Don't Worry: God's Got You Covered! - Matthew 6:25-34

[00:00:05] Thank you for listening to the Calvary Monterey Podcast.

[00:00:08] Please visit Calvary.com to learn more about our church.

[00:00:12] And visit NateHoldridge.com for additional Bible teaching from our lead pastor, Nate Holdridge.

[00:00:17] Teaching today is our executive pastor, Manny Colazo.

[00:00:23] We have our Bibles go ahead and open up to Matthew, Chapter 6, Matthew 6.

[00:00:31] By this time, as we get into this chapter of Matthew's account of Jesus' life,

[00:00:41] Jesus has ascended this grassy knoll that's overlooking the sea of Galilee.

[00:00:50] And the reason why he did this wasn't to distance himself from the crowd that had

[00:00:55] amassed around him, but it was to create some space so that his disciples could gather near

[00:01:02] and hear him teach the core principles of this new Jesus' culture that he was launching.

[00:01:11] And in the section we're going to drop into today, verse 25, Matthew 6, verse 25,

[00:01:17] Jesus' message is a simple and unmistakable command. Do not worry. Don't worry.

[00:01:32] Are you worried about anything this morning? According to the American Institute of Stress,

[00:01:46] 55% of Americans are stressed during the day. Several years ago,

[00:01:53] the Mayo Clinic reported that approximately 80 to 85% of their patients' real or imagined

[00:02:01] sicknesses could be directly attributed to their worry and anxiety.

[00:02:09] What sorts of situations stress you out? Are you a part of the 63% who are considering

[00:02:19] leaving their jobs because they want to escape work-related stress? Or perhaps for you it's

[00:02:26] the global uncertainty happening on the other side of the world, or the unrest on college

[00:02:32] campuses on this side of the world. Maybe those are the things that keep you up at night.

[00:02:41] What's tying your stomach up in knots? Is it inflation? The rising cost of gas, electricity,

[00:02:47] groceries, a looming deadline in the future that you're fretting over? Or perhaps you're the

[00:02:54] kind of person who panics over more trivial matters like technology. Maybe you're the one who

[00:03:02] searches in a panic for the nearest phone charger before your battery runs out.

[00:03:08] Or maybe you're the person who overthinks, what emoji should I send? I don't want to be misunderstood.

[00:03:17] Which way should the toilet paper hang anyway? Over or under? Over? How many overs?

[00:03:28] Under? Well, why not consider this guy's approach to worry management?

[00:03:41] His worries were having such a significant impact on his life and health that he was determined to

[00:03:47] make a change. So he took action and posted an ad on Craigslist with the following headline,

[00:03:54] Wanted Professional Worry Worts. After reviewing some resumes and interviews,

[00:04:01] he decides to hire someone for $1 million to handle all of his worrying.

[00:04:06] Well, after a while, his friends notice, his family, they notice that his stress and anxiety

[00:04:11] levels have plummeted. And curious, they asked him, what happened? Well, I hired someone

[00:04:18] for $1 million to do all of my worrying. But how can you afford it? They asked.

[00:04:23] I don't know. Let him worry about it. Well, that's not exactly how Jesus wants us to handle

[00:04:32] worry. But before he teaches us how, he gives us five reasons why we should not worry. And these

[00:04:41] reasons stem from what he has just said in the previous verse, verse 24, about having two masters.

[00:04:49] Let me explain. On one hand, God, who Jesus described as your heavenly Father.

[00:04:56] And on the other side, you have God, the God of money. Materialism referred to as Mammon.

[00:05:03] And Jesus' point here is that it is impossible to be mastered by two conflicting priorities

[00:05:11] at the same time. It's impossible because masters require complete mastery of your whole heart.

[00:05:20] And since neither will tolerate divided devotion, it forces you to make a choice.

[00:05:26] And so Jesus' emphasis in these next few verses is choose your heavenly Father. He is the better

[00:05:33] master because he cares and meets the needs of his servants. That is why, that is why I tell you

[00:05:42] not to worry about everyday life, whether you have enough food and drink or enough clothes

[00:05:48] to wear. Isn't life more than food and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air.

[00:05:57] They don't plant or harvest or store foods and barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.

[00:06:04] And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment

[00:06:12] to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field how they grow.

[00:06:19] They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as

[00:06:24] beautifully as they are. And if God cares wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today

[00:06:30] and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

[00:06:39] So don't worry about these things saying, what will we eat? What will we drink? What are we going to wear?

