Worry never helps. Nonetheless, the most useless advice in the world is “don’t worry”. It just leads a person to worry more. Better to replace worry with something else. You can replace worry with trust in God.
There are alternatives to trusting God, but none of them are adequate. Some people do not trust in anything. They live in continual anxiety, maybe even despair, expecting the worst possible scenario, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some people trust in themselves. It is good to be self-reliant and to take responsibility for one’s life, but it has its limits. Eventually we come to the end of ourselves. Some people trust in other people. It is good to have healthy relationships, but again there is a limit. You don’t want to live for the praise or approval of others. You can’t expect other people to rescue you. In the end, trusting God is the best choice.
There are benefits to trusting God. One benefit is that you find strength to endure the difficult seasons of life. When you trust God, you tap into a source of strength you need. Hanging onto the Lord is a way of hanging in there. Another benefit is that when you trust in God you are more likely to live a productive life. When we are free from undue worry, we are also freed to live out the purpose for our lives.
In our sermon this Sunday, we are going to look at the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,” and we will talk about replacing worry with trust.