Dealing with our Feelings: Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to take 100 people." Death replied. "That's horrible!" the man said. "That's the way it is." Death said. "That's what I do." The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death's plan. As evening fell, he met Death again. "You told me you were going to take 100 people," the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?" "I kept my word," Death responded. "I only took 100 people. Worry took the others."

Dr. Charles Mayo, the founder of the Mayo Clinic, wrote this about worry: "Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the digestive system, and the entire nervous system. I've never known a person to die of overwork, but many who died from worry." Our English word "worry" is derived from the old German word "wurgen", meaning "to choke." The term has come to be used to denote "mental strangulation" to describe the harmful effects of worry.

Someone has said that, "Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength." Worry robs us of things that are important in life. We lose our joy, our energy, our peace, and at times, even our health.

Tonight as we continue our look at how to deal with our feelings, we want to consider worry and how to deal with it.

I. Introduction.

II. What's Wrong With Worry? Mt. 6:25-34

III. Overcoming Worry By Faith

Once again, the choice is ours. We can choose to worry and fret over things that are out of our control or we can exercise faith in God. Are you trusting in Him tonight? Or are we allowing the enemy to rob us of our joy and peace?

Are we fearful of things that we have no control over?

As children bring there broken toys With tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God Because He was my friend But then, instead of leaving Him In peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help With ways that were my own At last I snatched them back and cried, "How can you be so slow?" "My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go." -- Unknown Author