1 Absolutely Essential Activity For Worry Free Living

Spend Time With Jesus & Watch The Worry Melt Away!

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

In this Bible story we see a pretty clear picture of most of us when it comes to worry through Martha’s experience. So often, we are so busy doing this thing and doing that thing, that we become overwhelmed and possible overextended.

Martha was busy and distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. I think it’s interesting that the story clearly says that she was distracted! But, distracted from what? What were all of her busy preparations keeping her from that she should have been doing? Once we can answer that question, we also reveal the 1 absolutely essential activity for a worry free life!

The story also reveals that Martha was worried and upset about many things! If the truth of the matter is made clear most people don’t worry about just one or two things. Worry for most people, including Christians, have become a lifestyle. Throughout life we have learned to worry about most things. We’ve watched our parents worry over this or that; we’ve seen our friends grip by worry; and the uncertainty of life has taught us that worry is the proper emotion to have. Through a worldly perspective it appears that most of life is filled with things to worry about.

But not only did the story tell us that she worried about also upset about many things. Being upset and worrying actually go together! When we are worried about something, its because that something is out of our control. We can’t beat it into submission. And when we can’t control something and worry begins to grip our hearts and mind, then we become angry at situations and in this people, Martha’s sister, Mary. Martha was upset with her sister because Mary wasn’t doing what Martha thought she should be doing. What was that? Helping her with the preparations.

So what is the one absolutely essential activity for experiencing a life without worry? It was what Mary was doing! Read again what Jesus says,

“… but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus starts off telling Martha that she’s a worry wart and that her sister helping her isn’t the solution to her worry. Not only was Mary not the solution to Martha’s worry but she actually was doing and being the example on how to get rid of that worry!

What was Mary doing? According to the story Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to everything Jesus was saying. Mary was spending time with Jesus; she was learning from Jesus; she was soaking in all that Christ had to offer and as a result Mary would be filled with peace and contentment and not worry or anxiety. So, what is that one essential activity to get rid of worry?

Spending Regular & Quality Time With Jesus!

When you do then all your worries will begin to melt away!

Here’s the lyrics to a great chorus that shares this message wonderfully:

“One thing is needful O my Father
One thing is needful O my God
That I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
This thing is needful O my Lord
(REPEAT)

Verse 2
I sit and worship You my Father
I sit and worship You my God
Lord I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
I sit and worship You my King
(REPEAT)

Verse 3
I lift my hands to You my Father
I lift my hands to You my God
Lord I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
I lift my hands to You my Lord”

For more information on how to live a powerful worry free life, check out this powerful book that was ranked as an Amazon #2 Best Seller in the categories of Missions/Missionary Work and Pastoral Counseling/Recovery. It is called LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY: Biblical Advice On Relieving An Anxious Heart.

In it you will learn about

• 6 Biblical principles

• and 5 Biblical practices that will lead you into a life without worry.

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION

WORRY THE DEBILITATING FACTOR FOR MISSIONAL LIVING

Photo by Fernando @cferdo on Unsplash

Christians all over the world experience unnecessary worry! They worry about health, they worry about finances, they worry about their children, they worry about being obedient to God, and the list could go on and on about the things that Christians worry about!

But for Christians who sincerely want to join Christ on His Great Commission, worry isn't only unnecessary but it is also debilitating! Why is i debilitating? Because is paralyzes you from doing the things that you really want to do or the things that you know you should do. I know of a person who decided not to graduate from college once they learned that they would required to take a speech class. You see they were worry and fearful over speaking in public and that worry crippled them from finishing school.

What's a follower of Christ to do? After all, isn't worry just a natural part of life, including a Christian's? Isn’t just something we need to accept as part of our life? Or, is it? Does God really want us to just deal with the fact that worry is a part of our life or is it part of God’s plan for you to live a worry free life now that you’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ?

I BELIEVE A WORRY FREE LIFE IS WHAT GOD’S WILL IS FOR OUR LIVES!

