We’re going to think about the time Jesus said, “Do not be anxious” or “Do not worry.” Over the past few weeks the Wirral Gospel Partnership has run an online survey, asking people of Wirral about faith and church experience. The first question was, “Which words best describe how you feel about life right now?”
We only had a small sample back, but 1 in 5 respondents said they felt “anxious” or “overwhelmed”. Most respondents described themselves as Christian.
So we’re going to think about anxiety and worry, and take a look at what the Bible has to say about it.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in March 2026. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
What’s normal?
Firstly, we need to say that some anxiety is normal and that some isn’t. Anxiety is a physical and emotional response to stress, and at the right level it’s actually helpful.
The four main causes are: A traumatic experience | Copying anxiety from your anxious parents | fearing a loss of control (under attack, job loss) | fear of ill health.
But fear, stress, and anxiety can escalate. They feed each other.
- Emotionally: Being unable to sit still | Feeling on edge and restless | Feeling like something horrible is about to happen | Feeling easily irritated.
- Physically: A racing heart | Headaches | Pins and needles | Struggling to breathe | Shaking | A dry mouth | Sweating | A churning sensation in your stomach
Some people live with that every day. It’s a “General Anxiety Disorder” – an illness, not a sin. And it’s crippling, seeing most things in life as only something to worry about. It’s a life without peace or rest, and it’s hard.
In fact, people who suffer like that usually learn to mask it so that you don’t even know what they’re going through.
Everyone will suffer some level of anxiety over something. And just as with clinical depression, if you suffer from chronic anxiety there’s no shame or sin in asking for professional help too.
What we’re about to look at in the Bible will help you, whatever level you’re at.
Because there are things it’s right to worry about, and things you don’t need to worry about.
Things to be anxious about
First and foremost, you should be anxious over the state of your eternal soul.
- Whatever comes at you in this life, nothing matters as much as this.
- Management training often teachers people to know the difference between what’s important and what’s urgent. Often, urgent things need to be put to one side to deal with something that’s important. You can find you fill your time with urgent things and then at the end of the day you realise you’ve missed out doing the most important thing of all.
- And for you, a thousand thousand thousand years from now, you’ll know for certain what was most important for you to deal with in 2026.
- Your sin would separate you from God forever. Hell awaits.
- But he has given you hope, salvation, a means of reconciliation!
- He sent Jesus to live a perfect life so that he could be punished for your sins instead of you.
- God stands with open arms ready to forgive you, if you’ll ask him.
- Forget trying to be good enough; but you can be forgiven.
- Pray to him today: Lord, forgive me. Help me to live for you
- He’ll hear you and save you, and your eternity will be secure with Jesus forever.
- If you’ve never done that, then you should be very anxious indeed.
If you have come to faith in Christ, then it’s right to be anxious over the eternal souls of those you love. Speak to them about Jesus; pray for them constantly.
In fact, if you have come to faith in Christ then you’re in the lifeboat calling to others who are drowning. You should be anxious for everyone around you who hasn’t come to faith – all these local streets and beyond.
And knowing that it was your sin that separated you from God, that Christ suffered for, and that the holiness of your life is a key element of your witness today: Be anxious about your sinful heart. Don’t accommodate it. Don’t let sin reign in you; put it to death. Sin mustn’t be allowed a toehold in your heart.
What else should you be anxious about? The honour of Christ in the world. It’s not right; he is glorious and to be honoured. Even more pointedly, there’s the honour of Christ in the church. Not just this church, but every expression of church. And that comes down to trust in the Bible, sound teaching, good men to preach, and your own personal holiness in response to what you hear. If those things are less than what they ought to be, it’s right to worry.
It’s also appropriate to worry about world situations such as what’s going on in the Gulf just now. Christians expect wars and rumours of wars, but we’re told to pray for peace for the sake of the gospel. While people are dying outside of Christ, they’re lost to hell.
Now, all these things are something to worry about. But what do we do with that worry and anxiety?
We’ll come back to that. But first, we’ll look at things you shouldn’t worry about:
Things not to be anxious about
We go back to our text: Read Matthew 6:25. Most of us will have some kind of money worries at some point.
You might say, “Well, so long as I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ll be content with that.” But that means you will only be content if you’re among the more wealthy people on the planet. 1% of the world’s population owns half the world’s wealth. You only need $1M to get into that 1% bracket. 1% of the world’s wealth is owned by half the people. If you own your own home in the UK, you’re probably in the top 10% wealthiest people in the planet, though you might not feel it within the UK.
