Worrying Displeases God

Stress and worry are big indicators of our quality of life next to our health and well being.  Yet many of us are worried about many factors in our life.  While many people are stressed and anxious over their dwindling finances and the world’s events, others are consumed with health issues, children, or other worldly cares.  These circumstances can seem catastrophic to many.  Nonetheless, it is consuming your waking and perhaps your sleeping hours.  Whatever it may be, God is trying to get your attention.  This is the time to submit to God and listen to what He is trying to tell you through these circumstances.  Be still for a moment and let the world pass by as you listen to God’s Spirit speaking to you… 

Signs of Worry/Stress

1 – Lack of sleep

2 – Weight gain/loss

3 – Health Issues

4 – Constantly thinking or talking about the problem

5 – Visible anxiety, anger, depression

6 – Inability to enjoy life

7 – Inability to relax and unwind

Matthew 6:25-27
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ...

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We don’t add another day to our lives by worrying.  The thief comes to steal our joy, peace, and well-being.  He wants to rob us of what God has already given us.  Worrying about our problems displeases God because it shows our lack of trust in Him.  It illustrates just how little we know Him, but ultimately, it shows Him that when the going gets tough, we really don’t lean on Him.

Worrying tells God

1 – I don’t trust You

2 – My problem is bigger than you

3 – You don’t understand

4 – You cannot fix my problem

5 – I have to carry my own problems and figure out how to fix it

6 – I don’t believe you really want me to be happy (Ouch!)

We can actually hinder God’s blessings by stubbornly and willfully acting on our own behalf apart from Him.  We think we are solving our own problems, but sometimes we make our problems even bigger by following our own will.

Years ago, I looked to other things or people to solve problems.  I have even gone so far as to look for worldly solutions away from God for some of my problems.  I can honestly say that my problems were not completely solved until I finally gave it to God and submitted myself to His Sovereign will.

Luke 12:28-30

If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We can’t please God if we don’t trust Him and have faith in His goodness.  God’s thoughts of us outnumber the grains of sand on the beach.  They are all wonderful thoughts of our future and the blessings He wants to shower us with, but we need to invite Him in when we are distressed and get out of His way to activate His blessings.  Many of us, myself included; didn’t think that God really cared about what mattered to me.  He couldn’t possibly be bothered with the personal details that make me happy.  I was wrong! 

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is like the doting Daddy who sits and stoops in a tiny chair to have tea with His precious daughter because she persuaded Him to join her Tea Party.  She delights in pouring make believe tea for her Daddy just to have him around.  He will drink air from a tiny tea cup to just to have personal time with us and listen to our every idea.  God is that affectionate and personal with us if we only slow down long enough and allow Him to!

Late last year He orchestrated a weekend excursion in Monterey, California to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I was blown away by the details and the blessings that manifested over that weekend.  I still have tears in my eyes when I talk about it and remember how good God is.  To be honest, I was hesitant to attend my friend’s birthday celebration due to financial constraints and my slow recovering back injury, but my friend (The Celebrant) insisted on accommodating me and some other close friends; so I complied.  The details of the weekend were so personal and customized to my tastes and preferences that I felt like I had a personal concierge attending to my innermost wishes.  In the past, I would be the one making all the arrangements for an elaborate weekend such as this, but this time I was the recipient of the most wonderful experiences and Godly moments orchestrated by God for me to enjoy for His Glory.  I could sense His delight in showering me with His goodness and grace to me.  He set for me an elaborate Tea Party that lasted all weekend by the ocean and invited me to sit with Him.  He is that good!

Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

We can glean from Psalm 91 for comfort and gain insights on what to do instead of following our own will and worrying about our problems.  God’s promises and protection are overflowing in this passage, but so are His precepts that we must follow.