In the book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY you will discover that worry isn't part of God's plan for His children and it will serve as your guide on how you can rid your life of it forever. Before I tell you what you will learn from this book, let me first tell you what this book is not!

• First, this is not a book containing five easy steps to a more fulfilling and peaceful life.

• Second, this book isn't a watered down Christian self-help book that contains a bunch of fluff with no real spiritual substance or meat.

• Third, this book not a “Name It & Claim It” book. On the contrary, the pages contained in this book are going to challenge you beyond your level of comfort!

As matter of fact, as you read this book you may begin to wonder if you really want to live that worry free life! The Biblical principles that you will learn will sound totally counter intuitive to all that you have come to know about living a life without worry. You will learn that a life without worry is a life of denial; You will learn that obtaining that life will require you to die to yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Christ. It is a life of total submission in mind, heart, and will to the will of the resurrected Jesus.

This book will provoke you! I am not writing this book as a comfort to you but more to challenge you! I want to provoke you to rethink why you’re worried, why you allow those worries to paralyze you from joining Christ on His mission, and why God still has you in this world.

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY will teach you six Biblical principles and five Biblical practices for living a life free of worry. These principles are taken from a famous quote from the great missionary, Hudson Taylor and exemplified through his life of service.

So, with this warning clearly given, read at your own risk!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRK

A GUIDE TO A WORRY FREE LIFE – Part 2 Trusting In The Sovereignty Of God

“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is able to carry out His will for me.  It does not matter where He places me, or how.  That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones His grace is sufficient.” – Hudson Taylor

The prospect of attaining a worry free life is a wonderful proposition for many but has, at the same, seemed like a pie in the sky ideal that is completely unreachable.  The lesson we learned in Part 1 is that it’s not an unattainable goal but actually a completely Biblical one that Christians can make part of their daily lifestyle. 

We saw how both Hudson Taylor and the Apostle Paul claimed to achieve that state of being and we also learned that Jesus taught that living a worry free life should be the kind of life that His followers should experience.

In today’s lesson, we are going to learn where to start in the development of that worry free disposition.  Every journey starts with taking the first step.  So, today we are going to look at the first step in ridding our life from the stress, worry and anxiety that life throws at us.  

Lesson #2:  

Trusting In The Sovereignty Of God

We will start this lesson by looking at the second statement that Hudson Taylor made in his quote.

“ … I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will for me…” 

In this one short phrase, Hudson Taylor gives us the starting point for developing the worry free life that we’ve been talking about.  For him there could be no other first step.  All other subsequent steps are dependent upon this first step being actively embraced.  If a Christian fails to take this first step, then all the other steps are unattainable for this first step lays the foundation upon which to build all other steps. 

What is that first step?  It is simply this:  Trusting In The Sovereignty Of God!

While that may sound profound, what exactly does it mean?  To help us answer that question here’s a definition that resonates with me:

“God, as the ruler of the universe, has the right to do whatever He wants and whenever He wants and also has the ability and power to bring it about.”

In other words, God has both the authority and power to do whatever He decides to do.  It means that nothing is out of God’s control or outside His authority.  Or, you might even say that God’s will, will be done!

From this statement in Hudson Taylor’s quote, we can conclude that he came to the place in his walk with Christ that he sincerely believed that God is able and willing to accomplish whatever He has planned.  Taylor realized that there was no need to worry since God would be successful in accomplishing His endeavors.  He knew that God would be successful and would never fail. 

Taylor wasn’t concerned that people, in their sinful actions, would mess up God’s plans.  He wasn’t concerned that Satan with all of his scheming and deceitfulness could alter God’s will.  Why?  The answer is, because Taylor understood all of creation, whether angel, man, or demon, is under the complete authority of God.  Taylor truly believed that with just one word from God all of creation, both willing and unwilling, would do His bidding. 

