A QUESTION OF FAITH
With Rev David Spriggs of Hinckley Baptist Church ‘STOP worrying!’ That’s a useless command, if ever there was one!
But sometimes it’s very tempting to say it. When our teenagers are awaiting their exam results and the tension mounts as the day for the results draws near, and extreme behaviour kicks in, for instance. Worrying can’t make any difference to the outcome but… I remember worrying myself because so much seemed to be at stake; my whole future would be destroyed. How would I face my friends if I’d messed up?
In that, and similar situations, like medical examinations or whether I would get the job, it is almost impossible to stop worrying when someone says ‘stop!’
Jesus was rather more subtle. He says: ‘And why do you worry…?’ So why do we? It’s partly the personality we have; we can do little to change that. Then, worrying is not that different from ‘contingency planning’ or ‘health and safety assessments’. In such contexts the ability to face up to possible dangers and negative outcomes is a spur to avoid them. So it can sometimes be a good thing.
But we all know that worrying can be negative. It can generate health problems and paralysis – the inability to think or act appropriately. We can end up alienating the very people we need to support us.
Jesus had a lot to worry about! But he implies that if we can get close enough to God, we don’t need to worry. Jesus trusted God so deeply that even though terrible things would happen to him, he believed God would support him and sort it. And God did just that. But for many of us, that’s a very tough antidote.
So maybe one of Jesus’ followers can help us here. Paul had been flogged and locked in a dark prison. But he and his friend Silas, instead of allowing worry to overwhelm then, started to thank God for all the good things God did for people. Amazingly an earthquake occurred and the jailer started to look after them, dressing their wounds and feeding them.
It didn’t always work out in such an obvious way but out of that kind of experience he told people in his churches not to worry but give thanks to God in all circumstances.
Counter-intuitive it may sound, but it helps. It takes our minds off our problems (real or imagined) and it builds connections with God and helps to strengthen our feeble faith.
We realise we aren’t alone with our worries and that there is a resource big enough even for our challenges.
It’s worth a try!