[00:06:46] These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. But your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

[00:06:58] You know personally for me when I find that I am engulfed by worry, one of the things

[00:07:04] I discover is that I've lost, what I have lost is perspective.

[00:07:09] I've allowed whatever it is concerning me to become so magnified that it appears larger than life itself

[00:07:18] and even more insurmountable than other more important aspects of my life.

[00:07:24] And so what happens is that I'm unable to see things in their proper context.

[00:07:29] To explain this Jesus rhetorically asks, isn't life more than food?

[00:07:38] And your body more than clothing?

[00:07:42] Think about it. If the breakfast you had this morning to nourish yourself more important than life,

[00:07:52] are the clothes you put on to cover and protect yourself more important than your body? No.

[00:07:58] That's irrational. But that's why Jesus is saying, and here's your first reason, do not worry

[00:08:03] because it exaggerates how important your needs are. Do not worry because it exaggerates how

[00:08:11] important your needs are. One of the ways that we recognize the exaggeration that appears during

[00:08:18] times of worrying is catastrophizing. This involves when someone imagines worst case scenarios,

[00:08:28] blowing things out of proportion, believing that if something bad can happen, then it most

[00:08:34] definitely will happen. Perhaps they miss a meal or they don't get enough to eat during one meal.

[00:08:42] Oh no, I'm going to starve to death. Or a minor financial setback like an unexpected bill.

[00:08:54] Those things are exaggerated to thoughts about going bankrupt or ending up homeless on the streets.

[00:09:01] When Jesus asks, isn't life more than food? And your body more than clothing?

[00:09:08] Don't hear something that he is not saying. He's not denying the importance of basic human needs,

[00:09:17] food and clothing. They're important. But when worrying blows our basic needs out of proportion,

[00:09:27] what we need is to put on the corrective lenses of perspective,

[00:09:32] zoom out, take a step back and view those worries in the context of the grand scheme of life

[00:09:39] by asking ourselves the same question that Jesus is asking. Hmm, are they most important?

[00:09:49] Here's a passage that might help maintain or correct perspective about our basic needs.

[00:09:56] People do not live by bread alone. Rather we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

[00:10:08] But we all know when our worries get us all up in our feels, pausing to gain perspective

[00:10:23] from God's word, that can be really hard to do sometimes. The emotions can be so intense

[00:10:33] that it can blur our perspective of what is really happening. Have you ever been around someone who

[00:10:41] is easily overwhelmed by worry? I have. Are you familiar with the term Hispanic Panic?

[00:10:52] I warn you, I can say this because I am Latino. If you're not Latino, don't go there.

[00:11:03] Growing up in a Dominican family, I'm very familiar with the passion that Latinos can bring to life

[00:11:10] because of their fiery personalities and the spicy culture. It's one of the aspects of my

[00:11:16] heritage that I love most. But I've also have had a front row seat of that spice and fire

[00:11:26] when we are stressed out of our mind. We call it Hispanic Panic. We feel it deep

[00:11:35] and it can look like and sound like an overreaction and exaggeration. I remember my grandmother,

[00:11:42] Vígen Maria Purísima, Ay di oh mio. And I was like, Grandma, come on, chill.

[00:11:51] Listen, a word of advice. If you ever witness the Hispanic Panic, the wisest move is to run.

[00:12:01] Take cover because there's a whirlwind of emotions that's headed your way.

[00:12:07] But you see, when you allow that to go unchecked, that worry to get out of control,

[00:12:18] it warps our peace. It distorts this vision of our Heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us,

[00:12:31] who is able to attend to our needs. And when it begins to distort that image,

[00:12:37] that idea, that truth about God, that can land us in a very bad place spiritually.

[00:12:45] Case in point in the parable of the man who went out scattering seeds, Jesus said that one of the

[00:12:50] seed that fell among the thorns, that that seed represented someone who heard the word,

[00:12:57] heard the truth of God's word. But the thorns, the worries of this life,

[00:13:05] the lure of wealth choked out any fruitfulness. And that's what worry does. Worry undermines the

[00:13:13] power of God's word to nourish your soul. And then it renders you ineffective.

[00:13:20] So Jesus says, do not worry. Don't worry because it exaggerates how important your needs are.

