What God Says About Worrying: Why You Should Stop Worrying and Trust God
Worry is something almost everyone experiences.
We worry about money. We worry about our families. We worry about our jobs, businesses, health, relationships, and future. Sometimes we even worry about things that have not happened and may never happen.
But Jesus gave His followers a powerful message about worry: stop allowing anxiety about tomorrow to control your life and learn to trust your Heavenly Father.
In Luke 12:22, Jesus said:
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” — Luke 12:22 (KJV)
Jesus was not teaching us to become irresponsible or stop planning for the future. He was teaching us not to become consumed by worry.
There is a difference between planning for tomorrow and being afraid of tomorrow.
Jesus Said Life Is More Than What You Are Worried About
Jesus continued:
“The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.” — Luke 12:23 (KJV)
Many of our worries are connected to things we need or desire.
“How will I pay for this?”
“What if my plans fail?”
“What if I lose my job?”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“What will happen tomorrow?”
Jesus reminds us that our lives are bigger than the things causing us anxiety today.
God gave you life, and He knows what you need.
Look at the Ravens
Jesus then used something simple in nature to teach a powerful spiritual lesson.
“Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them.” — Luke 12:24 (KJV)
Then Jesus asks:
“How much more are ye better than the fowls?”
Think about that.
Birds do not wake up wondering whether God will still be God tomorrow.
Yet God provides for His creation.
Jesus’ point is not that Christians should sit down and refuse to work. The Bible teaches the importance of diligence and responsibility.
His point is that we should work without allowing worry to become our master.
Do what you can, and trust God with what you cannot control.
Worry Cannot Solve Tomorrow’s Problems
Jesus asks another powerful question:
“And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?” — Luke 12:25 (KJV)
Worry often gives us the illusion that we are doing something about a problem.
But worrying and solving a problem are not the same thing.
You can spend an entire night worrying and wake up the next morning with exactly the same problem—except now you are also exhausted.
Worry cannot change yesterday.
Worry cannot guarantee tomorrow.
Worry cannot control another person’s decisions.
Worry cannot force everything to happen according to your plans.
There are things you can change, and there are things only God can handle.
Learn the difference.
God Knows What You Need
One of the most comforting statements Jesus makes in this passage appears in Luke 12:30:
“Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.”
God knows.
Before you explain the problem, God knows.
Before you see the solution, God knows.
Before tomorrow arrives, God already knows what tomorrow contains.
This is why Christians can have peace even when everything has not yet been resolved.
Our confidence is not that life will always happen exactly as we want.
Our confidence is that God remains God regardless of what happens.
Seek God’s Kingdom First
Instead of spending our lives chasing everything we think will give us security, Jesus gives us another priority.
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — Luke 12:31 (KJV)
This changes the question.
Instead of constantly asking:
“How can I control everything?”
Begin asking:
“How can I trust God through this?”
Instead of asking:
“What if everything goes wrong?”
Ask:
“What does God want me to do today?”
Seek God.
Pray.
Work diligently.
Make wise decisions.
Do what is within your control.
Then trust God with what is beyond your control.
Worry About Tomorrow Steals Today’s Peace
Jesus gives another famous teaching about worry in Matthew 6:34:
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”
Many people are physically living today while mentally living inside tomorrow’s problems.
Tomorrow has not arrived, yet they have already imagined dozens of things going wrong.
That kind of worry can steal the joy God has given you today.
You may be worrying about something that will never happen.
And even if tomorrow brings challenges, God will still be there tomorrow.
The same God who gives you strength today can give you strength when tomorrow comes.
Give Your Worries to God
The Bible does not simply tell us to stop worrying without telling us what to do instead.
Philippians 4:6–7 teaches us to bring our concerns to God through prayer.
And 1 Peter 5:7 says:
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Notice the words:
He cares for you.
You are not praying to a God who is uninterested in your problems.
Bring your worries to Him.
Tell God what you are afraid of.
Tell Him what you need.
Ask Him for wisdom.
Ask Him for direction.
Then trust Him.
Trusting God Does Not Mean Doing Nothing
Sometimes people misunderstand faith.
Trusting God does not mean refusing to work, plan, save money, seek advice, or take necessary action.
Faith and responsibility can work together.
If you have a financial problem, pray—and make wise financial decisions.
If you need employment, pray—and look for opportunities.
If you have a difficult decision, pray—and seek wisdom.
If you have made a mistake, pray—and take responsibility where necessary.
Faith means doing what you reasonably can while trusting God with the results you cannot control.
Remember What God Has Already Done
When worry enters your mind, remember the times God has already carried you through difficult seasons.
There were probably situations in your past that once seemed impossible.
Yet you are still here.
The problem that once kept you awake every night eventually became part of yesterday.
Today’s problem will also eventually become yesterday.
God has brought you this far.
Do not allow one difficult season to make you forget His faithfulness.
Replace “What If?” With “God Is”
Worry frequently begins with two words:
“What if?”
What if I fail?
What if I lose everything?
What if they reject me?
What if my plans do not work?
What if tomorrow is difficult?
When those thoughts come, remind yourself:
God is faithful.
God is with me.
God knows what I need.
God can give me wisdom.
God can strengthen me.
God is already present in the tomorrow I am worried about.
Your circumstances may change, but God does not.
A Prayer for Anyone Who Is Worried
Heavenly Father,
You know everything that is troubling my heart. You know the things I am afraid of and the questions I cannot answer. Forgive me for the times I have allowed worry to become greater than my trust in You.
Give me wisdom to handle the things I can change and faith to place the things I cannot control into Your hands.
Provide for my needs, guide my decisions, protect my family, and help me remember that You are always with me.
When fear enters my heart, remind me of Your promises. Help me seek Your Kingdom first and trust You with tomorrow.
I place my worries, plans, future, and life into Your hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Thoughts: Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God
Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12 gives us a powerful reason to stop allowing worry to dominate our lives:
Your Heavenly Father knows what you need.
You don’t know everything that will happen tomorrow.
But God does.
You cannot control everything around you.
But God is still in control.
You may not currently see the answer to your problem.
But that does not mean God has abandoned you.
Remember the words of Jesus:
“Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” — Luke 12:30 (KJV)
So pray.
Plan wisely.
Work diligently.
Do what you can.
And give the rest to God.
Stop worrying about a tomorrow that has not arrived, and start trusting the God who is already there.
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