Matthew 6:34 - “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
John 14:27 - "Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful."
Isaiah 35:4 - "Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The retribution of God will come, but He will save you.”
Faith is not a denial of fear and worry, but rather it is the ability to release our faith by acting on our knowledge of and trust in God, His promises and His Word. If I wait until I’m no longer afraid I’ll just sit here and never do anything, let alone fulfill the calling on my life.
Are you waiting until you’re no longer afraid? What are you afraid of? Death? Embarrassment? Failure? Success? Losing a relationship? Losing a job? What keeps you awake at night?
The Old Testament and New Testament combine for 365 verses that reference one form or another of the “fear not” sentiment. One verse for each day. Hmmmm? Does anyone doubt the truth in Matthew that “Each day has enough trouble of its own.”? Yet, if you’re anything like me, you tend to borrow some issue from tomorrow in order to muddy your emotional waters today. Surely God doesn’t want me to go through life without thinking through my plans and goals for the future of myself and my family? So how do I plan without getting worried about the possible outcomes?
When people talk to me about their fears, one of the most frequently mentioned is the area of personal finance. As an example of that, let’s look at the question most frequently put to me about our collective financial future: what will I do if Social Security fails? A good, and some might say reasonable, question. One I’ve asked myself since I am now on Social Security. The principles of how to deal with fear about this issue can, in my opinion, be applied to most any area of financial concern.
There may be those who take exception with my views on this, but here is what I think our Christian perspective to dealing with this concern should be, these are in no particular order:
- If it runs into problems, what will happen to our society? How will those who are totally dependent on Social Security survive? What will my neighbors, family, friends, co-workers do?
- Is there anything I should be doing to try and make things better? I know my one little vote doesn’t really make a difference, but do I take this into consideration when making my decision for whom I cast my vote?
- Have I done all I could do to take care of my family, regardless of what happens to Social Security? (Quick answer: no. I’ve made financial mistakes and had setbacks, and we are not as well off financially as we otherwise would be. I have to be willing to accept responsibility.)
- Am I currently doing all I can to take care of my family? (Answer: I think so.) Have I learned from experience and adjusted my actions? Can I be more diligent to follow Biblical guidelines as we deal with money?
You may be waiting for my “spiritual” response to this question, so here it is: pray. I’m not talking about praying for Social Security, although that isn’t a bad idea, I’m talking about praying for the things surrounding this question, those upon which I can have some direct impact. “God guide me as I think about my finances, and what to do as a steward of what you have provided.” “God show me where I can influence others to prepare rather than worry.” “God help me to be more grateful than I am fearful, and to realize that You love me and will not abandon me in any way.” “God help me to put aside my guilt and shame over mistakes I’ve made and allow me to instead focus on what is set before me.” “God protect my family from any missteps I may make.” The truth is that the more I pray, about anything not just this, the less I worry about the subject of my prayers.
Early on in my walk with Christ someone told me that the greatest sin is worry. Worry, or fear, is the denial of the power and gift of Christ. I don’t think any of us who are walking with God would consciously choose to deny Christ in this way, but I’m pretty sure all of us do so at one time or another.
God’s Word has a verse for every single day. God understands that we have a lot of fears, and He addresses them. So, what are you afraid of? It is almost as if God knows what we worry about, and that we tend to do it a great deal. As if He knows what you, and I, personally worry about. Go figure, the One who created everything is concerned about our peace and contentment, free from worry.