Do Not Worry

Have you ever tried to break a habit? Many try and fail. It’s difficult. If we try to break a habit by sheer willpower, it is nearly impossible. Quitting cold turkey often doesn’t work. We try really hard and give it our best effort, but the habit we want to get rid of keeps coming back. We cannot shake it. We grow frustrated and give up.

Before the word psychology ever existed, Scripture provided insight into human nature, the will, the heart, and the mind. The Bible helps us understand ourselves. It is a mirror to the soul. If we read it correctly, as a text that reveals our faults and shortcomings and points us to Jesus, it can help transform us into the image of Jesus. It can even teach us how to overcome those pesky bad habits.

Being a student of Scripture can help us avoid lots of headaches. Long ago, the Bible told us that quitting something cold turkey doesn’t work. Instead, Scripture presents a different model of breaking habits that leads to transformation. Rather than quitting cold turkey, we are to replace our bad habits with something good. We see this in passages like Ephesians 4:22-32, where we are told to put off (quit) certain things and put on (do) other things. We are to stop telling lies and start telling the truth (Eph. 4:25). We are to stop stealing and start working so we can experience the blessing of giving (Eph. 4:28). We are to give up evil talk and instead build others up (Eph. 4:29). This is the pattern for breaking bad habits. We stop doing what is bad, and we replace it with a good habit.

In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus famously tells us not to worry (Matt. 6:25). If you are worrying about something, and someone tells you not to worry, how well does that work? It doesn’t. We often worry even more. We know Jesus tells us not to worry, but many of us struggle with this command. Why? It’s because we miss the pattern. Do not worry is the first step. It is the bad habit. It is what we are to stop doing. A few verses later, Jesus tells us what we are to do. We are to consider the lilies (Matt. 6:28). We are to pay attention to what is beautiful. We are to notice God’s creation.

Stop worrying is hard, but Jesus tells us to stop worrying and redirect our attention to what is beautiful. How often do we spend our days paying attention to things that cause us to worry? What if we purposely paid attention to what is beautiful? I imagine we would all worry less. We live in a beautiful area. Spend less time watching cable news and more time watching live oaks and bluebonnets. Spend less time on social media and more time at Festival Hill. Do not worry and consider the lilies. It is God who created a world where we get to enjoy beauty. Let’s pay attention to that.