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Do Not Worry - How to Find Peace in Anxious Times
October 7, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Learn the difference between destructive worry and constructive concern for a better life in Christ.
Series Hope Talks Podcast Videos October 7, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min · Hope Talks Podcast Videos
Learn the difference between destructive worry and constructive concern for a better life in Christ. ...more Show the full description Show less Learn the difference between destructive worry and constructive concern for a better life in Christ.
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Understanding Worry: A Biblical Perspective 0:00 Don't be so consumed Yeah. With worry that you forget about god0:07 Yeah.0:08 And that you forget even in the worst case scenario, even if I'm, you know, hungry, desperate, hopeless, like0:16 Right.0:16 God is with you in the worst case scenario.0:20 Welcome to Hope Talks. We're your hosts. I'm Haley Scully along with Dustin Anderson, and we wanna give you every reason for hope for every challenge in life because hope means everything.0:35 Haley, we are talking about worry today.0:38 Worry.0:39 Yeah. And upfront, I do wanna read the very famous passage from Matthew 6. I'll get to that in a minute.0:46 We're just jumping in. Yeah. Jump right in.0:48 Yeah. Well, part of it is it's kind of a very common passage. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life. And there's a lot to it, but I actually found out when I was kind of reading and preparing it. In the0:59 Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 through 7, Jesus talks a lot about a lot of different things. Mhmm. So anger, retaliation, loving your enemies, the Lord's prayers in1:11 there. The do not worry passage is actually 1 of the longest it's actually the longest portion in the Sermon on the Mount.1:18 Really? I didn't know.1:19 And I just thought that was interesting because it was like if you had to guess which 1 was the longest, I would probably think the Lord's prayer maybe might be the longest kind of topic in there, but it was actually1:30 worry. Worry. So I wanna get in that for a minute, but I wanna1:33 Okay. So I am glad that we're talking about this topic. I you know, we sometimes hit some hard topics and some lofty topics that we try to consider, but worry is kind of1:45 1 of those everyday issues. You know, worry is just something that can be kind of constant for people. I love it when people are like, worry is a sin because you're not dependent on God. Like, I love how we1:57 You have no faith.1:58 Yeah. You have no faith. Like, okay. I'm worried and now I'm guilty. And now I'm2:03 Yeah. No. I'm ashamed, but now Yeah.2:04 Past. We wanted, like, in all the things that we talk about, give a constructive idea of what worry is, help people define it. I wonder if anybody is getting tired of me talking2:16 about definitions.2:18 No. It's2:18 such a big thing. I think2:20 it was Howard Hendricks. If anyone knows DTS. Dallas Seminary stuff, they know that name. Mhmm. But and I don't know if he came up with this saying, but he always said something2:31 like, if you define the word or the problem, you kinda cut the issue in half.2:36 Yeah.2:36 So it's just2:38 It's like it turns the light on in a dark room.2:41 Yeah. It's it's this. It's not that. It's2:42 wanna use mine now instead of Howard Howard Hendricks' going forward. I'm just kidding. Go ahead and use Howard Hendricks because that's impressive.2:50 Yes.2:50 Okay. Here's 1 of the ways that June talks about worry, and it was 1 of those light bulb moments for me. So there's a difference in and I and I like some of the things that we're gonna talk about3:02 that sometimes we think that worry is just wisdom or just thinking things through well. You know? We feel like Worry is wisdom. To worry. Yeah. But the way that she tells it, I think it makes it really3:14 clear. So I think starting early with this as we get into the conversation, I hope that people will kinda think about, oh, is what I think is helpful actually worry3:26 and Yeah. Just kind of balance that out. But it's kind of the difference in worry and constructive concern.3:34 Oh, yeah.3:34 Like, destructive worry, I think, is how she says it.3:37 Yeah. Destructive worry.3:38 Versus constructive concern. Versus constructive concern. And so imagine if now you've heard me talk about Granny Toots. Yeah. So Granny Toots was afraid of water.3:48 She needs to make her parents every episode.3:50 She does. I like it. So Granny didn't swim. You