Our worry revolves around five major themes:
- We worry about a DANGEROUS OUTCOME.
- We worry about a THREATENING CONFRONTATION.
- We worry about a SHORTAGE of RESOURCES.
- We worry about our ABILITY.
- We worry about GLOBAL CALAMITY.
At the CORE of our worry is the need to be in CONTROL.
Is God GOOD? Can He be TRUSTED?
Doubt God’s CHARACTER and MOTIVES.
Life will be BETTER when you are in CONTROL.
Cross of Christ.
John 15:13 (NIV)
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.”
We are trying to control LIFE that inevitably ends in DEATH.
1 Corinthians 15:25-28 (NIV)
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”
Acts 4:26-28 (NIV)
“The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”
Isaiah 53: 4-5 (NIV)
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus can carry what is worrying you because He has already carried what was meant to kill you.
You find peace by surrendering your need for control to the one who is actually in control.
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born or you gave birth to the seas, you are God.
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV)
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
- SURRENDER your need to be in charge.
- TRUST that His heart for you is good.
- PLACE in His hands whatever is causing you to worry right now.
- BELIEVE God is good at being in control.