“Let not your heart be troubled…”
Borrowed Troubles
Billy Graham
“Let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God … will guard your hearts and minds.”
—Philippians 4:6–7, NKJV
No troubles distress the mind and wear upon the nerves like borrowed troubles.
As someone has written, “Worry is an old man with a bent head, carrying a load of feathers he thinks is lead.”
Worry about what might happen makes even the smallest trouble seem huge. Nervously anticipating troubles that may never happen can crush our spirit. Instead of “borrowing trouble” by constantly worrying about the future, listen instead to Jesus’ promise: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
Whatever is worrying you right now, give it to Jesus and trust Him to take care of it. Let His peace replace your worry.
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Think about the amount of time you spend worrying about the future. How would your life change if you spent those moments in worship? Beginning today, choose to be a worshiper instead of a worrier.
A question & Billy Graham’s answer…
Q:
Is it a sin to worry about the future and all the bad things that might happen to me and my family (as well as the world)? I admit I’m a worrier, but what’s really wrong with that?
A:
It’s not necessarily wrong, of course, to give thought to the future and prepare for it to the best of our ability. As the Bible says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways” (Proverbs 14:8).
But this isn’t the same thing as worrying about the future or spending all our time fretting about everything that might (or might not) go wrong. When we do that, we easily become overly stressed and emotionally paralyzed—and may even become physically ill. More than that, we find ourselves worrying about things we can’t control or do anything about—so why worry about them? Jesus said, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27).
But the real reason we shouldn’t let worry overcome us is because it keeps us from trusting God. The cure to worry is trust—trust in God, and trust in His love and protection. God loves us, and the proof is Jesus Christ, who gave His life for our salvation. If we can trust God for our eternal salvation, can’t we also trust Him for our daily needs? Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).
Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ. Then ask Him to help you put your worries into His hands every day. When anxieties come, bring them to God in prayer. When worries threaten, answer them with God’s promises. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Cast your cares on Christ today.
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