know, she had polio, so she was crippled. I don't know if3:56 you know that.3:56 I said, you know, yeah. She was crippled from the time she was 3 years old, spent a lot of time in the hospital when she was little. But because of being crippled in the way that she walked and her leg that was4:08 crippled, she was afraid to swim. She always had this fear of drowning. So when we talk about it, until the day that she was baptized in her seventies and we got to be with her let me just say that out4:19 loud. That was such a sweet day. She got in the water. She waited waited in the wall.4:24 Like w a d4:25 e d. Yeah. She waited into the water to get baptized. But sometimes when people are I'm using that fear of swimming, fear of drowning, actually.4:35 Right.4:35 As the idea. So if you are afraid of drowning, destructive worry keeps you from ever swimming.4:45 Yeah.4:45 Like, I'm afraid of drowning, so I'm just gonna stay out of the water. I'm never gonna get in. It's that's the destructive worry. Constructive concern has you taking swimming lessons.4:57 Oh, see the difference. I love that. Like when, when there is something that is on your radar, there is the I'm gonna pull away. I'm gonna protect. I'm I'm afraid of it. I it's destructive5:09 because it prevents us from being a part of things. It may be said, separates us. It builds borders and boundaries that maybe aren't healthy. That's destructive worry. But when we see something and5:21 we think, how can it's constructive concern? Yeah. We feel empowered to do that. So when we wade into this topic, man, I am killing it today. When we wade into5:33 this topic, that is something to think about. Do I have constructive concern that actually empowers and emboldens me to do something about the situation? Or I do do I5:44 have destructive worry that shuts me down and takes me off track?5:50 Well, let me actually go through some more of that because I actually had a little list I put together. There are people who are probably gonna get sick of me saying, I have a list for this and I have a list for that.6:00 No. But We love lists. We love lists.6:02 So I'll do the definition of worry, but also I did put together because I love that stuff in our keys on worry versus concern because I think it helps separate what's healthy and unhealthy. Yeah. And so to start with the6:14 definition, worry is mental distress or agitation resulting from concern, usually for something impending or anticipated, primarily a negative possibility in the future. And so6:26 in our case, we talk about it's kind of more of like a mental habit. It's a way of thinking, and we kinda separate it out from fear and anxiety. So fear is more like you kinda know, like,6:38 the there's, like, an immediate threat. You kinda know what it is. Like Right. Fear of flying, fear of drowning.6:43 Fear of rock climbing.6:45 Fear of rock climbing. Mhmm. And then with anxiety, it's more of like a whole body kind of, event where, you know, your your heart is racing and you might be shaking,6:56 something like that.6:57 Right.6:58 But worry is more more in your mind.7:00 Mhmm.7:00 It's it's a mental habit. And, yeah, we do we did kinda also in the keys separate it out from concern. Yeah. As we're concerned is more like constructive. Yeah. Like,7:12 it leads to action, whereas worry would it's you're so consumed with fear that it actually prevents you from doing things.7:20 Worry is a slope Yeah. That can Yeah. Take you down.7:24 And so a couple of ways to distinguish those is concern faces reality, whereas worry imagines the worst case scenario. And so, like you said, with Granny Toots Mhmm. Like,7:36 she she faced that fear. She kinda faced instead of, like, worry is kind of like it's so much imagination. Your imagination just running wild.7:44 Man. And I like I said, I'm really good at Yeah. Imagining. I am super imaginative. Yeah. Mhmm.7:53 But, yeah, facing facing reality leading to action, whereas worry can lead to just inaction or paralysis. Concern would be trusting God with the outcome. Worry, you would kinda control the outcome, or you're thinking of8:04 what8:05 my feelings again, though.8:07 Yeah. We'll get into a little worry and control. I think that was a big thing prepping this.8:11 Exciting hints.8:13 No. Because we have we also have, 4 characters that I'd love to go through that we talk about in our case of just It is. Different types of worriers, types of worry Yeah. Worrying people.8:25 But, yeah, another 1, concern versus worry. Concern acknowledges what I can do. Worry fixates on what I can't do.8:33 That's so good. I mean, sit right there