Listen how the Bible describes the power and authority of God in Romans 9:19-21 (NIV):

“One of you will say to me: ‘Then why does God still blame us?  For who is able to resist his will?’  But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?  Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’  Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”

In this verse, the Apostle Paul asks a couple of rhetorical questions,

• “For who is able to resist God?”  And the obvious answer is, no one. 
• “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?”  And, again the answer is, no one.

Here’s the point of this whole verse: God is in control!  Nothing exists that is outside of God’s control.  This was something that Hudson Taylor understood and believed in the very depths of his heart, and it was the foundation that brought him peace and allowed him to live a worry free life.

 Hudson Taylor also applied this truth to his own life!  Take a look at that quote again.  Notice that it says, 

“…I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will for me…”

The last two words at the end of the quote make it so powerful and so personal at the same time.  The phrase, “For me,” is so powerful.  Why?  The reason is because if one doesn’t truly believe that the truths of God apply to them personally then they will never experience them personally.   Hudson Taylor could say that he no longer got anxious about things because he applied the truth of God’s sovereignty to his own life.

How peaceful and restful it is when we finally come to the place where we truly know and believe that nothing is able to hinder or prevent God’s will from being worked out in us and through us.  Think about it for just a moment.  Other people cannot mess up God’s will for your life. You can’t even mess God’s will for your life!

Once a person truly understand and believes, with their whole heart, that God is truly and completely in control and His will, will be done there’s no need to worry. THINK ABOUT IT:

• Worrying about something will not change God’s will!  
• Stressing over the outcome of something is not going to change what God has planned.
• Being filled with stress about whether or not something is going to happen is not going to change the final outcome.  

Jesus said it well in Matthew 6:27,

 “Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worry?’

 The obvious answer is “No.”  And here’s the lesson: Worrying over something cannot change what is or will be! 

• God has made you so tall so accept it and stop worrying about! 
• God had you born into a certain family.  Deal with it and stop stressing over it. 
• Worrying over something has never changed the facts or the outcome!

 If we truly want to join Hudson Taylor and the Apostle Paul in a worry free life, then three things need to take place:

1. We must become convinced that God is fully and totally in control of all things, including our own lives;
2. Understand there’s absolutely nothing we can do to change His will.
3. Total surrender of our lives to the care and control of God.

Once we successfully accomplish those three things, we will have laid the foundation from which a worry free life can be built. 

Click Here To Read Part 1

A GUIDE TO A WORRY FREE LIFE!

“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is able to carry out His will for me. It does not matter where He places me, or how.  That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones His grace is sufficient.”

― James Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor was the great missionary that came from England to China.  Many of his quotes have been persevered over the years that allow us to learn some valuable lesson into missional living. 

One of the biggest lessons that we need to learn is how to join God on His mission without being overwhelmed with worry and anxiety.  Experiencing God’s peace in the midst of trials, tribulations and the lack of resources is an essential disposition for all Christians to have especially if they are going to brightly shine the Light of Christ.

From Hudson Taylor’s quote, we learn how to develop that worry free disposition so that we are able to join him in saying, 

“I am no longer anxious about anything.”

Can you say that for yourself?  Are you free from worry or do you still get a little anxious or maybe even extremely stressed out about uncertain circumstances? 

Over the next few posts, we are going to learn those lessons that Hudson Taylor learned in living a worry free life and how we can apply them to our life.  There’s a total 7 of them. 

Lesson #1:  Embrace The Reality Of A Worry Free Life  

Again, what did Hudson Taylor say? Read it one more time and let it really sink in!

"I am no longer anxious about anything ..."

WOW! What a claim! He is saying that he has come to a point in his growth in Christ that he is no longer gets anxious, no longer worries about or gets stressed out over the things of this life.  

He is saying that he was experiencing the worry free life.

Hudson Taylor believed that the worry free life was not only a possibility but also something that every Christian should seek after and attain.

What are we to conclude about such a statement? We can come to the conclusion that Hudson Taylor was either:

• Liar that is making statements that are not true. Or,
• Deluded and was not in his right mind. Or, 
• Truthful and he truly was experiencing a worry free life.