[00:13:27] Instead, throw all your worry on Him because He cares for you. In the verse we just read,

[00:13:38] Jesus formed His argument from the greater to the lesser. He said, if God provided life in

[00:13:47] the body which are more important, then it stands to reason. It's logical that He will

[00:13:54] also provide the less important food and clothes. But then in verse 26,

[00:14:02] using birds to illustrate His second reason, He flips it and forms His argument from the lesser

[00:14:09] now to the greater. Look at birds, He says. I wouldn't be surprised if as they're sitting there

[00:14:17] overlooking the Sea of Galley, there was a flock of birds that cue the birds

[00:14:21] and they come out flying or maybe some birds in a tree.

[00:14:26] They don't plant or harvest or store food and barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.

[00:14:32] Aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? And so here's His logic. It's the same line of

[00:14:41] reasoning that you can use to push back against worry. God provides for low value birds. In another

[00:14:54] passage, Jesus mentions that birds were so cheap that two birds could be purchased for one copper coin.

[00:15:03] Two, you are of much greater value than birds. People are God's most prized creation.

[00:15:12] We're made in His image and are of immeasurable valuable to Him.

[00:15:19] Therefore, God will also provide for you. As they say in Georgia when I live there,

[00:15:30] will knock me over with a feather. It makes sense. God cares about us. And this is why it doesn't

[00:15:39] make sense to stress over the necessities of life. Folks, it's inconsistent with what we know to be true

[00:15:48] about our heavenly Father. Our doubts suggest that in God's eyes we are worth less than a single

[00:15:57] copper coin. And this is the second reason Jesus says do not worry. Do not worry because

[00:16:04] it diminishes how much God values your life. When was the last time you saw a bird

[00:16:12] worrying and hoarding because it didn't know where the next worm would come from? Never.

[00:16:18] We've never seen birds worrying, but we have seen them working. And this is another biblical

[00:16:26] truth about our relationship to material things in this material world. One of the

[00:16:31] ways that God provides for our needs is by giving us something to do. It's called a job.

[00:16:40] Get a job. Get good at your job. Work hard. Earn a living to provide for yourself and your

[00:16:49] dependents. Luke was a doctor. Paul was a tent maker. Some of the disciples were fishermen.

[00:16:55] Jesus was a carpenter. However, when working for a paycheck, don't devalue how much God

[00:17:03] values human life by worrying. As worrying about needs caused you to forget how precious you are

[00:17:14] to your heavenly Father. Perhaps Psalm 46 is for you. It describes God as a defender,

[00:17:22] instant strength for those who are in trouble. And in verse 10, he says to us who are plagued by worry,

[00:17:30] be still and know that I am God. Don't worry because it diminishes how much God values your life.

[00:17:44] Jesus mentions the third reason we shouldn't worry in verse 27. But to demonstrate my next

[00:17:50] point, I need to invite you to do something with me. I know the command is not to worry,

[00:17:55] but just for a minute, just for a moment, I want to invite you to worry. Okay? I want you to choose

[00:18:04] something to worry about. Did I leave the oven on? Do I have enough gas in my car to get home?

[00:18:12] Really, anything will do. Whatever it is, whatever comes to the top of your mind,

[00:18:16] pick it. You got it? All right, let's do some worrying. Feel the tension rise. Let the anxiety grip you.

[00:18:33] Come on. Come on. Lean into it. If you're doing it right, you might feel your heart rate

[00:18:43] quicken. Check that pulse. Your blood pressure begin to rise. You even might find yourself breathing

[00:18:55] a little deeper. Maybe have any of you started breaking into a sweat yet? Come on, come on.

[00:19:01] Don't stop. Come on. Let the stress color your face red. Embrace the worry. That thing you were

[00:19:12] worrying about? Did it help? In some of your Bible translations that even would cause us to ask this

[00:19:23] question, did it make you any taller? Maybe you were stressed because of how short you are.

[00:19:28] You know, did it make you any taller? Or did it add any time to your life? Has it benefited

[00:19:38] you in any way? No. That's just third reason. Do not worry because it overestimates how useful it is

[00:19:48] to your life. We waste so much time fretting and stressing, you think that we would see some

[00:19:55] improvement in the situation we're worried about, but it doesn't. It doesn't benefit nor

[00:20:01] contribute anything to our lives. Except for the situation of this woman. There was an

[00:20:09] exasperated husband who asked his wife, why are you always worrying when it doesn't do you any good?

[00:20:17] She piped back, oh yes it does. 90% of the things I worry about never happen.