for just a second. Yeah. Concern focuses on what I can do. Yeah. Worry what I can't do. Like Yeah. The things that some of the things that come to mind, like flying, you know,8:45 I can't fly the plane. And so if I'm imagining, like, in control and all those things, like, you just come out swinging on me. Sometimes all the things that you say start to hit,8:56 but it it's true. Those things are what, like, kind of can make somebody spiral out a little bit. Yeah. But constructive of that is what can I control? Well, I can have my music playlist. I can you know,9:08 what are the things that I can do to help support a little bit of something that could trigger worry. So I like I like that 1.9:16 Yeah. With, like, the flying example, it's kind of the ultimate. I'm not in control.9:20 It is the ultimate.9:21 And so, like, if you have a worry about it, like, to the extreme, like, you would just never fly.9:27 Right.9:28 But then at the same time, like, you do have a little bit of control in that when you're on the plane. Mhmm. You can pray, you can listen to music, you can do things to just9:37 Honestly, once I get there, it it it changes. Once I'm in the seat and I'm like, okay, here we go and whatever. It's the imagination ahead of time that when I allow myself9:49 to fix on that, that the worry Mhmm. Of a little bit of a different situation can trigger the fear.9:56 Yeah. The fear. And that was the last9:58 The enemy comes at me.9:59 Yeah. Yeah. That was the last 1 I was gonna mention. His concern looks at the future with faith, maybe with hope. Yeah. And worries more looking at the future a lot with fear.10:09 Yeah. And you're just It's uncomfortable. It's not fun. Yeah.10:12 It's the constant what ifs.10:13 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I imagine that there are people listening. Because, like, 1 of the things we said is sometimes we feel like worry is justified, But that's why even10:25 slowing down for a minute and when I would be counseling, like, we just we've learned how to cope. We've learned how to respond.10:32 Mhmm.10:32 We just get in a habit of this is how we behave in things and the power of just slowing down for a minute. Yeah. Having the conversation. What is worry? What triggers10:44 it? How can I deal with it in kind of a simple way can be so helpful? Like just to stop for a minute and think, how is, what is, where is worry in my life? Yeah.10:56 And is there just a couple of tweaks that I can do to start to practice? You know, think on these things that we start to practice and we're we go from worrying about11:08 things to dealing well with concerns in our life in a healthy way.11:12 Yeah. And, yeah, you're right. I I do think about some of the other topics we've talked about. Like, it's not like the heaviest11:18 Right.11:18 Topic in the world.11:20 Yeah.11:20 Like abuse or depression or things like that that we've talked about here. But it it is interesting to me that scripture brings it up a number of times in that, like I said, in the Sermon on the Mount, it was the11:32 longest part of it. And so it's just I love that scripture not only talks about, like, salvation and eternal life and, like, the you know, what11:43 heaven will be like, these big big ideas and things. But then also, like, what's going on in your mind? What are you worried about? And so just God inviting us into that. And so I did wanna read that Yeah.11:55 I love that.11:55 Upfront and just be reminded that What11:57 did Jesus say about worry?11:59 So again, Sermon on the Mount, I did wanna share a little context because I did find it interesting that right before this passage is the is the part about where he's talking about storing up your treasures in heaven12:09 versus, you know, storing up your treasures on earth. And then he has that line about you cannot serve God and money. Mhmm. And so the immediate context seemed to be around, like, just solely12:21 focusing on money and earthly things and, not being kind of having your focus on the kingdom because he eventually says, you know, seek first the kingdom. And so12:33 having that mindset of just, like, earthly things, my my money, and how am I gonna get security in this world Yeah. I could I could understand how then the next thing he talks about12:45 is worry. Yeah. Because if you're only focused on that, then it's like, how am I gonna figure out all this? What if this happens? What if that happens?12:52 That's good.12:52 Yeah. So little context there.12:54 Yeah. I I like it. So he12:55 says, therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more important than food and the body more important than clothes? He asks a lot13:06 of questions in this passage. I love it. Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Second question, who13:17 of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all of his splendor was dressed13:29 like 1 of these. If that is how God closed the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, oh, you of little faith? So do not worry saying, what shall13:40 we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be13:50 given to you as well. And, again, as a summary, like a third time stating it, therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry out itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I love that14:01 passage.14:02 I do too. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time on that, and what do you love about it?14:08 He spends quite a bit of time on it because I think it's such a common thing that we do. To me, it's almost like so common that we don't even think about how much it impacts us. It's such a natural thing, and14:20 it's kind of related to fear a little bit, fear and worry, but it's just it's such a natural thing to, like, think about the future and worry. You know, is God gonna provide and all of14:32 that. What I love about it is he connects it all with kind of God's care for us, that he clothes, you know, the the fields and the flowers. He he provides for the14:43 birds. And so it's not just kind of a practical, like he does hit kind of the practical stuff of do not don't worry because it it doesn't add in a single hour to your14:55 life. So there is kind of like a practical takeaway of, like, this actually gets me nowhere. This is leading to nothing. Right. But then at the same time, he connects it with, like, your father knows your15:07 needs. Like, he's not gonna neglect you. Yeah. And so part of it is connecting it with just larger, like, things about God's character. Mhmm. And I15:19 always love that when scripture does that. It just connects our our actual everyday kind of struggles and things with something about the character of God.15:28 Yeah.15:29 Like, he's aware of your needs. He cares for you. And so because of that, we don't need to worry.15:37 I think you're so right. I think that is such a perfect example of so many times we kind of think that that scripture is about us. I'm not supposed to15:48 worry. Mhmm. I need to do this. But Yeah. Every scripture that we read and so much of what Jesus is saying, he's always pointing to the father. Yeah. Like, our16:00 hope and worry is not about us figuring out how not to worry. Yeah. It's not about what we do or how we position ourselves. Our hope16:12 to not worry is to remind ourselves of what god is doing in that moment. Where is the father? Mhmm. What you know, the clothes that we have. So16:24 many times, I think our worry is not just about, especially here in the United States and in first world places, worrying about what we're gonna wear or eat is not necessarily a16:35 common everyday worry.16:37 Right. Yeah.16:38 In some places, it is. In some places, they get the the difficulty and the blessing of depending on God in such a way that they actually see that16:50 they don't have to worry about those things because God is providing in the way that he provides. But I think that is that's a key part of thinking. It's not just us figuring out, like, oh,17:02 you worrier. God closed the lilies of the field, so quit worrying. Yeah. It is, oh, you worry or god Yeah. Close the lilies of the field. You know?17:13 Like, he's he's the focus. He's the point. And I think if we can kinda shift that of, like, what he's doing, not what I should be doing, that really helps to17:25 turn some light switches on for us.17:27 Yeah. And I'm glad you brought up that this kind of the different areas of where people live and how that might affect reading this passage and understanding it because, yeah, like, as I've thought about this passage now17:39 for, like, a week ever since we said we're gonna do this topic, I kept thinking about how we might possibly misapply this in some situations. 