But before we get to far along in judging Hudson Taylor let's take a look at what the Apostle Paul had to say about the topic of worry and about experiencing personal contentment. (My Definition Of Contentment Is: The state of mind that is freed from a life of worry).

"Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Do you see it there?  Paul is basically saying the same thing that Hudson Taylor said.  Paul is telling us that there is no need to be anxious about anything!  What does “anything” include?  It includes everything.  In other words, there is absolutely nothing that you will go through in life that you need to worry about if your life is in Christ.  Those that belong to Jesus have no need to worry about anything!  That’s exactly what this verse is teaching.

So, if the Bible is telling us to stop worrying then it must be possible to do!

There's no question in Paul's mind that living a worry free life is not only possible but also should be expected!

Paul doesn't stop there.  He goes on to tell people what to do when the circumstances of life are uncertain.  Paul clearly instructs us to to stop the worrying, which is our normal response to uncertainty, and start praying about it.

In other words, do an exchange! Instead of worrying over the uncertainties of life exchange that activity with the activity of talking to God about it.  Place your faith in the god who's not uncertain about what the future hold but actually controls it.

PRAYER IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR THAT MUST BE NURTURED IF WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE A WORRY FREE LIFE!

Paul says in Philippians 4:12 that he has discovered the "SECRET OF BEING CONTENT"! Isn't it interesting that the Apostle Paul refers to contentment as being a secret?  Why would he do that? Maybe it's because this contentment that so many of us are striving for is also what has alluded us so often and hard to hold onto! 

This contentment that Paul is talking about is to be found in any and every situation! Not just some situations but in all situations and circumstances.  Meditate on that thought for a just a little bit!

• Do you really think that is possible?
• Do you believe what the Bibles teach on the reality of this spiritual condition?
• And wouldn't having that contentment in every situation be a marvelous state of mind on a moment-by-moment and situation-by-situation basis?

And then Paul shares what that secret is in Philippians 4:13,

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

The secret of contentment is trusting in Christ who helps us do all things and specifically being content in the midst of the most uncertain of situations.  It is clear that the Apostle totally agrees with Hudson Taylor that a worry free life is the expected life style of God's people.

BOTH HUDSON TAYLOR AND THE APOSTLE PAUL AGREE - THE WORRY FREE LIFE IS EXPECTED AND DESIRED LIFESTYLE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE!

But, just in case you think that both the Apostle Paul and Hudson Taylor were crazy let's also take a look at what Jesus himself had to say about a worry free life.

In Matthew 6:25-43 Jesus talks about worry at length as part of the Sermon On The Mount. Let's look at a couple of statements that Jesus made about worry and how to view it:

• "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." (v. 25)
• "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." (v. 28)
• "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?" (v. 31)
• "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (v. 34)

Did you notice that in the spam of 9 verses Jesus instructed us four different times NOT TO WORRY!  Basically Jesus was saying,

"STOP WORRYING"

What does that tell us about Jesus position on being anxious or worried?  Simple this:  It’s not part of the lifestyle that He has planned for His disciples to have, it's an unnecessary activity and if we are chronically suffering from a lifestyle of worry we are not experiencing the life he has intended for us to live.

But before you experience that stress free – worry free life you have to embrace that kind of lifestyle as attainable.  In order to get there you have to believe that others have made it and that you can too, with Christ help and strength, can make it.

NO ONE CAN EXPERIENCE A WORRY FREE LIFE IF THEY DON’T BELIEVE IT’S POSSIBLE!

The starting point is to just to believe that with Christ and through Christ an anxious free life is possible.  

So, are you ready to take the plunge?  Are you ready to draw the line in the sand and declare that it is God’s will that you no longer worry about anything but pray about everything and allow the peace of God that transcends all understanding to guard your heart from disappointments and your mind from confusion, as you stand firm in the contentment that Christ provides you regardless of the circumstances God allows you to go through, rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, slave or free? 

Are you ready?

If so, you are one step closer to making the worry free life your reality!

 Click Here To Read Part 2