Some time in the range of the years 62-64 CE one of the world’s greatest leaders was in a bit of trouble. Having given his life to Christ roughly thirty years earlier, the Apostle Paul would spend the remaining days of his life spreading the Christian faith in some of the most hostile parts of the world. Remaining on course with the mission he was given, his path ultimately weaved all the way to his life ending as a martyr. After an order from the Roman emperor Nero, Saul of Tarsus was to be executed along with a large group of Christian leaders, in the heart of Rome.

One of the early leaders of the faith, the Apostle Paul, was one of the most influential and prominent leaders the world has ever seen. History documents the travels of the first century teacher throughout the far corners of the Roman empire. From modern day Syria to modern day Italy, the Apostle Paul would plant the first churches of the Christian faith. Undoubtedly the greatest impact of his life came from the letters he wrote to the churches he visited.

His writings have served as guideposts and foul poles to the Christian faith. A world-class debater, Paul outlined critical stances on what made faith in Jesus essential to life. Critical documents in the formation of theology and the Christian life, the Apostle Paul’s letters became fundamental pieces of the New Testament Bible. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, Bible scholars attribute 13-14 of them to the Apostle Paul. Seven of the books are entirely accepted as authentically written by Paul himself. With many other books soaked with his influence.

In his sixth and final writing, Paul was wrote from Corinth in 57 CE. Roughly five to seven years before being executed, Paul wrote to encourage the early church in Rome. The epistle known as Romans not only shared groundbreaking truth about eternal life and theological doctrine distinguishing what would spread as the Christian faith, it also legitimized a struggle we all wrestle with regardless if we reach Apostle status in this life or not. The writing legitimized the struggle of worry in our lives.

Worry is a fixation on possible outcomes solely in the mind. Worry is a dwelling of thoughts on uncertain outcomes or things that could go wrong. In reality worry is the precursor to more dangerous things like anxiety and stress. While anxiety and stress can physically be felt, worry is a little harder to recognize. Worry is a big deal and is difficult to recognize in our own lives, and even more difficult to admit out loud to even the most trusted confidants.

Nor our worries about tomorrow…

Romans 8:38-39

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Nor our worries about tomorrow…”

In the final letter he would write. In the last days of his life on earth, the Apostle Paul reflects on the opposition he has encountered while holding on to the truth. Look at the heavy hitters in this lineup of opposition:

“Angels & Demons”

“Death & Life”

“Height & Depth”

“The Powers of Hell”

“All creation” (Criminals, Debt, Loss, Depression, Mistakes, Tragedy, etc)

In the midst of all the talk of death and life, angels and demons, the Apostle Paul submits “worries about tomorrow” in the same breath.

“Worry about tomorrow” is running with “Angels and Demons” and “Death and Life” according to the Apostle Paul.

Worry about tomorrow is a bigger deal than we care to admit. It plagues our thoughts, causes us to toss and turn at night. Invokes stress and anxiety that can cause us to be short and snappy with our kids and hate our jobs. Worry is a discrete killer of joy and enthusiasm. It can ruin a Friday evening faster than when a teenager gets grounded by their parents. Worry can send us down a spiral of obsession over things in the future. Things ranging from paying a few bills to the possibility of a full on modern day civil war. Worry takes us from the present to the future and always assumes the worst case scenario.

Become A Better Gatekeeper

We must pay radical attention to the things we allow our mind to consume. The truth is - we consume whatever we want to consume. We are the gatekeepers of our own mind. We have been entrusted with dominion over what we choose to think about. Our minds are under assault from a variety of things. Social media, major news networks, the opinions of others. All present obstacles that generally are not encouraging to our thought life. If we reflect on the things we most consistently worry about, they likely involve some form of doom and gloom that is possible. It’s not the possibilities of negative outcomes that get us in trouble. It is the obsession over the possibilities of negative outcomes. If we want to rule our minds, we must develop a system of managing worry. We must become a better gatekeeper of what enters.

Define Your Dependence

Along the road to Rome, Paul encountered exceptional opposition and struggle. He was arrested and thrown in jail. His boat was shipwrecked and he almost died. He was attacked by animals. He was attacked by people upset with the message he was sharing. If we study the life of the Apostle Paul we would quickly realize his entire life after following Christ was obstructed by opposition. Yet in his final writing of his life he delivered the confidence of what he was dependent on. He gave insight into what he put his hope in.

You are only as strong as what you depend on. If your worth and value is dependent on your job, then you will likely spend time worrying about losing your job. If your confidence is dependent on your wealth and status than you will spend time worry about preserving your wealth and status. If your hope for the future is dependent on the results of a presidential election, then you will likely spend time worrying about the results of the election. What we worry about, reveals what we are dependent on. What dominates our fears, reveals what is under threat in our lives.

In his final letter, the Apostle Paul invites us to place our dependence on the reality of our position in Christ above all.

Nothing can separate us from his love.

May that be the our default setting in how we deal with our worries and fears “about tomorrow”

Stay The Course,