worrier is frequently in contact, causing them, too, to be miserable and worried. In short, the worrier isn't a pleasant person with whom to be associated.

If worrying brought results, there might be some value in it. But it never does; it only makes the situation worse. It is totally useless.

Worst of all, worrying is a sin for the Christian. It is a sign of lack of faith in God. It reduces His omnipotence to feebleness in our minds. The worrier (consciously or subconsciously) thinks that his problems are too big for God to handle. He feels he is on his own and must deal with the problems by his own strength.

Worrying makes us feeble Christians, unable to do God's work. It places a strain on our relationship with God and makes us useless as His witnesses. How can we urge others to place their faith in God when we, ourselves, haven't come to terms with this faith?

For the non-Christian, worrying is natural because he has no Christ to rely on when the going gets tough. But in Matthew 6:25 - 34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our lives and our needs because even the birds and flowers are cared for by God, and we are more precious to Him. As Christians, we don't have a choice about whether or not to worry about something; we are commanded not to worry.

My husband and I have done some camping this summer and have learned some lessons. One of them is that you can't always set out for a weekend of camping and expect to find a spot when you haven't made reservations.

One weekend we set out with another couple on a Friday night from our home in Toronto. It was getting late as we approached our destination on Georgian Bay and the skies looked forbidding. . was worried that we wouldn't be able to pitch the tent and get settled in before darkness and rain beat us to it. On top of that, I had just lost what reputation I had as a good navigator and we were wasting precious minutes retracing our way to the proper route. I could feel the tension building up in me, and the beautiful surrounding scenery was wasted on my eyes. Little did I know at that moment that there wouldn't even be a place to pitch our tent!

It was 11:00 p.m. when we realized that we weren't going to find a campsite that was still vacant and had its gates open. As we pondered what to do, I felt so miserable I just wanted to go home.

I flinched at the thought of going cross country, via indirect routes, to an area southeast of Algonquin Park, as one of our fellow travellers suggested. There his family owned a cottage and we would be sure of a place to stay.

After praying about it, God took away my anxiety and it was replaced with peace. It was decided that we would set out for the cottage. Finally, at 2 PM in the morning, the car pulled into the laneway. We ended up having a wonderful weekend, even greater than our expectations. God does take care of us, often giving us more than we expect if we let Him have control of every aspect of our lives. Things don't always turn out as we would like them to, but we have the comfort of a loving God who knows what's best for us. And we have the hope of better things to come.

It is one thing to know that we should place our faith in God. It is quite another to actually internalize or put into action this knowledge. We must constantly take our concerns to God before they turn into anxieties. He understands us and knows the things which we need . All we have to do is ask for them in faith. In John 16:24, Jesus says, "Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full". It is God's desire that we be full of joy, not anxiety. And we can only be of service to Him and bear fruit if we surrender ourselves and our thoughts to Him in complete faith.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. (Je r. 17:7-8)

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