00:00You know, Tom Petty once said, most of the things I worry about never happen anyway.
00:09Jesus? Jesus taught us why worry changes nothing. Have you ever noticed how much trouble we can
00:18create in our own minds before anything has actually happened? Somebody doesn't return a
00:25phone call and we start wondering what we did wrong. We have a difficult conversation at work and
00:32suddenly we're convinced our job is in jeopardy. Something unexpected happens and within minutes
00:40we've imagined 10 different ways our lives could fall apart. And here's the interesting part.
00:48Most of the time, none of those things ever happen. We've spent an entire day being upset about a
00:56situation that existed only in our imagination. I think that's something a lot of us can relate to
01:04because we have all had moments when our thoughts get ahead of reality. But Jesus? Well, Jesus taught
01:13something about this that I think is worth paying attention to. In Matthew chapter 6, verse 27,
01:22Jesus asked, which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Now, I think you have
01:33to
01:34really think about that question. Jesus was asking people to consider what their worrying was actually
01:42accomplishing. Because we have this strange tendency to believe that if we think about something long
01:49enough, we'll somehow gain control over it. But that's not how life works. You could spend all night
01:57worrying about whether somebody is going to hire you, but the worrying isn't going to influence their
02:04decision. You could spend hours wondering whether somebody likes you, but you're not going to
02:11discover the answer by having an imaginary conversation with them. And you could spend years worrying about
02:19making a mistake, only to realize you've missed opportunities because you were too afraid to make
02:27a decision. And I think that's where this teaching becomes especially meaningful. Jesus wasn't telling
02:35people to be careless about their lives. He wasn't suggesting that we ignore problems or pretend difficult
02:44circumstances don't exist. He was challenging something we still struggle with 2,000 years later.
02:53Our belief that worrying about a problem is somehow the same as doing something about it. And they're not the
03:03same thing. Not at all. Let me give you an example. Imagine you've got a difficult conversation you need to
03:11have with
03:11somebody. You know something isn't right, and you need to address it. But instead of having that conversation, you spend
03:23the
03:23next week imagining how it's going to go. And I have done this. You picture the person getting angry. You
03:32rehearse what you're
03:33going to say. You imagine every possible response. By the time you finally speak to them, you've already had 50
03:41arguments in your head. And then something hilarious happens. The conversation goes perfectly fine. The other
03:51person understands what you're saying. You work through the problem, and it's over.
03:57All that thinking, and it's over. Think about all that emotional energy you spent preparing for a disaster that never
04:07happened. That's what overthinking can do to us. And there's something else I find interesting about the way Jesus
04:16taught. He often asked questions that forced people to examine their own thinking. He didn't always give people a
04:25complicated explanation. Sometimes he simply asked a question that exposed something they hadn't
04:33considered. And I think his question about worry is one of those moments. What is all this worrying
04:42adding to your life? Is it making you happier? Is it improving your relationships? Is it helping you make
04:51better decisions? Or is it leaving you exhausted, distracted, and afraid to move forward? You know,
05:00sometimes we need to recognize that the way we're responding to a problem is becoming a bigger problem
05:07than the original situation. Now, there's an important distinction here. Not every concern is imaginary.
05:17I understand that. Sometimes we are really facing difficult circumstances. You might be struggling
05:26financially. You might be dealing with a health issue. Or you might be facing a decision that can affect
05:35your entire family. And those things deserve our attention. But there's a difference between giving
05:43something the attention it deserves. And allowing it to consume every waking moment. And I think that's
05:51where we have to exercise some judgment. You know, if there's something you can do to improve your
05:57circumstances, do it. If you need information, find it. If you need help, ask for it. And if you've made
06:09a
06:09mistake, acknowledge it, then figure out how to move forward. But don't convince yourself that
06:16constantly worrying about something is a substitute for actually living your life. You know, there's
06:25another part of Matthew chapter 6 that I think connects beautifully with this. Jesus talked about the birds
06:33in the air. And how our Heavenly Father provides for them. And then, he reminded his listeners that
06:41they were worth much more. I think that we sometimes forget that. We begin measuring our worth by the things
06:50happening around us. If our career is going well, we feel valuable. If somebody rejects us, we begin
06:59questioning ourselves. And if we make a mistake, we start believing we've somehow failed as human
07:07beings. But Jesus? Well, Jesus was reminding people that their value wasn't determined by the circumstances
07:15that they were facing. And neither is yours. A difficult season doesn't make you less important.
07:23You know, a disappointment doesn't erase everything good about your life. And
07:31an uncertain future, well, that doesn't mean you have nothing meaningful to contribute today.
07:40I want you to consider just one more thing. How many times have you looked back on something you
07:47worried about 10 years ago? And realized it wasn't nearly as important as you thought it was then?
07:55Maybe it was a decision you were afraid to make. Maybe it was somebody else's opinion of you.
08:02Maybe it was an opportunity that didn't work out. At that time, it felt enormous. But today,
08:11you can barely remember why it seemed so overwhelming. And I think there's a lesson in
08:18that. Sometimes we give temporary circumstances permanent importance. We allow one difficult
08:26moment to influence the way we see our entire future. And we forget that life has a way of changing
08:34in ways that we never anticipated. That doesn't mean every problem disappears. I get that. It means
08:43we need to be careful about assuming that what we're experiencing right now is all we're ever going to
08:51experience. So here's something I'd encourage you to think about today. The next time your mind starts
08:58racing, I want you to ask yourself whether you're dealing with something that
09:03is actually happening or something you're afraid might happen. If it's real, determine what you can
09:12do about it and take action. That's logical. And if it's something you've imagined, recognize that
09:21possibility isn't the same thing as certainty. You don't have to believe every frightening thought
09:27that enters your mind. And you don't have to spend your entire life preparing for the worst possible
09:35outcome. Because when Jesus asked what worrying can add to our lives, he was pointing us toward a truth
09:44that is just as relevant today as it was when he first spoke those words.
09:50We have a limited amount of time, energy, and attention. And how we choose to use those things
09:59matters. Don't spend so much time worrying about a life that might happen that you miss the life
10:08that's actually happening right in front of you. God bless you, my friends, and I'll see you next time.
10:17My name is Douglas Vandergrath, and I believe in Jesus Christ. God bless every single one of you,
10:27every single one, and everyone you love. Bye-bye.
