LET GOD DO YOUR WORRYING
by Erwin Bourne_March 4, 2002
First let me ask you: Is worrying a sin? What does
the Bible say? Don’t worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and
thank him for all he has done (Phil. 4:6 NLT). This
old adage could bear some serious study: More people
die from worry than from hard work—because more people
worry. My childhood was shadowed by “black Tuesday,”
the day the banks went broke. The people of that
generation never completely got over it. Vs. 7
continues: If you do this, you will experience God’s
peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind
can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and
minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I remember from school days the poem of THE ANCIENT
MARINER. The swarthy seamen were plagued with foul
weather. The sails hung lifeless from the rigging.
The sailors were listless and mentally distressed.
They could brave winds and high seas—but the doldrums
subdued their spirits. An albatross flew low over the
deck, and the mariner struck and killed it. The
others thought this would bring bad luck, so they hung
it around the unfortunate man’s neck. Thus the
expression: “Like a dead albatross.”
And also, in my teens, I carried the dread weight of a
guilty conscience. I remember thinking, “If I get
saved, will this dread load fall off? When the
ancient mariner finally shook off the dead albatross,
a breeze rustled the sails above and soon they were
under full sail. The Psalmist writes in Ps. 32:3-4:
When I refused to confess my sin,
I was weak and miserable,
And I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline
Was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water
In the summer heat.
I’m not a worrywart. Years ago I confessed my sins to
God and I have surrendered my worries to Him as well.
We’ve never been so swamped with cares, but I Peter
5:7 reads: Give all your worries to him because he
cares for you.
Yours for OUTREACH AMAZON
—Erwin and Jean Bourne