The Spiritual Disease of Worrying

"Don't worry; be happy!"  Is a nice hit song by the late Bobby McFeerin which was first heard on the airwaves in September 1988.  The song has a great philosophy for life, but a bit unrealistic at least for most of us.  There have been many times over the course of my own life when worry has engulfed me to the rock-cliff of a complete meltdown.  My only salvation was from God  and the gift of good friends who continually pulled me back before completely falling over.

Worry is inevitable especially in this present day North American society of getting up to race to work, to race back home, to race through dinner; then to race out the door again six nights a week to various activities;  race back home to race to bed and to race to sleep; and then get up in the morning to start the race all over again. The worst part of the race, and the one that causes the most worry in life, is the race that has to do with our inflated standard of lifestyle.  We are seduced into thinking that everyone in North America deserves the great American dream - which is when you fill in the blank with whatever desired inflated lifestyle you are striving for.  We then jump on the band-wagon of acquiring a luxury home with a two-car garage, and a beautifully manicured property, plus all of the toys required for its continual maintenance.  And we probably have the maxed-out credit cards and double mortgages on our homes to prove it.

It is not much wonder so many people walk around in a daze of self-centered worry.  That's what worry does: it takes control of your thoughts and at a high-pitched level of stress pushes us into a black hole of no return.  How do we stop it?

Worry is a spiritual disease which sometimes is one of the symptoms of an even greater condition called greed.  There are things in life to worry about, but according to scripture worrying about things and money is not one of them.  Check it out in Luke 12:13-34.  Jesus begins this section with a the Parable of the Rich Fool, which is a parable about greed.  He then turns to his disciples while the lesson of the greed parable is still tingling in their brains, and tells them not to worry about money or things.

I think a much deeper lesson from all of this is about values.  Often times when we subscribe to the standard of lifestyle dictated to us by our society and its economy, we are actually devaluing our spiritual lives as Christians.  But true Christian values start with "Seeking first the Kingdom of God" then God will take care of the rest.  The best way to stop worrying is to do a serious inner values' check.  "Where do I keep the focus of my heart in terms of what is important to my life?"

Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Where is your heart focused?

So don't worry!  Be happy in the Lord!

Blessings,

-Leo