When Worry Says, “It’s All Up To Me”

Text: Matthew 6:24-34

In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Whether we realize it or not, much of our life is dominated by worry and fear. In fact, worry and fear are so embedded in our culture and way of thinking that we often go about our days without even realizing it.

Now, just to be clear, we're not talking about that kind of nervous feeling that you get before having to make a public speech. We are also not talking about butterflies in the stomach. And finally, we are not talking about the kind of fear that you get from watching a scary movie. These kinds of worry and fear are easy to identify. Instead, we are talking about the kind of worry, fear, and dread that subtly divides our minds and replaces faith.

Now, Jesus talks about this kind of worry in our reading from the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 6, Jesus describes what happens when worry, fear, and dread take over: our minds become divided by many thoughts.  For example, we begin to think about what we will eat, what we will wear, where we will sleep, and so forth. In other words, when worry and fear displace faith, we begin to take inventory of all of our resources. 

Practically speaking, what this looks like is this: Worry about the future sets in, and so to offset this worry or perhaps to try to control this worry, we run to our bank accounts to see if we have enough money; we look in our freezers to see if we have enough food; we look at our property, our house, and resources to see if we are secure enough. We may even go to the doctor to get extra prescription medication; we may begin to stockpile extra materials for all the just-in-case scenarios. And then at night we stay up thinking about all the different worst-case situations. We make backup plans. And then we have backup plans to backup plans. That is correct: we imagine all the worst-case scenarios that could happen, and we try to offset the worry and anxiety with our resources, our plans, and our so-called ability to control our lives.

Dear friends, please listen carefully, though: two things are very problematic about this. 

First, when fear of future calamity and worry about potential threats set in, they capture you and pull you out of the present. So, instead of living within the present reality of the blessings God has bestowed on you, you begin to live in reaction to things that have not yet happened and may never happen. That’s right: when faith gives way to fear, your mind is pulled away from what is actually before you and your mind is carried into a future realm of possibility, where the worst-case scenario begins to dominate your thoughts. And when that happens, you are no longer seeing life as it actually is. You are no longer seeing the blessings God has placed before you right now. Instead, you are reacting to an imagined future as though it were already reality. You are living in a different reality – disconnected from the present reality right before you.  

Secondly, when fear takes you captive and your thoughts become dominated by worry, you begin to lose sight of the people around you. Tragically, worry and fear have a way of putting blinders on you and me. They turn our eyes, our attention, our emotions, and even our thoughts inward, so that more and more we become focused upon ourselves—our needs, our safety, our future, and our ability to hold everything together. And when that happens, well… life can become extremely lonely.

Again, the reason for this is that fear and worry take our eyes off the present blessings that God has placed before us. They make us forget the people around us. They make us forget the help God provides through our neighbors. And even worse, when we become trapped in the bondage of fear and worry, we begin to believe that all of life depends upon us.

That is right: when fear grabs hold of you and worry dominates your thoughts, you begin to believe the lie that everything is up to you to control—that you must manage everything by your own resources, your own wisdom, and your own strength. No wonder fear and worry make us so tired and depressed. We begin carrying burdens that were never ours to carry. We forget that the Lord God provides for us in every need, and we forget that He often provides for us through the neighbors He has placed around us in Christian love.

Dear friends, this kind of fear and worry is sin. It is the opposite of faith. Worry looks at tomorrow and says, 

“Everything depends upon me.” 

Faith looks to the Father and says, 

“Everything rests in His hands.” 

Worry trusts our resources, our plans, and our ability to control. Faith receives the promises of God. And when worry wins the day, we become increasingly curved inward—fearful, bitter, reactionary, and exhausted 

So, what shall we do with all of this worry, fear, and dread?  In a word – we need to knock it off.  You who worry need to stop acting like a pagan unbeliever.  Yes, you and I need to stop believing that there is no God and that we are all alone in this life with no future hope.     

You see, worrying makes sense if you are a pagan. Worrying makes sense if you do not believe in a loving God. Worry makes sense if you have no assurance of the forgiveness of sins and no hope of the resurrection of the dead.

But dear friends, hear the good news: Christ has carried this sin. He has bled for your worry, your fear, your dread, and your failure to trust your heavenly Father. All of it was carried by Christ to the cross. And so, for the sake of Christ, your fear is forgiven. Your worry is forgiven. Your unbelief and dread are forgiven.

You are not a pagan without hope. You are not abandoned to yourself. You are baptized into Christ.

And so, for you, as a Christian, worry, dread, and fear do not make sense. What is there to fear when you are baptized into the One who has conquered eternal death? What is there to worry about when you have a loving Father in heaven who has given you food, drink, clothing, and all that you need? What is there to dread about the future when your future is already certain—the tomb is empty, and you await the resurrection of the dead and a new heaven and a new earth?

Now, please understand that we are not talking about carelessness here. We are not talking about singing, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and then becoming a lazy bum. Nor are we advocating some naïve approach to life where nothing matters and we simply shrug our shoulders at everything and everyone.

Instead, listen to what Christ says about the birds of the air. They do not worry or hoard, and yet they still work and gather their food. In the same way, Christians are called to be faithful in their vocations. We work, we serve, and we endure the trials that come. But we need not become consumed by worry. No, faith leaves tomorrow to the Lord God. Faith rests in His goodness and faithfully attends to what the Lord has given us to do, saying,

“I shall faithfully do what God has commanded me to do, and entrust the outcome entirely to Him.”

Baptized Saints, listen up: the Lord God has taken care of you and me, and He will continue to do so unto the end of the age.  Even if we are threatened on every side – even if we face death – the Lord will hold you sure and true.  

So you need not worry about tomorrow today. You need not be pulled into a thousand imagined futures. You need not carry the weight of the world upon your shoulders. Your Father already knows tomorrow, and tomorrow belongs to Him.

Therefore, receive today as a gift. Do the work God has placed before you. Serve the neighbor He has placed beside you. Receive your daily bread with thanksgiving. And when tomorrow finally comes, receive tomorrow from the very same Father who has cared for you today.

You have a Father who loves you. You have a Savior who has redeemed you. And you have a future that has already been secured in Christ – the hope of the resurrection.

Baptized Saints, do not be anxious about tomorrow. Tomorrow belongs to your Father. And you belong to Christ.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.