Exodus 32:1-14
Philippians 4:4-9

I am certainly not saying things in our lives are not important. What matters is how much power we give them. I am told last week Jack Porter shared with you how difficult it is to count all of our life as rubbish when we compare it to what we have in Christ. I, too, believe that is difficult. Now the apostle Paul is at it again.

In the chapter beyond the one shared last week we are told in Philippians 4:6, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Was Paul being very specific with the Philippians? Was he telling the two women he addresses at the start of the chapter to quit worrying and fighting with each other over unimportant matters or was he saying Christians in general ought not to ever worry?

I realize Jesus also tells us this in Matthew 6:25-34. In verse 34 Jesus says, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Does this mean it is okay to worry as long as we limit it to the present twenty-four hour period? Is Jesus saying worrying never helps anything?

It seems Bobby McFerrin understood this in the late 80's when he wrote his annoying little song, Don't Worry. Be Happy. One line went, "In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double." The dictionary defines "worry" as "to feel uneasy, anxious, fret; torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts." Jesus asks in Matthew 6:27, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?" Probably not. However, we can certainly make responsible decisions that no doubt increase our life span unless Jesus is saying each of us only has so much time no matter what we do.

There are lots of reasons given as to why we worry. Some of the more obvious ones include fear of not having enough, fear of not being good enough and fear of not being included. The list is almost endless. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a victim of the recent hurricanes. I think it would be difficult if not impossible to be a pastor of a congregation where everyone including the pastor has lost home and belongings, place of employment, schools, places to shop and all that is familiar. Think what this text would be like in that situation. "Don't worry!" Be Happy!" I don't think it would fly.

Students worry about grades. They worry about not being included by their peers. They worry about not being good enough to make the team or get into college. They worry about what will happen when the person they have been dating suddenly leaves them for someone else. It doesn't help much when attempting to console your teenage daughter whose boyfriend of a few months decides to just be friends by trying to say, "Don't worry, there are plenty of other guys out there." The fact God loves her and you love her really doesn't count for much at that moment.

Parents worry about their children's safety and whether or not their offspring are making wise choices. Giving them the car the first time they drive alone, waiting up nights when they are late, saying good-bye after dropping them off at college. If parents didn't worry one would wonder if they even loved their kids.

Our health often is a cause for worry. I am not referring here to the countless things humans do to look younger or sexier. I am thinking about the fear people have of certain diseases particularly ones that often appear in their family. The concern many have for what will happen in retirement often is a cause of much worry. Will we have enough to live on? Where will we live? Will we have our pension and social security? How will we manage after the loss of our spouse?

Look around you. Everywhere we turn there are people who have survived all of the things we fear and most of them seem to be functioning fairly well. Of course there are exceptions but somehow the majority managed to prevail. What has happened? Many things have taken place. The problem in some instances never was as big as it seemed. Friends came and stood beside them encouraging them. The people themselves got to work putting one foot in front of the other, sometimes starting with baby steps before they could fully walk again. Perhaps they had knowledge they had overcome adversity before so they could do it again.

Finally, there is the faith factor. Did they believe in God and did they believe He was caring for them and working on their behalf? In Romans 8:31, Paul asks this question in the face of adversity. "What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us who can be against us who is stronger than God?"

All things considered I have led a fairly normal life but there have been occasions when I have felt overwhelmed. There have been situations that have caused great concern and worry. I am sure most of you can identify with this. After a relatively short time the mountain of an obstacle disappeared and it was as if it had never been there. I realize this does not always happen. Illnesses, losses and death do occur and they are difficult often producing great anxiety.

Jesus and Paul both seem to be attempting to remind us God will not abandon us. On the surface this sometimes seems difficult to believe. Jesus even asked if God had abandoned Him while He was on the cross. Then He committed Himself to trusting God's love for Him. Paul was in prison. He no doubt sensed his death was certain but he believed God's love for him was more powerful than his death or the other obstacles he faced.

I don't believe Paul came to his faith easily but rather observed what God had done in the life of Jesus and in the lives of those who believe in Him. Paul realized how God had acted in his life. Now Paul was encouraging others to trust God to act in their lives as well.

It is not the case that we are to do nothing. We must do what we can and trust God with the rest.