As per the Happiness report of 2025, Israel despite all the pain of the war of past two years and hostile neighbours, is at seventh place while India is at 118th. Living happily or being excessively worried depends on the attitude of an individual rather than on the situation all around, though that also affects. After committing the sin of disobedience, Adam and Eve hid from God for fear and worry. But does God desire all of humanity to live in fear and constant worry?
Real causes of worry – Worry is a state of mind coming from a mixture of fear and uncertainty. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve hid from the ‘presence of the LORD god among the trees of the garden’ out of fear (Genesis 3:8-10). The fear was from the reaction of God due to their sin of disobedience. Before this they had the presence of God with them and little doubt about the future. After they were pushed out of the garden, uncertainty about everything started.
The ground was cursed, thorns and thistles with the herb of the field appeared and one has to struggle to provide for the family (Genesis 3:18-19). From that point onwards labour, that was joyful bringing satisfaction, would be mixed with pain and hardship. The abundant provision of God in the garden was reduced to ‘herbs of the field’ for their sustenance. The choices we make, not only affect us but our family and others around us. God’s grace and redemption become a necessity to face the struggles that come from our shortcomings and sinful nature. It also teaches us about diligence in every sphere of life; our relationship with God, with others around us and even with the natural elements. Each ‘thorn and thistle’ that comes in our way brings a hurdle to be crossed and every day brings worries. It tests the strength of our faith in God as well as in our family relationships.
It was this strain that caused Eve to say at the birth of her son Cain, ‘I have acquired a man from the LORD’ (Genesis 4:1). The desire to be counted better than the other person led Cain to murder his brother Abel, for God did not ‘respect Can and his offering’ (Genesis 4:6:8). God destroyed everything on the earth through the flood, while saving a nucleus in the ark that Noah and his family had made under God’s command (Genesis 7-8).
Sin not only led people away from God to follow their own ways but also created divisions in the society. Nimrod became ‘a mighty hunter before the LORD’ for he established the first kingdom on earth and he hunted for mankind to subdue and control them (Genesis 10:8-11). The ‘beginning of his kingdom was Babel’, which is considered to be the place of devil’s rule on earth till the day of judgement. The natural progression to this was the effort of mankind to reach heaven by their own efforts, exactly what the devil had attempted earlier in heaven. People got together in Shinar and decided to ‘build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens’ (Genesis 11:4). Sin brought an inherent fear in mankind to somehow control God and thus escape His judgement.
Cain was worried that God would prefer Abel and he may miss out on His blessings. Since man has to labour to get his food from the earth and its dependence on natural elements of rain at the right time and in the right amount, this added to the worry. The curse that fell on the woman brought in a separate set of worries about having a child (Genesis 3:16). Barrenness and the curse that her ‘desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’ added to it. To get married; that also to a suitable person and then making adjustments for both become a challenge. Then the pregnancy, birth of a healthy child along with their bringing up, bring their own worries. Life of a man and woman became a line of worries which bring disease and resultant stress.
The financial, social, physical and material status separated society and the state of women was the worst hit. In the Jewish and adjoining society in the areas of Lord Jesus’ arrival, even the witness of a woman was not regarded. The curse of Genesis 3:16 of creation was turned into the blessings by God as declared by John 3:16. God poured out His love on all of mankind in His Son, the Saviour Messiah. Mary, the mother of our Lord, received the Good News of His birth through her (Luke 1:34 -38). Her only question to angel Gabriel was, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ On being informed about the work of the Holy Spirit and ‘the power of Highest’ overshadowing her, she could surrender in faith.
A girl betrothed to a man had to wait for a certain number of years to fully grow up for the final ceremony. Any violation of the laid down code would result in cancellation of marriage, bringing shame for the whole family. Also stoning to death of such a woman was the norm. All this must have come to Mary’s mind, while listening to angel Gabriel. She put aside all such worries to say, ‘Behold the maidservant of the LORD! Let it be to me according to your word’. The first step to stop worrying is to accept in faith that God allows in our lives and then pray for His hand to touch and rescue from that situation.
Why doesn’t God remove the causes of worry? God did not bring worry and pain into our lives, for He had created an absolutely perfect world. On completion of all acts of creation He ‘saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31). Immediate correction was made by Him to correct the loneliness of man by creating a woman (Genesis 2:21-22). The good of all creation was right in front of Adam and Eve to enjoy and they were warned from uncovering the hidden. Experiencing evil, and with that letting that dominate their lives, through eating the Forbidden Fruit, was clearly foretold. We take many actions in our lives fully aware of the evil results that will come, under the pretence of taking risks.
God came looking for Adam and Eve in the garden, as per earlier schedule, despite knowing all about their sin. To counter the kingdom of Satan set up by Nimrod in Babylon, God chose Abram and asked him to move out from under that rule in Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan. God chose his descendants to represent Him before others and to set up His dwelling with them. They were given the Ten Commandments to live as per His ways and even provided a way of forgiveness of their trespasses through animal sacrifices (Numbers 20). His chosen people even after witnessing innumerable miracles, leading to their freedom from slavery of Egypt, went astray in sin.
Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land with the hand of God helping them in battle after battle. After distributing every one’s portion, he called an assembly of the people at Shechem. After reminding them about the work of God for them, he provided them the right way to live and the other option also. He told them, ‘if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell’ (Joshua 24:15). He had perceived their inclination for evil to say this and then add, ‘But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD’. Any person who has full knowledge of what is right, and yet walks on the wrong path, will definitely suffer.
Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, like Joshua, preached the same message to the ‘rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiphas, John and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest’ (Acts 4:5-6 & 12-13). His message was clear, there is no ‘salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’. The Jewish leaders did not concern themselves with the message but marvelled at their boldness. Then ‘they realized that they had been with Jesus’ and this had made the ‘uneducated and untrained men’ learned in God’s ways.
God sent His Son to suffer and die for our sins to free us from all the darkness around us. God issued an open call to all of humanity buried under the weight of their daily struggles of faith to come and surrender their worries to Him. We find rest in Him, for He strengthens us to face every situation in His power. The struggles remain but when we see the truth, we are able to face any situation. The exact truth is, ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). Lies of the devil forced the exit of mankind from the blessings of ‘the Eden Garden’ and God’s presence.
The truth of His Living Word cleansed us of all our sins and made us part of His family. In this blessed state, since we do not know ‘what we should pray for’, the Indwelling Holy Spirit, who knows the will of God the Father and the Son, concerning us, ‘makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). On earth, we have an intercessor who prays for strength and guidance for us to walk in obedience to His will. In heaven we have our Saviour Lord Jesus ‘our great High Priest’ (Hebrews 4:14). Lord Jesus as our High Priest receives our prayers and presents them before the Father, for fulfilment. God has done all that to ensure our total care and protection and we have no reason to keep on focussing on things that are beyond our control.
Overcoming worries – During the time of solar eclipse, does the light and heat of the sun decrease in any way? The only thing that happens is that the moon comes in the way and it obstructs the flow of that light and heat from reaching that part of the earth. During that short period nothing changes in the sun or the moon. During our times of trials, the inherent glory of God in us gets partially eclipsed. It could be because of God’s plan to test our faith, for the reason of our faith in the Lord, the result of our own deeds opening a way for the devil to affect us, the result of the sinful works of our ancestors or curses pronounced on us and many other reasons.
The prayer of the Lord on earth as our Saviour to the Father in heaven has two points for such situations (John 17:15 & 22). First, He prayed, ‘I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one’. This is in line with what we are asked to pray, ‘Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13). He came with the glory, power and strength from heaven, but He declared, ‘The son can do nothing of Himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’ (John 5:19). Lord Jesus as our High Priest gives honour and glory to the Father in everything, not because He does not have the power and authority but for reverence. He hears our prayers and at the right time always delivers an answer, though there may be hindrances in that, caused by the forces of evil like in Prophet Daniel’s prayers (Daniel 10:12-13).
The second part of His prayer to the Father is about equipping us to face any situation. He prayed, ‘And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one, just as We are one’. His glory is His presence in us, His Word, His power over forces of darkness and the radiance of His light in us to reflect that to others. It is also about unity in the church to share in the pain as much as in abundance.
We must remember, firstly, that worrying will change nothing. Lord Jesus has taught us, ‘which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?’ (Luke 12:25-26). Worrying is like birds flying in the air as thoughts in the mind and we have allowed them to make their nest in our heads. Keep on declaring faith in His Word to counter such thoughts.
Two, live one day at a time. We are told about the goodness of our God, ‘who daily bears our burdens/ loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation’ (Psalm 68:19). He is ready and willing but only if we are also willing to let Him. It is not that we should not plan for tomorrow but not to worry about that.
Three, believe that God is able and ready to take care of our needs. Lord Jesus has taught, ‘your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things’ (Matthew 6:32). God knows what we need and having been chosen by Him we can be sure of His provisions also. Comparing an earthly father with our Father in heaven, our Lord taught us about faith. He said, ‘if you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?’ (Matthew 7:11). He prepares us for giving us all that we ask but we do not want delays in answers to our prayers.
Four, seek God first. We are further taught by the Lord, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’. To seek is to live in obedience to His Word, His ways and His Being. Then we look unto God to do His will and He works for us to provide all that we need.
Most people keep on oscillating between one end to the other on the scale of worrying, like riding a swing. It takes us to both ends but never any specific spots for which we have to labour and get off. Spend that time on getting closer to God to seek the way, rather than keeping stuck in the depth of our own thoughts.
Apostle Peter did not worry about the raging storm and in faith, stepped out of the boat to walk on water. But the moment he turned his eyes from Lord Jesus and turned his focus on the waves and the storm, water immediately engulfed him. God has equipped us to achieve the impossible in the authority and power of His Son, but how many are willing and ready to step into the flooded Jordan River to cross and enter the Promised Land? That is what God desires from us to reach out and open the windows of heaven to flood us with hIs blessings!
