What does the Bible say about worrying about life?
Understanding the nature of worry
Worry is very normal. Human beings are worrying people. It’s actually ok. While there is a sort of healthy sense of worry or concern about life and things, most often, worry is not helpful.
We can think of worry as a misuse of our imagination. When we’re thinking about things and ruminating over them, going over and over things that may or may not happen—worry is exploring what could happen without any real evidence that it actually will.
Jesus actually talks about worry and anxiety, and he tells us in Matthew 6 not to worry about tomorrow. Here’s the exact quote from verse 34.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
It’s interesting that most of our worrying is connected to tomorrow—things that will happen or may happen. But Jesus says don’t worry about tomorrow. He makes it sound so easy. Like have you tried just not worrying? He says instead to worry about today.
Focusing on the present
Worrying and thinking about tomorrow takes our attention away from the things we’re supposed to do today. That’s what makes it so dangerous and damaging—we don’t actually end up owning the moment today, which ironically makes tomorrow worse.
There is a simple fix though. (Things that are simple are not always easy). The way we can fix worry is essentially by coming back to a place where we trust in God. We have to believe in our heart that God is actually in control, and when we align our thinking with that truth, we’re going to start to feel peace in our hearts.
Trust God is in control
If we don’t believe that God is in control, or we don’t believe that he cares or is able, then of course we’re going to worry. There are so many things that can go wrong. Life is full of uncertainties, but finding peace is about letting go of the need to control everything ourselves.
By trusting in God’s goodness, we can shift our mindset from one of fear to one of faith.
David makes this declaration in Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
Take some time to remind yourself of who God is. He is good and he cares for you.
Embracing peace through faith
Instead of letting our minds run wild with what-ifs, focusing on today allows us to handle what’s in front of us. Each day has its own challenges, and by concentrating on the present, we give ourselves the best chance to live fully and intentionally.
Not only will this reduce anxiety but it will also strengthen our relationship with God too.
Let's talk about procrastination
The truth is that sometimes the reason we default to worrying about tomorrow is because we are in fact trying to avoid today’s struggle. No one likes difficulty or pain but one of the best ways we can overcome is by tackling it head on. Here’s what the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:11:
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
We’re cheering you on.
Can short people go to heaven?
Good news for all of my short kings and queens, your height has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you can make it into heaven.
This misconception comes from the following verses in Leviticus 21:16-20 (ESV):
16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.
As we can see from the context, this is very specific instruction given to Aaron (via Moses) about who can serve in the temple. Aaron and his descendants were in charge of all of the temple practicalities and there were strict guidelines as to who could serve.
The Bible tells us that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. Thus the animal sacrifices and other offerings in the temple were performed by Aaron for the forgiveness of the sins of the people (amongst other things).
But now Jesus himself has become the sacrifice, once and for all. Read in Hebrews 10:11-14 (ESV):
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
We can see that we no longer need animal sacrifices or the selection of priests as per the scripture in Leviticus because Jesus has already died on the cross for us.
Just like tall people, short people will only go to heaven if they confess their sin and give their lives fully to Jesus. Heaven was always an impossibility for us in our own strength, but Jesus has made a way for us.
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Can we go to heaven with tattoos?
The only place the Bible specifically mentions tattoos is in Leviticus 19:28 (ESV):
You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
Before we dive into the theology of it, let’s just consider common sense for a moment.
Our body is a gift to us from God and we are to steward it well. Damaging our body through lack of care is not good and yet all of us will imperfectly care for our bodies. Think about nutrition, lack of movement, avoiding going to the doctors to address illness etc.
Clearly it’s a good idea to look after our bodies but God is very kind to us as we imperfectly follow him.
So does tattooing damage our body? If done carelessly or improperly yes. But generally speaking no.
God is not a stickler for detail or trying to catch us out. He is very gracious to us in all of our imperfection.
Even if we reach the conclusion that theologically tattoos are a sin, then it would be hard to imagine that it is a level of sin that would disqualify someone from heaven.
The first thing we need to consider is that much of Leviticus is not written to most of us. The Law (Torah) was given to the people of Israel.
We can see that there are multiple elements to the Law.
- Civil law around the judicial system of the nation of Israel (not applicable to us)
- Ceremonial law around the forgiveness of sins (fulfilled by Jesus)
- Common sense truth that stands the test of time
So if you are not Jewish then much of the Old Testament Law is not an instruction for you.
That doesn’t mean there can’t be truth or wisdom that applies to non Jewish people such as myself. But if we want to take Leviticus 19:28 and apply it to ourselves today then we should probably also apply the rest of the Law such as burnt offerings etc.
So why did God command the people of Israel not to cut their body or tattoo themselves.
The clue is in the reference to the dead. Many pagan religions cut themselves or make markings (tattoos) that are directly connected to the worship of idols. Hence God is reminding his people that he is the Lord and wants his people to be separate.
There are some ways that tattoos can be sinful though.
It’s all about the heart with which we approach them (and anything else for that matter).
If we are getting a tattoo to annoy our parents or to communicate a dark or unkind message then that’s probably somewhat sinful.
If we are acting outside of self-control (a fruit of the Holy Spirit) and being careless with our bodies then that’s probably somewhat sinful.
And of course connected to idol worship is not a vibe.
