Worry vs Pornography

Some people like to read or knit and others like to ruminate on theoretic situations that might someday ruin their lives.

Worry is sin but we don’t often see it that way, it’s not uncommon to hear people make passing remarks such as, “Oh I’m just a worry wart!” or “I can’t help it, I like to worry.” They admit their problem but immediately pass it off as no big deal.

Special note: This post is an excerpt from my new book “What If… How to Kill Worry and Anxiety Before They Kill You” You can order it now on Amazon.

Worry vs Pornography

Imagine if we applied these statements to other sins. What if you were browsing for movies with a friend and you came across a pornographic film. To your surprise your friend suggested that you buy it and when you ask why he simply laughs and says, “Oh I just can’t help it, I’m a sexual pervert!”

Even if he were a sexual pervert, he probably wouldn’t admit it because that’s a sin and he’d be ashamed if you found out. Yet viewing pornography is really not that different from worry.

• Both are sins of the mind.
• Both fantasize about something that is not real.
• Both are patterns of wrong thinking that develop deep thought habits which can be difficult to overcome.
• Both cripple their victims by invading and distracting the mind throughout the day.
• Both can lead to real physical problems.
• Both will lead to relationship problems.
• Both will keep us from pursuing God’s will in our life.

It’s no big deal

Rather than viewing worry as a sin of the heart which must be uprooted and destroyed by Jesus many see it almost as if it were a hobby, a pastime or just part of their personality. 

To a degree we enjoy worrying. It gives the mind something to do. At first it might even feel like we are solving problems, like we are staying in front of things or like we are caring for our loved ones. But then we get carried away and soon find that worry has gripped our minds with an uneasy sense of apprehension and doubt that grows with our fixation upon the problem.

Worry creates real problems

The problems around which worry brews are theoretical and most likely will never come to reality, however, the problems that worry creates are very real! Rarely will we attempt to do anything about worry until the problems which it creates in our life begin to bother us.

What do most people do when these very real complications appear? The first reaction isn’t to run to God’s Word for help but rather to treat the outward and physical symptoms. So if you can’t sleep you’ll find a whole shelf full of sleep aids at your local pharmacy. If that doesn’t work many turn to alcohol, excessive TV watching or many other ways of forcing the mind to forget its worries.

Medicating the symptoms

Then there are the narcotics given to us by the medical establishment as a way to slow the mind and dull the senses. Drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Xanx and Paxil are used by tens of millions of Americans as means to cope on a daily basis with crippling anxiety, worry, stress, anger and depression.

We know that these medications affect the processes of the mind and body and that they also have a lot of side effects! What is debatable is whether these medications actually help patients get to the root of the problem. By blaming chemical imbalances and treating only the physical results the idea that the underlying cause might be sin is often lost.

Worry is sin

The Bible clearly teaches that worry is sin and gives us guidance on how we should deal with it.

“Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving. Then God’s peace, which goes far beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah Jesus.” Php 4:6-7

Unfortunately many people are led to believe that their problem is purely a chemical imbalance that can be corrected by ingesting other chemicals which will bring their brain and body into harmony again.

What Jesus said

Do you remember Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount”? (Matthew 5-7)

If you read through it you will find that Jesus speaks about lust in three verses. (Matthew 5:27-29) However, Jesus spends 10 verses addressing the problem of worry! (Matthew 6:24-34) That’s a good sign that worry really is something we should approach with a serious attitude.

Jesus simply said it like this:

“…stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25

Next time you are tempted to brush off worry as an insignificant character trait you need to stop yourself in your tracks and remind yourself that worry is a sin and if left unchecked worry can destroy you just like any sin can.

Question: In what areas do you struggle with worry? What methods have you found effective for dealing with worry in your life?