The more anxious you get about your food, clothing, home – or even the model of your phone – shows how much you depend on them for your peace and security. And in Bible language, that is a measure of your idolatry. You worry about not having as much as others have. Our materialistic culture tells you that you need the best phone, the nicest house, the biggest car. It says you should plan for a retirement that gives you the best of things – you deserve it! And so you worry about your retirement too.
But the promise here from Jesus forces you to ask yourself, what do you really need? Need is a big word. Be careful how you use it. What you need is Jesus Christ. Just 100 years from now, Jesus will be all you will have. And he will be all you will need.
But let’s be realistic too: Many people are living in fuel poverty (even turning to tinkering with gas and electricity meters to steal energy). You know the cost of living is getting worse. Students carry debts for years. The housing market has slowed down; people are starting to worry about negative equity.
For those in difficulty, there is help: Christians Against Poverty (CAP) are very helpful. The church also has a part to play.
And yet you must always be self-aware of how you see things: Are you actually buying in to the idolatry of society? Could pride keep you from reaching out for help?
Of course you need to take your money seriously, but beware your sinful heart: Are you worrying because of true need, or because you want to have the money that other people have?
Read Matthew 6:25 again.
Are there other things you shouldn’t worry about? Yes. As we look at scandals and outrage on the news, we often feel like rich and influential people get away with murder. But no sin goes unpunished. God will hold everyone to account.
As you look at wars and conflict on the TV, it’s right to worry for those caught up in it, but not to worry about God’s control. The world is full of sin, and sin is destructive. Wars come from the sin in human hearts, not from God. And God himself reigns untouched over all, and he will hold everyone to account. Also, since the Bible tells us to expect such things, we’re not taken by surprise.
Don’t worry if you fail your exams. You’re told to do your best to get a good job to have a nice house to “get on”. Those things are good and nice, but they are not your goals, young person! Do your best for Jesus, but if you fail you won’t have failed in his eyes. Continue to serve him.
Don’t worry about trying to please everybody. It’s impossible anyway. Work to please God. “Find out what pleases the Lord” – make that your guide!
It should also be said, don’t worry if you do have a big house or lots of money! It’s not a sin. But they are gifts from God to be used to his glory, so be generous and hospitable. If you have big dining room, fill it with people and tell them about Jesus.
Don’t worry whether you’ll find love! Seek God first; serve him. Imagine you’re on a mission serving Jesus; you might meet someone there also serving Jesus; it is their Christian character that you find attractive – put the kingdom first, and see where Jesus leads you!
So there are things we should worry over: But how can we be anxious in a godly way?
And there are things we shouldn’t worry over: How can we not be anxious?
Antidotes to anxiety
I’m going to give you a few Bible answers, all of which basically add up to this one thing: Turn your face to Jesus.
First, read Matthew 6:22-23.
- Imagine you’re hollow, and all within you is darkness.
- Anxiety and worry look down into the darkness.
- But now imagine your eyes are windows, shedding light into your darkness within.
- You’d want to look at the brightest light source you can to fill up that darkness! Look to Jesus, the light of the world!
Next, read Matthew 6:33.
- This is a promise from Jesus, if you’re worried about what you’ll eat and what you’ll wear.
- He invites you to make Jesus and his kingdom your greatest treasure.
- As you do that, you’ll learn to be content with much or with little, knowing that you already have the greatest treasure.
Read Matthew 7:7-11.
- Again, you turn to Jesus. You ask God for help.
- If you ask for material possessions to fuel your idolatrous dependence, you might be disappointed.
- But if you pray for help to fulfil his plans for your life, or simply to put food on the table, he will provide.
Read Philippians 4:4-7.
- That’s an extraordinarily huge promise for anyone feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
- But it is God’s promise to you.
How does turning to God in prayer, putting the kingdom of God first, help you in your overwhelming anxiety and worry?
- When I left my well-paid corporate job to enter ministry, I frankly didn’t know how we’d afford to survive.
- But we were certain that this was the Lord’s plan.
- We took that thought to him over and over in prayer, and it brought a certainty to keep going.
- We have had some lean times, but the Lord has consistently provided for us.
Turning to God in prayer helps you put your problems in an eternal perspective.
- He is your heavenly Father, and always will be.
- He is bigger than your biggest problem, and will still be your Father when all your current problems are long gone.
- Get this: There will be no anxiety in the New Creation.
Also, turning to God in prayer causes you to look towards light. You look upwards and outwards, not inwards and down to the dark.
Above all, as you turn to God in prayer you must remember that he delights to hear your prayers: You’re his child.
Read Matthew 7:9-11.
- It’s an image every parent knows. When you child comes to you, you want to give them the best (even if that is sometimes saying, ‘no’).
- You matter to God; he hears your prayers.
- He will help you, keep you, and do the best good for you.
Read Matthew 6:33.