Words That Worry
Words That Worry Me
Dr. Vince Hefner, Pastor
First Baptist Church, Cherryville, N.C.
We all have them in our lives, certain words that worry us and make our lives miserable. It makes no difference how old you are, once you learn any language, you are going to hear some things that trouble your soul and rob your life of joy. However, the older you get the very words that worried you might just become words of peace. When I was a child, I didn’t want to hear, “It’s time to go to bed,” or, “It’s nap time.” Now that I have received an invitation to join the AARP club, I look forward to going to bed, and anytime is a good time for a nap! When I was a child I was worried when I heard, “Time to get ready to visit your grandparents.” I loved seeing my grandparents, but I would get carsick riding up the mountain to see my family in Altapass. Today, I would give anything I owned to see my grandparents again, to go into their homes and to be welcomed by their love and acceptance. I do look forward to seeing their Heavenly homes and to feel once again what I felt as a child.
When I was a youth I didn’t like to hear, “Driver’s license and registration, please.” After presenting these items to the officer, he would then say something else that would cause you to worry, “Do you know why I stopped you?” I always thought this was a trick question, because the reason he stopped me might be different than the reason I thought. I didn’t want to give out too much information, so I would just say, “No officer, but I’m sure you have a good reason!” As a matter of fact, I don’t like to hear those words now!
The reason certain words make you worry is because of what could take place next. Take for instance when you have to fly to a destination that is too far to drive. Since I don’t like to fly, I am always hearing words that make me worry. When the pilot announces over the intercom that we are “cruising” at 28,000 feet, I get worried. Since I don’t like heights, I find it unnecessary to tell everybody how far we are away from the earth. I believe there are certain things a man doesn’t need to know, like how far he is up in the air without a parachute. Then the flight crew tries to make you feel better by telling you about the floatation device under your seat, in case the plane winds up in water. O great, something else to worry about! The last time I flew the pilot said, “Folks, thanks for flying with us today, we will be ‘on the ground’ in about 10 minutes.” I know what he meant that we would be landing safely in about 10 minutes, but he didn’t say that. He said with all certainty, “We are going to be on the ground.” That’s not what I wanted to hear. I see things on the ground everyday that I don’t want to be a part of, like a car wreck, or a fire, even a traffic jam. These things are all “on the ground” but it is a worry to be involved in any of them.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be worried about anything. Sooner or later, I am going to have to decide what I am going to let worry me and what I am going to ignore, because worrying will not help the outcome. Jesus knew that mankind had a tendency to worry about things that humans can’t control. John 14:27 tells us, “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.” These are words you can count on because the One who spoke them has the power to deliver what He says. Are you trusting in the words of Jesus right now? I know that Jesus doesn’t want you to live with worry, and when you choose to live by His words, worry will not have dominion in your life. This is a great way to live! Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!