Lesson 8: Worry or Worship

Notes from Laurie's Lecture on Worry or Worship

I. Hear His Voice

Our scripture text for this week was Matthew 6:25-33, specifically verses 25 and 33, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Laurie noted that the “therefore” at the beginning of verse 25 refers back to the passage before it where Jesus tells us that we can’t serve two masters. If we are worried, we may need to check ourselves to make sure we aren’t bowing to something or someone other than Jesus Christ.

II. Know His Heart

1. He has commanded us not to be anxious, worried, or fearful. There are hundreds of verses on not being fearful and worried. Some of them are: Gen. 15:1, Gen. 26:24, Deut. 1:21, Joshua 1:9, Phil. 4:6, Psalm 37:7

2. There is no need to worry. He will never leave us or forsake us. Even when we are unlovely, He is still our faithful Father. Just as we would never abandon our children, He will never abandon us. See Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:7-9, Psalm 23:1

3. Worry and fear are not pleasing to the Lord. Remember that God did not allow the Israelites into the Promised Land because they were afraid that they could not defeat the giants that they saw there, even after he had rescued them from Egypt, caused them to walk through the Red Sea on dry land and destroyed their enemies. He made them wander in the desert for forty years because of their worry and unbelief. Worry is a big deal! It is a sin!

Laurie compared fear of God, which is a godly reverence for Him, and fear of everything else, which is ungodly. There are many scriptures regarding God’s blessing on those that fear Him. However, we are not to fear loss, man, rejection, failure, danger, or even death. Worry is the opposite of faith. Something awesome happens when we choose to worship Him instead of worry.


III. Walk in His Ways

Laurie compared worry and worship as follows:
W: wringing your hands
O: overwhelmed
R: rehearsing scenarios
R: rehearsing more scenarios
Y: your will, your way, your perspective, your strength

W: With us – Remember He is with us and we are his daughters.
O: One purpose - We are called for one purpose: to glorify Him
R: Rejoice, again I say rejoice.
S: Surrender your life, will, children, wants, and way to Him.
H: His Name, His word, His will. Recall who He is!
I: In Him, in the Spirit, We have to abide in him (John 15)
P: Prayerful

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55: 8-9.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” When we let go of our life and trust it to Him, He is glorified!