But tattoos in themselves are definitely not sinful for Gentiles (although the scripture seems to say they are for Jews).
So how does anyone get to heaven anyways?
We know that every single one of us have fallen short of the glory of God and need a saviour. Romans 10:9 (ESV) says it like this:
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
It’s not the result of our perfect life (although God does want to change our behaviour over time). It’s the result of the grace and goodness of God, revealed to us on the cross through Jesus.
If you have a tattoo that you regret then you could always save up and get it removed. But the Bible also tells us that the old has gone and the new has come.
Thanks for reading!
How many pages are in the Bible
If you’re wondering how many pages are in the Bible then you’ve come to the right place. But unfortunately it’s one of those annoying answers – it depends.
The amount of pages completely depends on many factors including font choice and sizes, page size, style and of course translation. If you’re looking for a rough answer then we can say that typically a Bible will have at least 1200+ pages in it.
Did you know…
The Bible is primarily written in Hebrew and Greek and there are many translations of it into English (and of course other languages). It’s actually the best-selling book every year but it’s such a given that it doesn’t get counted to the official lists.
It’s also made up of 66 books (which make up two parts – the Old & New Testament).
If you’re wondering where to read the Bible then there are many free versions available to read online such as BibleGateway or the YouVersion Bible App.
You can also buy a physical Bible from Amazon (or a plethora of other sites via Google).
What is the sixth commandment in the Bible
You can find the full list of the ten commandments in the Bible in Exodus 20.
Though given specifically to Moses and the nation of Israel, the ten commandments have become iconic and contain timeless truth that can be applied today.
It’s worth noting that the Protestant and Catholic tradition of the Bible break down the ten commandments differently. The below quote is following Protestant tradition and found in Exodus 20:13 (ESV):
You shall not murder.
The Catholic tradition is that the sixth commandment is found in the following verse of Exodus 20:14 (ESV):
You shall not commit adultery.
This difference is to do with how the commandments are grouped but the both traditions still hold to the same message around the ten commandments.
Perhaps best to sum up all of the commandments is the Golden rule as shared by Jesus in Matthew 7:12 (ESV):
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
It’s hard to argue with that from the perspective of morality and given that Jesus wrote the Law, it seems like a good summary.
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Was Jesus a religious revolutionary?
Was Jesus A Religious Revolutionary?
Many Christians have this picture of Jesus as a religious revolutionary. The story goes something like this.
- The Jewish leaders such as the Pharisees were judgemental and oppressive because they were stuck in the ways of Judaism.
- Jesus arrives on the scene and brings a revolutionary teaching about God’s love and desire for relationship. Now they can forget about religion.
- The Jews who believed in Jesus became Christians and abandoned their old religion.
Conclusion: Jesus was a religious revolutionary
The problem with this version of events is that although it contains some elements of truth, it is not entirely correct.
You see, if we look closely, we find that Jesus was not so much a religious revolutionary as he was a religious conservative.
No, we’re not making any claims about the political affiliation of Jesus today. But the word conservative is what best describes the mission of Jesus.
A conservative is one who seeks to hold on to and preserve traditional values. They work to bring clarity back to things that have become distorted over time. This is what Jesus came to do.
Let’s correct some of our narrative above.
1. The Jewish leaders such as the Pharisees were judgemental and oppressive not because they were stuck in Judaism but because they had added to God’s laws
Let us not forget that Jesus was a Jew. And that he was the most Jewish Jew that existed.
Jesus not only lived under the Torah but he was the one who created it.
When we see Jesus criticise the Pharisees, it’s not because he opposes the Jewish law but the unnecessary additions to it.
For example, what began with God’s command to honour the Sabbath became an oppressive burden with hundreds of different specific rules about what you could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath.
So when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were angry for breaking their customs. But they were missing God’s original intention because they had added additional traditions that God never created. (See Mark 2:23-27)
Not all of these traditions were bad of course but sometimes traditions can distract us from what matters most. That’s what happened with the Pharisees and we see this happen today just as frequently.
2. Jesus arrives on the scene and reminds everyone about God’s love and desire for relationship. Now they can obey God and practice religion but from a correct heart posture.
Jesus did not bring a new teaching about God’s love. If you read the Old Testament then you’ll find plenty about it. (See Psalm 103 for example). The idea of living by faith (trust in God) was also not a New Testament one.
God was always looking for people to trust in him (relationship) and therefore obey his commands (religion).
We often create a false dichotomy between relationship and religion which often subtly communicates that obedience is not that important. But a much better interpretation of scripture is that true religion flows from relationship with God.
3. The Jews who believed in Jesus acknowledged him as the promised Messiah and continued to follow Jewish customs.
Jesus never told his followers (who were all Jewish) to abandon the Law and the Prophets. In fact he specifically and emphatically stated that this was not his goal. (See Matthew 5:17)
The early church was Jewish and gradually the good news was also shared with the Gentiles. Note that the Gentiles were never required to follow the Jewish law and practices. And over the next centuries as Christianity spread, sadly the Jewish roots of the church became less understood.
Conclusion: Jesus came to bring the Jewish people back to God’s original heart and teaching.
Jesus was not a religious revolutionary. He was the promised Jewish messiah through whom God would unite all peoples.
Recommended reading
Jesus Never Said Anything New by Rabbi Matt Rosenberg
Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H Stern