[00:20:28] As it's been said, worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do,

[00:20:34] but it doesn't get you anywhere. Not only does it not propel us forward,

[00:20:40] but worrying is powerless to change our circumstances. It doesn't prepare us for every outcome,

[00:20:48] but it sure does disrupt creative problem solving. It prolongs indecision. It stops

[00:20:55] action. It robs us of our peace and joy, and it can drive us to an early grave.

[00:21:03] So maybe the antidote, maybe the antidote for worry is the Psalmist's prayer in Psalm 139.

[00:21:12] Search me, oh God, know my heart. Test me. Know my anxious thoughts.

[00:21:23] Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

[00:21:32] I think it'd be appropriate to pause right now and pray this prayer for ourselves.

[00:21:38] Let's do that. We'll leave it up here on the screen. Amen. In verses 28 through 30,

[00:22:06] Jesus presents his fourth reason for not worrying, but this time he compares flowers

[00:22:14] to King Solomon. And in case you don't know who he is, Solomon is a historical

[00:22:20] figure in the biblical Bible figure who was known for his wisdom and wealth. He was a descendant,

[00:22:27] a son of King David, who would go on to inherit King David's throne. Well, when he writes this,

[00:22:33] he is the king. And in Ecclesiastes, he describes the vast amounts of wealth

[00:22:40] and possessions that he had stockpiled over his lifetime. If Solomon were alive today,

[00:22:47] he would have dressed himself in the most elegant of shirts, lavishly designed pants and impeccably

[00:22:57] crafted shoes. But what Jesus is saying is that even Solomon, when he was dressed in his

[00:23:03] finally kingly attire, even he couldn't rival the beauty with which God created flowers,

[00:23:10] roses that are so elegant that they take your breath away, the delicacy of orchids,

[00:23:18] vibrant tulips to cheer you up, or a splash of lilies adorning a bouquet. And through this comparison

[00:23:25] with Solomon, Jesus is reassuring us when we worry if God's extravagant care for flowers

[00:23:34] is boundless, then you can be certain that he will care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

[00:23:46] In other words, don't worry because it exposes how small your faith is. Did you know that the word

[00:24:00] worry comes from a word that means to divide, to pull in different directions? Next time you're

[00:24:09] stressed I want you to pay attention. Does it feel like you're being torn apart, split in two?

[00:24:19] It really is like trying to be loyal to two masters at the same time. Here's one of the ways that

[00:24:28] it works itself out. On one hand we say and we sing that we trust in this heavenly Father

[00:24:35] who can care for our needs, that he is good. But when we're being mastered by worry over our

[00:24:43] possessions, it undermines that faith in our God. Worry jerks us in the opposite direction

[00:24:52] and it triggers behaviors that betray that we really don't trust him.

[00:24:57] I got it from here God, let me take matters into our hands, into my hands.

[00:25:03] Manipulating circumstances, forcing outcomes, making impulsive decisions or even excessive

[00:25:11] planning all driven by this underlying belief that we think we can do a better job than he can.

[00:25:22] Making you the other master. So when Jesus says don't worry he literally means

[00:25:32] stop letting yourself be yanked in different directions. In John 14 the disciples were in

[00:25:42] shock over Jesus' announcement, I'm leaving, Judas will betray me, Peter will deny knowing me.

[00:25:49] These guys were worried. Let Jesus' words in this chapter to his disciples establish you.

[00:26:00] Don't let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me. There's more than enough

[00:26:09] room in my Father's home. If this were not so what I have told you that I'm going to prepare a

[00:26:14] place for you, when everything is ready I will come and get you so that you will always be with me

[00:26:22] where I am. God can be trusted. He might not provide what you need in the way you expect,

[00:26:33] prefer or according to your timetable but here's what you can hang your hat on. Your heavenly

[00:26:39] Father doesn't make promises that he won't keep. So don't worry because it exposes how small your

[00:26:49] faith is. Maybe the reason why you worry is because you come from a long line of warriors.

[00:27:00] Do you? Do you come from a long line of warriors? Dr. Amy Porowski posted on psychologytoday.com.

[00:27:09] I can remember one time when I was particularly stressed before leaving for a trip and was checking

[00:27:15] and rechecking my list. My friend asked why I was so stressed and I said what if we get there

[00:27:25] and I realized that I forgot something. He casually said then you will go buy it at a store.

