Don't worry: Be Happy!
Happy Thanksgiving. At the end of this sermon I will invite anyone who wishes to stand up and share what you are thankful for. So you can think about that while we make our way through the sermon.
Ok, so I have a joke for you. What twitches and lies at the bottom of the ocean? A nervous wreck!
"Do not worry. Don't worry about your life." Jesus says. "Don't worry about what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food. The body is more than clothing. Don't worry. Besides, what good would it do? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life span? No, then don't worry."
In his book, "Eternity Shut in a Span" William Marshall tells a story of a woman who for several years had trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars.
One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. "Good evening," said the man of the house. "I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you."
For the average person, 40% of worries are about things that will never happen. 30% of worries are about things about the past. 12% of worries are about criticism by others, mostly untrue. 10% of worries are about health issues, which gets worse with stress. 4% of worries are about real events that will happen but we cannot change. And finally 4% of worries are about real events on which we can act.
For a man who did not have access to research and statistical information, Jesus' advice seems to be solid. More than solid, it is good news. It is good news that we don't have to worry because we are taken care of by our Father in heaven. We can relax. We can be at peace because 96% of our worries are God's worries. 96% of our worries are about things that are out of our hands; they are in God's hands. So, 96% of time that we worry we can give that over to God. And then it is God's responsibility to stay up at night and loose sleep and ring his hands over those worries.
Author, Deepak Chopra writes that most people are addicted to worry, control, over-management and lack of faith. And that once a day we should surrender something to God.
Surrender that worry to God. For when we surrender worry to God, we are free. Free to give thanks for what we have, free to enjoy what we have, rather than dwell on what we don't have.
You see, we can either be worried or be thankful. We can't be both at the same time. They are mutually exclusive.
Thanksgiving Day is not a time of worry, it's a time of thanks. Traditionally, thanksgiving is a time of joy because the harvest is in. There is nothing to worry about because the work has been done, the harvest is in and families know that they don't have to worry about the winter. That's why early settlers celebrated Thanksgiving.
Today, those of us who aren't on the farm don't worry about the harvest; we worry about other things. Even farmers don't usually worry about running out of food in the winter. Any of us can simply go to the grocery store and buy what we need. Today, most of us worry about money, the money that we don't have. We may worry about people who aren't with us, or time we don't have. We worry about what we don't have rather than be thankful for what we do have.
When we are thankful, we appreciate the things we have, we even are thankful when we just have the bare necessities.
You know that studies have shown that those people who make more than $70,000 a year are less satisfied with their wages than those who make less. Why do you think that is?
So much of worry, or thankfulness is all in our attitude, our point of view, the kind of glasses we have on.
I got something sent to me the other day that challenged me to change my point of view. It was a letter on thankfulness. And it went something like this:
When I pay taxes, I am thankful that I am employed.
When I clean up the mess after a party, I am thankful that I have been surrounded by friends.
When my clothes fit a little too snug, I am thankful that I have enough to eat.
When the lawn needs mowing, windows need cleaning, and gutters need fixing, I am thankful that I have a home.
When I hear complaining about the government, I am thankful that we have freedom of speech.
When I find a spot at the end of the parking lot, I am thankful that I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
When I have a huge heating bill, I am thankful that I am warm.
When the lady behind me in church sings off key, I am thankful that I can hear.
And finally, when I am weary and have aching muscles at the end of the day, I am thankful that I have been capable of working hard.
What are you thankful for? I invite anyone who would like to share to sand and say what they are thankful for.
God gives us many blessings. God takes care of us. When we worry and live our lives in fear and anxiety we don't even notice our blessings. Let's continue to take the time today to notice how we are being taken care of. Let us give thanks on this Thanksgiving Day.
