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Following is an excerpt of "Lifestyles of the Content and Worry-Free (9 of 12)" by Keith Krell added on 10/23/2009.
This content is part of a series.
Lifestyles of the Content and Worry-Free (9 of 12)
Series: Counter-Cultural Christianity
Keith Krell
Matthew 6:25-34

One morning Death was walking into a city when a man stopped him and asked what he was doing. Death answered, "I'm going into the city to kill 10,000 people." The man replied, "That's terrible that you would kill 10,000 people." Death responded, "Taking people when their time has come is my job. Today I have to get my 10,000." Later, as Death was coming out of the city, the man met him. Again, he was furious. He said, "You told me this morning that you were going to take 10,000 people, but 70,000 died today." Death answered, "Don't get mad at me. I only took 10,000. Worry killed all the rest."

Worry has an uncanny knack for killing people. The poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) wrote, "The reason why worry kills more people than work is because more people worry than work." Seriously, worry has become an American pastime. For many people, worry has become so ingrained in their personalities that once the old worries are gone they search for new ones. They've become dependent on worry as a lens through which to view life, and they've forgotten any other way to live. Is there reason to be worried today? Most people would say there is. High energy costs, a worsening economy, rogue nuclear nations, threats of terrorism, widespread job layoffs, and tension in the Middle East—all these make for uncertain times. Economic stress is taking its toll on Americans' emotional and physical health. Surveys show that more than half of Americans report irritability, anger, fatigue, or sleeplessness. Almost half say they self-medicate by overeating or indulging in unhealthy foods. Money and the economy topped the list of stressors for at least 80 percent of those surveyed. Finances now overshadow the more typical daily stressors of work and relationships.

Fortunately, in the midst of a world of "worry-warts," Jesus isn't worried. Even better, He has a definitive Word for you. In Matthew 6:25-34, He says, "Don't worry, be hopeful." Now there are some passages in the New Testament that are difficult to interpret, but this is not one of them. Jesus uses the word "worry" six times and He says, "Don't worry" three times. Jesus is against high anxiety and unhealthy worry. Consequently, He provides two reasons you shouldn't worry.

1. Worry is an exercise in futility (6:25-30). Jesus promises to meet your needs because He cares for you. He begins this section with a negative command: "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on" (6:25a). The phrase "For this reason" ties back to 6:24. Jesus' point is: If you can't serve God and money, then you can't worry about the material things that money can buy. The phrase "do not be worried" can be literally translated "stop worrying." Jesus wants His followers to stop worrying ov ...

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