The stock market, the housing market, the economy - it seems like everything is going down except the unemployment rate! During these hard economic times, I’ve heard one particular Scripture verse quoted more than any other:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Is Scripture really telling us not to worry? I mean, how can you avoid it? Things are looking tough, but most Christians continue to fearlessly misquote this single verse of Scripture. That’s right, I said misquote.
This verse is a great example of the importance of biblical context. You can’t pull a single verse out of the Bible without examining the other verses before and after it to know its true meaning. This verse is no different. Let’s read Matthew 6:33, the verse right before this famous “don’t worry” quote.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given unto you.”
Most Christians want to put the cart before the horse when it comes to worrying. We want to enjoy the promises of Scripture when it comes to worry, but we aren’t willing to pay the price. The Bible says that before we can be worry-free about the world and everything around us, we have to be willing to seek God’s will for our lives first. It is only then that we can approach life’s ups and downs with confidence that God is in total control of our lives and everything around us.
Here’s what I think- If you aren’t giving everything over to God, including your life, then there is no verse in Scripture that can calm your nerves. The world is a tough and ruthless place, and apart from Christ there is no hope. Scripture says that Jesus’ burden is light and his yoke is easy. Isn’t it time to stop worrying about the bad news and let God handle it?
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