WORRY IS ALL ABOUT WHO’S IN CONTROL
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
- Jesus (Matthew 6:34)
When it comes to who controls life, either:
A. You are in control.
B. No one is in control.
C. Someone else is in control.
We want to feel secure. We would like to think we have it all under control. Helen Keller, the first blind-deaf person to graduate from college, wrote this about life – “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
1. FIRST, DON’T MISUNDERSTAND JESUS. HE IS TALKING ABOUT WORRYING, NOT PLANNING.
Jesus made plans (Luke 13:31-33) - On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You." And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”
Jesus’ step-brother, James, summed up the Christian’s attitude towards planning (James 4:13-15) - Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow . For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
Recognize in all our plans, God is ultimately in control.
2. JESUS SAID BIRDS ARE PROOF THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Look at the birds. (Matt. 6:26, 28-30): Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Consider the sparrow (Matthew 10:29-31) - Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
3. THE MORE YOU FOCUS ON THE ONE IN CONTROL, THE LESS YOU WILL PANIC ON WHAT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL.
A vivid example of that is found in Matthew 14:25-33. Jesus came to the disciples in the middle of the night in the midst of a storm walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee.
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."
Jesus is in control of this world: the physical laws of this world were in his control. He could walk on water, and he could make the wind cease.
Peter lost focus - he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on the storm.
Peter forgot that the one who called him was the one in control.
It doesn’t do any good to get out of the boat if you forget who’s in control.