Jesus says in Matthew 6, “Do not worry about your life.” The Greek word He uses for worry is merimnaō, a word that can mean care, concern, worry, or anxiety. That distinction matters. Godly care and concern are good and right. But when care turns into worry and anxiety, it becomes ungodly. It quietly shifts from trust in God to trust in ourselves.

The problem is not that we care, it’s that if we’re not careful, our cares can easily turn into fear. Legitimate concerns about our children, our work, our finances, or our future can quickly become a lack of faith in God’s character. As Jonny Ardavanis writes in: Consider the Lilies, “Often our anxieties may have started as legitimate cares and concerns, but when we attempt to bear our burdens instead of casting them upon the Lord, we become sinfully anxious.”

Worry is the enemy of faith. We’re called to live with concrete faith in Jesus, but worry causes cracks in that concrete. Corrie ten Boom said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength.” When we do that, we become strengthless today because we’re trying to carry two days at once. That’s why Jesus says, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

So how do we know when godly concern has turned into ungodly worry?

First, obsessive concern. When our minds are consumed by what might happen, when we lose sight of God’s sovereignty and love, we’ve crossed the line. Worry is an over-concern about things God promises to provide.

Second, distraction. Merimnaō also means to divide. Like Martha, worry distracts us from the presence of Jesus and pulls our focus inward. The enemy loves to keep our minds occupied with ourselves so we lack the bandwidth for God’s purposes.

Third, self-absorption. When we stop casting our cares on the Lord and start endlessly ruminating on them, our world shrinks. Jesus doesn’t tell us to fix worry by focusing more on ourselves. He says, “Seek first the kingdom.”

Jesus invites us to look again; to look at the birds, the flowers, and ultimately at Him. If God feeds the sparrows and clothes the lilies, how much more will He care for you? Worry reveals misplaced faith, but peace comes when our trust is completely in Jesus.

Turn your gaze upon Jesus. When He becomes your treasure, your focus, and your Master, fear loses its grip, and faith becomes firm once again.