THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

“ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannotdo this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (vv. 25-26)Worry is unproductive because no one by worrying can add a cubit to his life.23This verse can have two possible meanings. It can mean that no man by worrying can add a cubitto his height; but a cubit is eighteen inches and no man would ever contemplate adding eighteen inches tohis height. It can mean that no man by worrying can add the shortest space to his life; and that meaning ismore likely. It is Jesus’ argument that worry is pointless anyway.The Serenity Prayer states:“O God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage tochange what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.”--Reinhold NiebuhrTwo CategoriesEverything you have ever worried about can be classified under two categories:1. Things you can’t change--If you can’t change it, why worry about it?“The moving finger writes, and having writ,Moves on; nor all thy piety nor witShall lure it back to cancel half a line,Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”--Omar KhayamThe past is past. It is not that a man can or ought to dissociate himself from his past;but he ought or use his past as a spur and a guide for better action in the future, and not assomething about which he broods until he has worried himself into a paralysis of action.2. Things you can change—If it is something you can change, don’t worry—get up and change it. Why worry yourself into a state of physical exhaustion whenwith the same physical and mental energy you could develop a concrete course ofaction and get something done.One fellow said, “Don’t tell me that worry doesn’t do any good. I know better! Most of the thingsI worry about don’t happen!”I doubt that they don’t happen because we worry about them. Strange logic!