Central United Methodist Church

"A reconciling congregation of compassionate, committed Christians"

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Stockton, CA 95204

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A Worry Free Life! (?)

A Sermon by David Bennett

May 25, 2008

Matthew 6:24-34

        Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is one of the most familiar passages in all of scripture.  There are teachings, there are challenges, there are blessings.  This morning’s reading is a portion of this sermon.  We are challenged – what is it that guides our living – the love of wealth or the spirit of God?

Our reading goes on to point out that worrying is among the many choices which might symbolize our serving wealth and not God.

Ah, worrying.  Earlier this week I came across this story:

A man was running down the hall of a hospital just before he was to be operated on.  A security guard spotted him before he could leave the hospital and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The man said, “I heard the nurse say, ‘It’s a very simple operation, don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be all right.’”

“She was just trying to comfort you,” the security guard said.  “What’s so frightening about that?”

“She wasn’t talking to me.  She was talking to the doctor.” 

Despite Jesus’ admonition not to worry, this just might be a time when worry is appropriate!

Putting scary surgeries with scared doctors aside for a moment, the guidance we get in this morning’s reading is vital to our everyday living.  Worry-free living is healthier than lives lived in constant states of worrying.

A study, which began in the mid-1960s, involved some 7,000 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill taking the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a test that, among other things, measured the participants’ tendency to be optimistic or pessimistic.  Of that group, 1,630 were found by the test to be clearly pessimistic and 923 to be clearly optimistic.  The rest fell somewhere in the middle of the clear extremes.  Over the next four decades, 476 of those who had taken the test died, from causes ranging from accident to illness to suicide to homicide.

By tracking and collating all this information, researchers determined that the pessimists had a significantly greater likelihood of dying sooner from any cause than did the optimist.

While pessimism and worry are not synonymous, at their root both pessimism and worry are related to a shortage of hope and trust (thanks, Homiletics magazine).   

Jesus urges all his listeners not to worry (or not to be anxious).  Jesus calls us to trust in God – after all, birds are fed; lilies are clothed in beauty; worry won’t add one hour to our lives (indeed, as we have heard, it may shorten it).

This trusting in God, this not worrying, is directed not only to those who have wealth, whose wealth might well incline them to arrogance, but to those who sow and reap, who toil and spin – who might idolize what they do not have.   It does not matter where we work, it does not matter where we live, it does not matter what we wear – we are to trust that God will care for us, that we need not worry.

Easier said than done, we all would admit.  But I have a word of hope – at least for some of us , in particular aspect of our lives.

There have been many conflicting reports on health and nutrition.  I recently came across a report which offers the truth about these conflicts and will end all nutritional worries (at least for some).

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks that British or Americans.

The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. 

The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat a lot of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

Conclusion: eat and drink what you like.  Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

There it is – don’t worry about tomorrow – trust God to take care of you.  Don’t worry about what you eat – just learn a language other than English!   

We must admit however – we spend at least some of our living in worry – worry about what is, worry about what is not, worry about what may happen, worry about what may not happen, worry about what we cannot control in the first place.

If we are not to worry, there must be some ideas about how our worrying can be eased.  Let me offer you a present.  Some of you may have already been gifted with this little book; for others – this may be first time you have encountered it. 

Spencer Johnson has written a wonderful little book called The Present which, in part, teaches us let go of worry.  This would be a great book to share in a short term study group.  But, for this morning some of Johnson’s insights, far too briefly presented.

He invites us to live in the present moment.  Whatever is happening in that moment, even in the most difficult of moments, we are invited to remain present; to discover what is right, what is good.  If we can do so, we will be happier and we will be more able to deal with what is wrong.

In the midst of an intense, perhaps even confrontational, conversation that may make us want to run out of the room as fast as we can – if we can stay present to what is being said – we can discover the good that comes from the conversation. 

In all situations, no matter how difficult or painful, good can be discovered if we can stay in the present.

Remember St. Paul’s advise to “Rejoice always.”  He does not say rejoice at what is happening or rejoice at the pain or struggle.  But rejoice in the midst of what is happening and discover the good that may be hidden in the challenge or pain. 

Stay in the present and be open to the good.   Worries will ease.

Johnson goes on to invite his readers to learn from their past.  Look at what has happened in the past; learn something valuable from it and do things differently in the present.

My friends, if we keep making the same life-draining decisions over and over; if we keep making the same mistakes time and again; if we keep banging our heads against the same old wall – our present will be no different than our past and our worrying about our life-draining, mistake-filled, headache pounding present will fill our living.

We must learn from the past so that our present will be lived in joy and excitement and as worry free as is humanly possible.

Well, if we are in the present, learning from our past, what of the future? 

Johnson invites us to see what a wonderful future would look like and then – make plans to help it happen. 

Jesus invites us to not worry about the future: “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.”  But we can visualize our future and plan to make it a reality.

Is there a life change we feel led to – then planning and doing what is necessary for it to become reality will ease worry in the present about the future.

Is there a life-long dream that we want in our future – then planning and doing what is necessary for it to become reality will ease worry in the present about the future.

 We can’t predict nor can we control the future.  But, the more we plan for the wonderful future we see for ourselves (in whatever area we are visualizing) the less anxious we will be in the present.

There is much more in this little book.  But, as Jesus invites us to a worry-free life, Johnson’s insights are helpful guides to what Jesus seeks for us – Be in the present.  Discover the good in the present no matter how bad it may seem.  Learn from the past and do things differently if necessary.  See a wonderful future and make plans to help it happen.

All this is well and good.  But Jesus calls us to more.  Remember that worrying is but one life choice that symbolizes not trusting in God.  Jesus tells those gathered beside the sea and those of us gathered here this morning that we are first to seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.  All else will follow.

My friends, can we trust God to provide for our needs?  Can we trust God to bring peace to our troubled spirits?   Can we trust God to bring new life out of the death of old expectations and unrealized hopes?  Can we trust God to be stirring in the painful (and the joyful, for that matter) presents of our lives to create good from bad, joy from despair?

The God I follow, the God I proclaim can do all this and more.  Sometimes – even often – I let go of worry about what could have been, what is, what might yet be and trust God.  Not always, but when I do I experience a worry free life! 

As we go about our sowing and reaping, our toiling and spinning – whatever form it might take – remember the birds of the air and lilies of the field.  God cares for them and God cares for us.  In that care we trust God.  We can live worry free!  Let it be so!