What Does the Bible Say About Worry?

The Bible mentions worry in several passages, and it is actually considered a sin because a worrier does not put his or her trust in the living God. People worry instead of working to change things when they can. They also uselessly worry about things they cannot change instead of turning the problem over to God. Worry robs a person of strength and displays a lack of trust in God. Let's see what the Bible tells us about worry and why we should avoid it.

Worry can cause the Christian to fall into sin. Take the Bible example of Moses and the Israelites in Exodus 32 (NIV). Moses had been at the top of Mount Sinai for so long that the people gave up on him instead of trusting God. They worried that Moses and God had left them, so they built a golden idol in the form of a calf and had festivities in honor of it. The Israelites followed the pattern of worry and then sin to drown the worry instead of trusting in God.

Jesus specifically tells us not to worry. The Bible tells us what Jesus said about worry in Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV). Jesus runs through a long list of examples of how people worry about their clothing, food, and money. He tells how they run around all the time working to provide these things for them and their family. But Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 (NIV) that all a Christian really needs to do is seek the Kingdom of God first and God will tend to this person's needs.

Worry is useless against things you cannot control. In the Bible passage found at Matthew 6:27 (NIV), Jesus asks his audience if anyone can add an hour to their life by worrying about it. Of course no one can answer in the affirmative to that question. We all know that there are things and people in our lives that we cannot control. We know it, but have difficulty accepting it and think that worry can somehow change the external factors. The Bible is clear that all have an appointment to die, and Jesus' point is that we should put that worry aside and make the most of living for Him and others today.

We live in a prison when we worry about what others think. Luke 10:39-42 (NIV) tells us the Bible story of Jesus as he travelled with his disciples. A woman named Martha opened her home for Jesus and she hurried around trying to make preparations for other guests who would later arrive to hear the words of our Lord. But Martha's sister, Mary, didn't help with the preparations and sat at the feet of Jesus just listening to all he had to say. Of course Martha wanted her sister to help because the house had to be just right, so she asked Jesus to tell her sister to get busy. But Jesus' attitude was one of no worry, so he told Martha that she worries about things that are not important. It would be far better for her to sit down and hear what Jesus has to say too. Martha had too much worry about what others would think of her house; however, she would have relaxed and enjoyed herself more if she would have tossed those cares aside.

One of the best solutions to habitual worry is prayer. Worry is habit-forming. It is usually a pattern of thinking that develops from younger years, so it can be quite difficult to overcome. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) to not worry about anything but make your requests to God through prayer. It says by doing so, you'll have peace that goes beyond any understanding.