There I said it. It's a sin, and it's probably a sin that most Christians commit without even realizing it.
I know I struggle with it on a daily basis.
As a matter of fact...I've caught myself doing it today.
You may be thinking to yourself, "How is worry a sin, it's natural to be afraid of certain things?"
And you may be correct in saying that, but let me explain...
To be afraid of something means to have a fear of it, to have a fear means to have "an unpleasant emotion", and an emotion is defined as "a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances".
So in a nut shell, to be afraid means you have an unpleasant, natural, instinctive state of mind because for a certain set of current circumstances.
How is that different from worrying?
Well, to worry means to "give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles."
Notice there is nothing natural or distinctive about worry. Worry is making a choice to allow you mind to dwell continuously on something, be it a "difficulty of trouble" (or a fear).
So how does that make it a sin?
Well, it makes it a sin because by choosing to allow yourself to dwell on things that are most likely out of control, you are taking your eyes off of God and you are saying to Him, "I don't trust you to handle the curve balls that are thrown my way! You don't know what you are doing."
That's what I have to say about it, but just like all my other posts...we need to turn to Scripture and see what God Himself says about it:
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
There are many others verses that could be used, but these are the passages that I am most familiar with.
So in reading them, what do you take from it? I take that worry is good for absolutely nothing!
As I've heard it put before, "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you no where."
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