A New Playlist- Part Three (Based on the book by Jacob Armstrong)

Don’t Worry—Be Happy!

Do you have a favorite “don’t worry” song? A song that maybe helps calm your anxiety, brings you some perspective, or even just kind of changes your mood? In A New Playlist, author Jacob Armstrong realizes that about every decade or so, a new “don’t worry” song emerges. In the 60’s, it was the Beach Boys and “Don’t Worry Baby,” the 70’s brought Bob Marley’s “Three Little Bird” (‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right), the 80’s produced “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and most recently, we have Pharrell William’s “Happy,” which is totally a message of choosing happiness over worry and fear. However, before all of these songs, Jesus gave his own message, exhorting us not to fear:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus tells us in the passage that there is nothing out of His control, that there is no reason we should worry. He even goes so far as to address the 3 major roots of worry that most of have attempting to grow daily in our lives:

1.       Will I have enough? Jesus reminds us in the above passage that He is the ultimate provider. He provides for the birds, and He will provide for us. This perspective that “even the smallest bird in the tallest tree is of great value to God—is taken care of, fed, provided for.” He cared enough for us to make the ultimate sacrifice of life, and He will make sure our daily needs are met.

2.       Will I do enough? Jesus now directs us to the flowers, and points out that they don’t labor, or spin, or do anything other than just grow, and exist, and demonstrate the beauty and creativity of God. While God has gifted each of us to do amazing things for His kingdom, that is not WHY He created us. He created us to be in relationship with Him, and that relationship is not based on what we do.

3.       Will I be enough? Armstrong calls this the most haunting question of all (and I agree.) However, we do not have to worry if we are enough, because our identity is found in Christ. Our identity isn’t (or shouldn’t be) based on accomplishments, what has happened or not happened to us, or even in how others see us. Our identity is that of a child of the heavenly Father. Colossians 3:3 even goes so far as to tell us that our identity is hidden in Christ—we know who we truly are only through the lens of Christ—so of course we are enough. We can’t NOT be.

May we take the world’s playlist that is repeatedly telling us to be afraid, and replace it with the playlist that Jesus is singing over us, “Do Not Fear.” Over and over Scripture tells us not to be afraid. We can trust in God, and we can trust in how He made us, and His provisions for our lives.

Discussion Question:

-          With which of the three fears do you struggle most?