Why Jesus Says: Do Not Be AnxiousНамуна

Anxiety doesn’t help you

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

Many people want to live a long life. Some go to great lengths to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and scientists search for ways to increase people’s lifespan and prevent aging.

But being anxious about your life won’t help you to live longer. You can’t even add a single hour to your lifespan by being anxious about it, Jesus says. In other words, it does not make sense to worry. It’s pointless.

In fact, recent medical studies show that depression and anxiety raise the risk of premature death (for example, from accidents or heart failure). Moreover, anxiety has a negative impact on your general well-being. As the book of Proverbs puts it: “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down” (Proverbs 12:25) and “by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed” (Proverbs 13:15).

I assume most people don’t worry because they think this is a reasonable and effective way of prolonging their lives. But realizing how ineffective or even counterproductive anxiety is, may be one more reason to fight anxiety.

Do Jesus’ words help you to let go of your worries? Why, or why not?