[00:27:35] It had never crossed my mind that the solution was that simple and the absurdity of the years

[00:27:41] of stressing over trips hit me like a ton of bricks. Can you relate? Do what if scenarios overtake

[00:27:53] your thoughts? What if I can't pay my bills? What if I'm not prepared for every outcome?

[00:28:01] What if I forgot something? In verses 31 and 32 here is what Jesus wants you to know.

[00:28:12] Unbelievers are dominated by what if scenarios wondering about where am I going to,

[00:28:20] where is my sustenance coming from? How am I going to survive? The reason for this is because

[00:28:25] they don't have a father-child relationship with God, but you do. You have a father in heaven.

[00:28:36] He cares for you. He loves you. He knows all your needs before you are even aware of what you need.

[00:28:46] This relationship that a child can have with a father is one of the most intimate personal

[00:28:51] relationships that they can have. Just using the name God or even coupling it with one of the other

[00:28:59] many adjectives that the Bible uses to describe God like compassionate God, gracious, loving,

[00:29:05] almighty God and so on. They fail to describe God completely. Oh but that title father?

[00:29:12] Heavenly Father? It not only describes his paternal love, guidance, protection and provision

[00:29:20] for his children but it also captures the depth and the breath of the relationship that is possible

[00:29:27] with him. One that is personal, intimate and vulnerable. And what Jesus wants you to know

[00:29:36] is that since you have a Heavenly Father who looks out for your needs, a sense of peace

[00:29:44] and contentment is the mindset that should govern your thoughts. So don't let your thoughts be held

[00:29:52] captive worrying about the what ifs because when you do, here's what you're doing, you're ignoring

[00:29:58] God's faithfulness. That's Jesus' fifth reason. Don't worry because it ignores how faithful

[00:30:05] God is to you. How about you? Has worry caused you to ignore God's faithfulness?

[00:30:15] I hope Jeremiah's 33 is an encouragement to you that God's faithfulness will never waver

[00:30:23] and he's reliable to keep his promises at the right time. The Lord said,

[00:30:28] I made a wonderful promise to Israel and Judah and the days are coming when I will keep it.

[00:30:43] Perhaps there are some of you who are feeling stressed, worried and anxious because

[00:30:51] you don't know God as your Father. You're not his child. And you see these blessings

[00:31:00] of the father-child relationship such as a forgiven life, abundant life and the eternal life,

[00:31:06] those are reserved only for those who belong to the family of God.

[00:31:11] Well, I have some good news for you. God has made a way for you to become a part of his family

[00:31:17] and enjoy these blessings. It's called the gospel. It's the good news that on the cross would Jesus

[00:31:27] paid off your sins penalty by absorbing your punishment. And if you want to benefit from

[00:31:35] this, it's simple repent of your sin. Trust that what Jesus did on the cross was sufficient to

[00:31:43] pay off your penalty and commit to follow Jesus without conditions or excuses. When you do this,

[00:31:53] you will be forgiven, made right with God and immediately be accepted by God as your heavenly

[00:31:59] Father. Jesus is commanding all of us. Do not worry. Do you need to be rescued from worry?

[00:32:17] I've got good news for you too. The same gospel that rescued you from sin

[00:32:27] is the same gospel that can rescue you from everything you're worrying about.

[00:32:32] How do I know? Read this, what Paul wrote in Romans 8.

[00:32:38] Since he did not spare even his own son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us

[00:32:46] everything else? Do you want to stop being afflicted by worry?

[00:32:57] In verses 33 and 34, Jesus reveals the remedy to the affliction of worry. Seek the kingdom of

[00:33:04] God above all else and live righteously and he will give you everything you need.

[00:33:12] In this verse, Jesus instructing believers to not be consumed by what we need to survive

[00:33:20] but by a higher more meaningful spiritual priority seeking God's kingdom and living

[00:33:27] righteously. In other words, if you want to be delivered from the torment of worry,

[00:33:33] instead of being concerned about what you're going to eat like unbelievers do,

[00:33:38] let your chief, all-consuming, all-absorbing concern be what concerns your heavenly Father.

[00:33:46] Make discovering and doing his will the primary pursuit of your life.

[00:33:51] Make God's priorities your priorities and you will be free.

[00:33:56] So here's the remedy for worry. Replace your worries with God's priorities.