God’s Precepts	God’s Blessings/Promise
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High (Dwell in Him)	You will rest in the shadow of the Almighty
You will say, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Trust Him)	- He will save you from the fowler’s snare and deadly pestilence  - He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;   - His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart  - You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday  - You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling (Dwell in Him)	- No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.   - He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  - They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.   - You will tread on the lion and the cobra;  - You will trample the great lion and the serpent
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord (Love Him)	“I will rescue him; I will protect him.”
He acknowledges my name. He will call on me… (Acknowledge His Name) (Call on Him)	- I will be with him in trouble,  - I will deliver him and honor him.  - With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Notice how God’s blessings and promises outweigh what is required of us.  This is how good God is! He wants us to dwell in Him, trust Him, and stay close to Him.

John 15:4

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

The Solutions

1 – Trust Him by placing your problems at His altar (Dwell in Him, Call on Him, Trust Him)

2 – Praise and Worship (Dwell in Him, Love Him, Acknowledge His Name)

Singing worship and giving God praise emits positive energy.  It is scientifically proven that positive energy attracts more positive energy and negative energy attracts more negative energy.  Translate this in the Spirit world: Angels gravitate towards a positive person who is praising and worshipping God.  Demons gravitate towards someone who withdraws, isolates, worries, shows negative emotions, and constantly thinks negative thoughts. 

3 – Prayer (Dwell in Him, Call on Him, Acknowledge His Name)

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

4 – Allow God to work. Trust His Sovereignty (Trust Him, Call on Him, Dwell in Him)

Spend one hour a day working out a solution, then let God take care of it for the next 23 hours.  Once you have done everything you can, wait on God to do the rest.

2 Corinthians 12:9

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

5 – Give God the Glory (Acknowledge Him, Love Him)

God wants to be the Hero in your trials and tribulations.  He allows difficulties to arise so He can show you His power and love.  He wants an intimate relationship with you. Let Him in and allow Him to .

As children of God, we are heirs of God’s riches and glory.  We must not act like paupers in terms of getting our problems solved.  He wants us to trust in His providence and His infinite power.

Romans 8:6

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Sometimes our worry is not the problem at hand, but rather a larger underlying issue that needs to be dealt with.  God uses situations to get our attention on a bigger matter.  Let go and let God resolve the matter and you will find other unrelated issues get resolved.

Worry can also be a source of not knowing God and His character.  If Jesus is not the master of your life and you are not following Him daily, then you are not leaning on the promises that can give you True Peace and Joy.  Without Jesus navigating your life, you have cause to worry.  Without the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, you do not have a built in comforter nor can you dwell in Him. 

The Economic Crisis and the tumultuous events that riddle our days with problems and stressors seem like a fact of life.  As we wait for a reprieve from the upheaval and unrest, He wants us to call on Him.  He will be our rest as He leads us to still waters and refreshes our souls in the midst of chaos.  Now is the time to turn to Him.  I highly recommend attending a Bible study, finding a Bible believing church, and following Him today. This is not a matter to take lightly or to sit on for too long.  The time in Now!  Get right with God today and you will have the peace, joy, and contentment that only Jesus can bring!

Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

The Takeaways

1 – Stress and worry displeases God because He has already provided us the solution for our problems…Himself.

2 – Following our own will and worrying tells God that we don’t trust Him, know Him, or listen to His Words.

3 – Worrying is like telling/asking God, “I’m hungry why aren’t you feeding me?” while sitting in a restaurant with ample food around.

4 – Speaking well of God by giving Him praises not only blesses Him, but does wonders for us and our faith!  Singing Praise and Worship daily also invites God’s Angels to join us and lifts our spirits exponentially.

5 – God is in control.  He allows trials to enter our lives for His sovereign purpose.  He tests us to see where we stand with Him.  Trust in Him, submit and grow. Not passing His tests will hinder you from moving forward.  You could be stuck there for who knows how long…like the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. Pass the test already and move on to the next level!  His blessings are just around the corner.

6 – Psalm 91 gives us clear instructions on how to activate God’s Blessings and Promises.  It is also a Bird’s Eye view of what’s to come in the future…

7 – I highly recommend listening to “Today Is The Day” and “Psalm 91” both performed by Lincoln Brewster.  Available on YouTube and iTunes.