The Surprising Connection Between Worry and Pride

Worry is running rampant in our society today.  People are worried about just about everything and even worried about what other people are worried about. But the truth is, worry is really an offspring of fear that will paralyze our faith.Here’s the difference between fear and faith. Faith is a reaction from the heart based on something God has said, whereas fear (or worry) is a reaction from the mind or emotions based on something your circumstance (or the devil) has said.I looked up the word worry in Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. Used as a noun it means: mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated. Used as a verb it means: …to afflict with mental distress or agitation.... Notice the words mental distress. What does that mean? It means that your mind and emotions are suffering. Look at the following synonyms for the word worry: agonize, fret, be anxious, be concerned, be troubled, be bothered, be apprehensive, be nervous, be fearful and lose sleep. Stress is even a form of worry. It has been defined as: constant worry, pressure, anxiety and nervous tension. All of these negative forces work in the mental and emotional realm and can be very destructive to many areas of our lives.Think about how worry operates. The only way we can worry is if we allow our thoughts to be negative ones. Worrisome thoughts never bring us peace or joy.Let me ask you a question: What happens when we anticipate something good is about to occur?Does it cause us to have a positive outlook and a happy demeanor? Of course! If we think that something wonderful is going to happen, then our countenance brightens, and we act like we’re glad. On the contrary, when we worry, it means that we are actually afraid something bad has happened or is going to happen. Worry never deals with the known realm—it always deals with the unknown realm. People worry about things that they don’t know about.When we don’t know about something, you might say that we are “in the dark.” Well—get a grip on this next statement!

Worry never produces anything in its darkroom except negatives.

Worry always dwells on the negative: “What has happened,” “What is going to happen,” “What did they think,” “How am I going to make it,” “What if they don’t like me,” “What if I blow it,” “I don’t think I can handle it.” These are all expressions of worry.An interesting observation of statements made by those who worry is the fact that most of the time the worry centers on “I” or “me.” That means people who worry are more self-conscious than God-conscious. They are being selfish or carnally minded instead of spiritually minded. God said in Romans 8:6 that to be spiritually minded causes us to walk in His life and His peace. But when we worry about something, we are not walking in God’s peace; therefore, we are being carnally minded.Here’s something else to ponder: You cannot worry and be humble at the same time!

Worry is actually a behavior rooted in pride.

Let me show you what I’m talking about. Look at 1 Peter 5. “Oh, Brother Larry, I know what that says. It tells us to cast our care on the Lord because He cares for us.” Yes, verse 7 does tell us that, but the verse starts with the word casting. You don’t start a sentence with the word casting. Verse 7 is a continuation of what God was saying in verse 6. Let’s look at both verses together.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Notice it tells us to cast ALL our care. If we cast all our care, then we would be carefree. Carefree has been defined as: untroubled, lighthearted, relaxed, cheerful or free from care. Well then, God is telling us right here that He wants us to live a carefree life! But, notice that in verse 6 He starts out by saying, “Humble yourselves.” And then He tells us that in order to humble ourselves we must cast our cares upon Him. The indication here is that living carefree while walking with God is a true sign of humility. That means the opposite would also be true—living your life in constant worry is a sign you are operating in pride.Think about this: God has told us to cast ALL our cares on Him. So if we choose to worry about something, then in essence we are telling God, “Lord, I don’t believe that You will take care of this for me, so I will handle this on my own.” That places us on the throne of our lives—not God. That, my friend, is pride. And pride will get us into trouble. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction.” Proverbs 29:23 says, “A man’s pride shall bring him low.”When we worry, pride starts working against us to destroy us and bring us low, or in other words, to cast us down into the muck and mire of depression and discouragement. But God doesn’t want us brought low. That’s why, in 1 Peter, He tells us to humble ourselves by casting our cares. Notice what verse 6 says that He will do if we humble ourselves. It says that He will “exalt” us. The Greek word for exalt means to elevate or lift up. What do we need elevated or lifted up out of? Evidently, according to the next verse, it is the cares and worries of life. Worries must be weighing us down, holding us back, causing us to sink, and trying to bring us so low that we feel hopeless and want to give up.Listen, we were not designed by God to handle the pressures and cares that tomorrow and the next day will bring.

God wants to elevate us or lift us up out of every situation that attempts to hold us down.

But we must cast our concerns, worries, frustrations and cares upon the Lord so that He can exalt us. When we cast our cares, that act of humility is also an act of faith. We have faith that God is bigger than the situation that we are tempted to worry about and that He will take care of it for us.Notice again that verses 6 and 7 tell us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God by casting our cares upon Him.

The mighty hand of God can hand-le anything and everything that comes our way.

So when you are tempted to worry, remember that God is a mighty God who will use His mighty hand to take care of your problems—if you let Him.