1 of the times I read it this past week, I17:51 was thinking about that same thing of, like, I really don't have to worry about food and clothes.17:56 Yeah.17:56 And it just really struck me of how much the immediate kind of basic needs of life are brought out in this passage. And I think hopefully, I'm careful here in saying this, but just I was18:08 thinking about how it's not immediately talking about, like, serious health concerns or, like, safety issues. Like like, that's the stuff I18:20 think about. Like Yeah. Where are my kids? Are they okay right now? That might be, you know, a a regular worry I might have. If someone has, like, a a health diagnosis or serious concern about a family18:32 member or something like that, I think the truth still remains, like, God cares for you. God loves you. Don't worry. I just don't think we should immediately18:43 go to that passage in that situation, you know, and say, oh, don't worry about it. You're gonna be fine.18:48 Yeah. Don't worry about it. The lilies of the field.18:50 Yeah. Yeah. So it's just it was 1 of those things where it's like the truth still remains. Mhmm. Like, it doesn't make it untrue or anything like that. How we apply it, I think, in the right situation because, I don't19:01 know. I was just thinking about just the the various situations where it might be a very serious concern, and it it really is worrying you.19:08 Right.19:08 And to come with, you know, just don't worry about it Yeah. Where then the person might feel guilty about it. It felt like a misapplication of it.19:16 I think it that is 1 of the dangers of caring for and helping others that in those instances, I like to say read the room. That's19:28 another t shirt I want. Read the room. Not that I always read the room exactly a hundred percent correct, but it is important because you're exactly right. For me, like, sometimes if I'm19:40 when we've been in other countries and and ministering to people in very different life circumstances that I'm in, those distinctions stand out a lot more19:52 Yeah.19:52 Than when I'm here, you know?19:55 Yeah. But19:56 but if I were to quote that to somebody who is struggling with nourishment, is struggling with those things, like we do we can think about it a bit more to think those20:08 are the moments where the way that I can reflect Christ the most, the the way that I can honor Jesus the most is to20:20 listen. You know, we have the times, and I've said, like, I'm not always the listener. I'm pretty much gonna speak into things. But in those types of moments, when somebody is20:31 hurting Yeah. It's it's not necessarily just a worry about, you know, the light and easy things. But when somebody is hurting20:42 Yeah.20:43 And their their worry is about some of the fundamentals, like health or the types of things that we're seeing. And we see that in our own communities. You do not have to go to,20:55 you know, third world countries, unfortunately, at times. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it20:59 was providing just basic needs for the month is still an issue for yeah.21:04 Right. So we we listen well because we don't understand how God is gonna provide.21:12 Yeah.21:12 You know, we can't prescribe or make promises on behalf of God, not necessarily understanding how is he gonna resolve their worry.21:19 Mhmm.21:19 How is he going to if he close the why is close a hard word for me to say? It it might be saying21:26 like close the door.21:28 It sounds like that, but I'm trying to get the the in there. So I am clothes. I'm trying to say it without adding another syllable. But if he clothes the lilies of the field, if he Yeah.21:40 Provides for the birds of the air, and I believe he does, I believe that he sees and he knows and he cares. I also21:52 know that all of us come to the end of our lines. All of us are going to experience difficulties. Some of us Yeah. Will experience times that we're worried about something and22:03 it does happen. But not over promising for God in those circumstances, listening well and reminding them of God's presence, not necessarily rebuking them22:15 for Yeah. A painful situation where maybe they're struggling with the difference between concern and worry. Like, it's just it's an important thing. Worry can be really tender for people too.22:27 Yeah. And I I think I bring it up because like we've said here before, I don't wanna give people a false hope by saying, oh, just don't worry about it because everything's gonna be fine.22:38 Yeah.22:39 But it also reminds me of, like, what the passage kind of isn't saying. And so just again, as kind of a matter of, like, definitions and sorting things through. To me, like, don't worry22:51 doesn't mean, like, don't plan.22:53 Right.22:53 Don't prepare. Like, that doesn't mean do nothing.22:56 Right.22:57 And so there's things like that as well, or like we've said, like, don't shame someone. Don't, you know, use use that passage flippantly or don't dismiss someone's concern. I don't know because there'sShow more In this video 0:00 Understanding Worry: A Biblical Perspective
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