Worry 

Carl Pollard

Worry has a way of feeling productive when it’s actually doing nothing but draining you. You lay in bed and replay conversations. You think through every possible outcome. You try to get ahead of problems that haven’t even happened yet. And somewhere in your mind, it feels like you’re doing something helpful. But Jesus says something very different.

In Matthew 6:27, Jesus asks, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” In other words, what has worry ever actually fixed? Nothing!  Worry feels like we are somehow in control, but it’s really just fear wearing a disguise.

And if we’re honest, worry isn’t just about circumstances. It’s about trust. That’s why Jesus goes straight to the heart of it in Mattew 6:30, “O you of little faith.” That stings a little, but it’s meant to. Because every anxious thought is a subtle moment where we’re choosing to carry something God never asked us to carry.

The God who feeds birds and clothes the lilies is the same God who knows your situation in detail. He’s not guessing. He’s not reacting. He’s already there. So when we worry, we’re not just dealing with stress. We’re stepping into a role that doesn’t belong to us.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” That’s not a suggestion for the calm days. That’s a command for the chaotic ones. Notice what replaces worry, prayer! Not overthinking everything, prayer.

And not just prayer, but thankful prayer. Even before the answer comes (like Hannah, smiling and joyful before God even answered her). That means when your mind starts running, that’s your cue. Not to keep thinking harder, but to start talking to God more.

Worry shrinks your world down to what you can see. Faith lifts your eyes to what God sees. You don’t have to figure everything out immediately. You don’t have to solve tomorrow before it gets here. Jesus already said, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

So handle today. Trust God with tomorrow. And when worry starts knocking, don’t invite it in. Take it to God immediately. Because peace isn’t found in having all the answers, it’s found in knowing the One who does!