Don’t Worry Be Happy

20 Sep Don’t Worry Be Happy

As adults we often long for the happy carefree days of childhood that were filled with playing and singing. Responsibility has a way of replacing youthful recollections with a trail of worries: rent or mortgage; health issues; transportation; jobs; crime; and the general state of the world are but a few of the circumstances that encumber our thoughts.

The Bible teaches us ….

• Don’t worry about earthly lives-what we shall eat, drink, or wear because God provides these things. Matthew 6:25-33; Luke 12:22-31

• While imprisoned by the Romans, Paul’s letter to the Philippians reminds them not to worry but to rejoice no matter what their circumstances and God would grant them peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7).

• In 1 Peter 5:7  we are commanded to “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you”.

But how can we meet these high Biblical standards when even Jesus, well aware of the horrific torture he would soon endure on the cross, experienced a moment of human weakness and expressed very burdened human emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane? It was during that time that Jesus prayed ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42-44. Luke describes his anguish as so great that “his sweat was like drips of blood falling to the ground”. Long believed to be Biblical hyperbole, scientific evidence shows sweating blood, known as hematohidrosis, is possible, particularly during times of intense emotional duress (see here, here, and here for more information). 

There is good news. Data shows religious people, especially Christians, are happier than atheists, their secular neighbors and peers, as well as those belonging to most other world religions. Why? Some social scientist posit it is due to the social connections that come with church attendance, but I disagree. If that hypothesis was correct, Jews, Muslims and other non-Christian religions would share in the high happiness quotient. In my non-expert opinion it is because of our assurance of life after death. As Paul said in Romans 8:37-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”, and we as Christians share that outlook.

This Sunday we are honored to have General Presbyter John Molina-Moore in the pulpit preaching on the well-known text Luke 12:22-31 in which Jesus urges the crowd not to be anxious for earthly things such as food or clothing because God provides. The title of his sermon is “On To The Next”. If you can’t attend in person at 10:00 AM, watch live (or later) on our YouTube Channel.

As a little reminder to “be happy”,  I’m going to leave you with a video from the song that inspired the name of by blog post this week, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin.

Your Sister in Christ,

Shelly Good-Cook

Office Manager