Is Worry a Sin?
A Tough Truth to Swallow
To Jesus, worry isn’t just a sin, it’s an insult. (Maureen Puccini)
Is worry a sin?
Yes. But it also damages our ability to trust God
Moses’ generation of Israelites saw more earth-shaking miracles then any other believers in history. But the adults who followed Moses out of Egypt all died in the wilderness. They complained, whined and endlessly grumbled, until the Lord had had enough and decided only Caleb and Joshua son of Nun would live to enter the Promised Land.
They alone were faithful.
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? (Numbers 14:11 NIV)
Strong words. The Lord sounds offended, doesn’t He?
How We Choose to Respond Matters
Moses’ followers kept picking fear over faith. They grumbled instead of praising the Lord and meditating on all His past miracles. They indulged in self-pity too.
Every time a difficult situation came up, they chose to worry instead of running to God. Unfortunately, indulging in fear led to repeated failure, disobedience and rebellion.
Worry is a choice. But it can also be an addiction. I’ve been a Christian for decades. But my mind still runs “what if” scenarios, unless I deliberately stop myself. It’s an ongoing battle, but I’m beginning to win.
My Spiritual Point
Here’s a startling truth. Experiencing miracles doesn’t increase our ability to trust God. Do you know what does? Actively choosing to trust God while going through tough times. Because trusting our Good Shepherd isn’t a feeling; it’s a choice.
This image came from Pixabay.com.
Editor’s Note: Joshua and Caleb were the only two exceptions when God judged their generation and decided all adults were unfit to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:28-30).