[00:34:04] Replace your worries with God's priorities. What are God's priorities? Well, I'd be remiss

[00:34:13] if I didn't mention we've just been in Micah and this was spoken about in Micah 6 verse

[00:34:20] 8. The Lord has told you what's good. This is what he requires. You want to know

[00:34:25] his priorities, do what is right. Be fair, just and equitable. Love mercy. Be compassionate, kind

[00:34:35] and forgiving. Walk humbly with your God. Approach your life with enough humility to

[00:34:42] rely on God for everything. If you want to be delivered by worry, make God's priorities

[00:34:51] your priorities. How about worrying about the approximately three billion people on planet

[00:34:59] earth who have never heard about Jesus because they have limited or no access to the gospel?

[00:35:05] Listen, if you really want to worry about something, worry about the unbelievers around

[00:35:09] the world who are languishing in prison, being persecuted, suffering for their faith

[00:35:14] or for some poor folks who rarely get a good meal. And why are you worrying about those things?

[00:35:22] Why not worry about the fatherless child who has no one to show him how to be a godly man?

[00:35:29] Let that consume your thoughts. Worry about the single mom struggling to make ends meet,

[00:35:35] the kid in your own home who needs some attention more of his parents or your friend who's lost,

[00:35:43] lonely and only a phone call away. Why not worry about how to engage in your church's mission

[00:35:51] and help make Calvary Monterey the kind of church God wants it to be? How do you stop the cycle of

[00:35:57] worry, dead in its tracks, replace your worries with God's priorities? And when you do this,

[00:36:05] this will reorient your attention. It will upend your concerns and it will turn them

[00:36:16] towards God's concerns. And since they are his concerns, you don't have to worry

[00:36:25] because he's the one who's responsible to make his priorities happen. And you just,

[00:36:31] you get to go along for a ride. How do you stop worrying? Verse 34 gives you another remedy for

[00:36:39] worry, so don't worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's troubles

[00:36:47] is enough for today. Now I understand that for a chronic worrier this whole thing might feel

[00:36:56] irresponsible to stop worrying because one of the ways that you rationalize,

[00:37:03] one of the ways that you rationalize it is under the banner of caring and careful planning.

[00:37:09] Well that's not what Jesus is saying. He's not saying that it's wrong to plan. That's healthy.

[00:37:15] That's responsible. Jesus is commanding us not to be overly fixated on tomorrow because

[00:37:21] he wants to free us from the misconception that we bear the ultimate responsibility for tomorrow.

[00:37:30] So here's a second remedy for worry. Receive God's permission not to worry. This command

[00:37:39] is God giving you permission to not feel responsible. As we close, I want to give

[00:37:49] you a writing assignment to drive this point home. Go ahead and take out those postcards that you were

[00:37:54] given, and you reach giving a writing utensil. Don't start writing. You don't know what you're

[00:38:04] going to write. Okay? What we are going to do is we are going to write a postcard to God.

[00:38:16] Okay? If this is too old school for you, you can send him a text or an email later.

[00:38:24] But for right now, we're going old school. Okay? Follow me. Ready? Everybody got their pen out?

[00:38:31] Dear God, comma, when you're done look up at me. Ready? I resign as general manager of the universe.

[00:39:00] Period. You can write more later or your own rendition later and then sign it with your name.

[00:39:09] My name is Manny. I've got some good news for you. God accepts your resignation.

[00:39:30] Now, this isn't a one-time exercise. Anytime you need to eradicate worry,

[00:39:39] I want you to receive God's permission and step down, resign from your position as general

[00:39:48] manager of the universe. That's why I love Mary Crawley's quote. She said, every evening,

[00:39:57] I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway. So maybe that guy at

[00:40:07] the front end with that story was right. He's got somebody else to worry about his worries.

[00:40:16] Is joy being suffocated out of your life by worry? Is it crushing you? Does worry cloud your ability

[00:40:27] to prioritize the more important aspects of your life? Listen, when you allow worry to dominate you,

[00:40:42] the fear, the anxiety, the stress that follows, it's not becoming of us who identify as children

[00:40:53] of God. Why? Because it's not an accurate representation of our God's character.

[00:41:03] He is your Heavenly Father. He's good. He values you. He is trustworthy and faithful.

[00:41:16] He loves you and cares for you. And this is why Jesus said, this is why Jesus commands you.

[00:41:26] Do not worry.

[00:41:32] Thank you for listening. If you would like more teachings and information about Calvary Monterey,

[00:41:37] please visit Calvary.com. You can also find books, teachings through the Bible,

[00:41:42] and articles from our lead pastor at NateHoldridge.com. Thanks again for tuning in. See you next week.