October 1, 2026
I recently read about a woman who worried for forty years that cancer would lead to her death. Eventually, at the age of 70, she died of pneumonia. She wasted 33 years of her life worrying about the wrong thing.
I’ve never read about a gravestone that read, “He died of worry,” yet many could. Certainly, as with many negative emotions, worry and anxiety can sabotage a person's health, both physical and mental.
Recognizing the dangers of worry, Jesus devoted a significant section of His Sermon on the Mount to the subject. After speaking about the futility of worry and the assurance of God’s provision, the Lord concluded with these words: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NASB). As we focus on the words, ponder the following:
“Seek first His Kingdom”- Winning the battle over worry begins with God. Eliminate anxious thoughts by replacing them with a Spirit-led focus on Him. As Scripture promises, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NASB). Spending time in solitude, His Word, and committed believers plays a vital role in this endeavor.
Seeking first His kingdom requires that we develop an eternal perspective. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Paul writes, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Truth be told, as Christians, we are “aliens and strangers” on this sin-stained ball that circles around in space (John 18:36, Colossians 3:2, I Peter 2:11).
An old Scottish proverb says, “What may be, may not be.” This brings to mind a story about J Arthur Rank, an English executive who decided to do all his worrying on one day of the week. When something happened to cause anxiety or aggravate his ulcer, he wrote it down and blocked it out of his mind until the following Wednesday. Interestingly, when he opened his worry box each Wednesday, he discovered that most of what bothered him the previous week had been settled. The majority of our worries are like that, baseless and unnecessary.
“All these things shall be added unto you”- By all these things, Jesus was referring to the basics of life, such as food and clothing. God provided manna for the Israelites throughout their forty years of wilderness wandering. In a time of drought, Elijah was first fed by ravens and then through a poor widow. David acknowledged, “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging for bread” (Psalm 37:25 NASB).
It’s hard for many people to relate in these materialistic, consumer-driven times in which we live. With pantries and closets full, it’s hard for many to relate to Jesus’ words.
Yet, rather than eliminating worry, having plenty presents a different kind of worry. What if someone sues or steals from me? Will I have enough to last me through retirement? Is another economic crash on the horizon? What if I end up spending my children’s inheritance on a nursing home?
Connie Mack, who managed teams from 1894 to 1950, is the winningest coach in Major League Baseball history with 3,731 victories. He didn’t start out so good, however, as his teams finished sixth, seventh, and eighth in his first three seasons. Taking the blame for these bad outcomes, he demoted himself to the minor leagues to learn how to better handle his players. Returning later to the majors, he was very successful, developing the best teams the world had seen up to that point.
Mack possessed a key trait that aided his coaching--he didn’t worry. “I discovered,” he explained, “that worry was threatening to wreck my career as a baseball manager. I saw how foolish it was and I forced myself to get so busy preparing to win games that I had no time left to worry over the ones that I had already lost. You can’t grind grain with water that has already gone down the creek.”
The battle over worry is winnable. Seek God first, preparing yourself for bountiful blessings, not only in this life, but in the one to come as well.
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Todd Gaddis is a semi-retired minister living in Athens. He continues to serve as an interim pastor and can be reached at jtoddgaddis@gmail.com.
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