5.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• You can have a good concern for something, without becoming worried about it.
• When we are concerned about something, it means that thing is important to us.
• We should not let our concern turn into worry.
• These things will tell you if something is a good concern to you or a worry:
  - Worry is about you; good concern is about others.
  - Worry makes you fear; good concern makes you pray.
  - Worry makes you passive; good concern makes you active.
  - Worry only sees this life; good concern sees eternal life.

5.2 Proverbs 27:23-27←⤒🔗

^27:23 Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds,

^27:24 for riches do not last forever, nor does a crown last from generation to generation.

^27:25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears, and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

^27:26 the lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats will be for the price of a field.

^27:27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food, for the food of your household, and for the sustenance of your servant girls.

© NET Bible

5.3 – 2 Corinthians 11:27-29←⤒🔗

^11:27 in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.

^11:28 Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches.

^11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation?

© NET Bible

5.4 Luke 10:38-42←⤒🔗

^10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.

^10:39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said.

^10:40 But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, 'Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.'

^10:41 But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things,

^10:42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.'

 © NET Bible

5.5 Concern is different from worry←⤒🔗

In English we have two words that mean two different things: worry and concern. Worry is when you think so much about a problem that you forget to trust in God and to serve him. Worry takes over your life. It is like a thorn (Lesson 1) or a sleeping pill (Lesson 2).

But concern can be something good. You can have a good concern for something without becoming worried about it. When you are concerned about something, it means that thing is important to you. For example, when you are concerned about your children, it means they are important to you. You will work hard to provide for them. You will plan for their future. You will always pray for them and help them. Concern does not have to take over your life. It can move you to do good!

In our first two Bible passages, we have two examples of good concern. In Proverbs 27:23-27, God teaches us to work hard and plan for the future. The writer of Proverbs is speaking to a farmer. He says that this farmer must take good care of his sheep and goats. Then he will have enough wool, milk, and money for his whole family. In the same way, we must also be concerned for our family. We must also be concerned for our work and for our animals (if we have them). Then we will work hard and do good.

In 2 Corinthians 11:27-29, Paul is speaking. He says that he is always concerned for all the churches. He loves the churches and he feels very bad when he sees that they sin against God. Because he cares so much for them, he has worked hard for them. We know that Paul was a busy man: he wrote letters, he collected money, he visited many churches, he trained new pastors, and he preached. He even went without sleep and without food, to help the churches (verse 27).

5.6 When concern turns into worry←⤒🔗

The problem is when concern turns into worry. This is what happened to Martha in Luke 10:38-42. She was concerned for Jesus. She wanted to make him feel at home and give him good food. That was a good concern! But then she forgot the most important thing: to listen to the words of Jesus. When she saw that her sister Mary was sitting and listening to Jesus, she became angry. But Jesus told Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In the story of Martha and Mary, we learn that Jesus Christ must be first in our life. To listen to his Word, and to pray, must be our first priority. When we put him first, then everything else will fall into the right place. But when we put other things first, then these things will turn into worries.

5.7 How to tell the difference between worry and concern←⤒🔗

How can you know if something is a good concern to you, or a worry? Let us look at four ways in which worry and concern are different:

5.7.1. Worry is about you; good concern is about others.←↰⤒🔗

Paul was concerned for the churches, because he loved them. He was not worried about his own suffering: his hard work, hunger, sleepless nights, and the cold. As long as he could serve the people of God! Worry makes you think only about yourself. But concern makes you think about other people.

5.7.2. Worry makes you fear; good concern makes you pray.←↰⤒🔗

Good concern does not make you afraid. It makes you go to God, again and again. When you worry, you don’t have peace. But when you are concerned, you can still have peace. Because you know that you can trust God with everything. You can pray to him about all your concerns.

5.7.3. Worry makes you passive; good concern makes you active.←↰⤒🔗

To be passive means to be useless, to do nothing. To be active means to do things. When you are worried, you cannot do good. You are too focused on yourself and your problems. But when you are concerned, you make plans and you do good things. Just like the farmer who takes care of his animals, or Paul who worked hard for the churches.

5.7.4. Worry only sees this life; good concern sees eternal life.←↰⤒🔗

Mary sat and listened to the words of Jesus. She knew that his words would give her life forever. Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” But Martha only saw the things that she had to do that day. She did not think about eternal life, or about the kingdom of God. That is why she was worried and upset. What do you think about every day: only about this life, or about the eternal life that God gives to you?

Jesus Christ wants to make you free from worry so that you can live and serve him with joy!