Dont Worry Be Happy

Stevie’s Songs

Listen to Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bob McFerrin

Did you know we are in the grip of another pandemic? An anxiety pandemic. Anxiety is part of our lives at the best of times. But the Coronavirus has created a perfect storm of worry. Worries about loneliness, failure, change, monotony, anxiety about work, health, finances and the future can overwhelm us. Anxious thoughts fill our minds. “What if this happens?” “What if this doesn’t happen?” Are you worried as you read this?

If you are, will this song help you? Bob McFerrin released this catchy song in 1988 and it became the first accapella song to reach number one in the US. The song went on to win the 1989 Grammy Song of the Year ahead of Tracey Chapman’s Fast Car (which I can’t even begin to comprehend!). The song follows a similar theme to other songs like Bob Marely’s Three Little Birds who sang “Don’t worry about a thing, cause everything little is gonna alright” and The Lion King’s Hakuna Matata “ which means no worries for the rest of your days”.

Bob McFerrin wants us to join him in his “Don’t worry be happy” philosophy. It is his answer to all the troubles that might come our way. Whether its losing your home, getting behind in your rent, running out of money or loneliness. Don’t worry be happy. Don’t bring everyone else down by showing that your worried. Whatever it is it’ll pass, so don’t worry about it. It only makes it worse.

But it’s not that simple is it? When you’re in the grip of worry it doesn’t really help if someone comes to you and says ‘don’t worry’. Great I hadn’t thought of that! Here I was worrying when all I had to do was just to tell myself not to worry and my anxiety would just turn off like a switch. Put on a smile and all your worries will disappear. But there are things in this life that are upsetting and often we feel helpless. It is a very human inclination – to worry. We need something more than ‘don’t worry be happy’.

God knows that we can experience worry. One of the most common commands in the Bible is ‘do not fear’, because God knows our hearts have a natural tendency to be fearful and anxious.

When Jesus speaks about worry in Matthew 6 v 25-34, he doesn’t tell us to just forget about our problems, to just not worry about them. He doesn’t tell us to deny their presence, ignore them or bottle them up inside behind a smiley exterior. Jesus’ advice for anxiety is far more comforting than that!

He tells us not to worry and gives us powerful reasons why!

Reason 1

“Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes (v25)?”

God has given you so much already. He has given you your life and your body which are priceless gifts. Will he not also sustain the life and body he has given you? And he has even given his life for the salvation of those who trust in him! And when God begins a good work in you, he promises he will bring it to completion.  

Reason 2

“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?  See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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 (v26, 28-30).”

Go out and look at the birds and the flowers. God provides for them though they are so small and insignificant. You are the pinnacle of God’s creation, how much more is God going to provide for you.

Reason 3

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life (v27)?”

The answer is no! Worrying doesn’t achieve anything. It won’t add a second to your life. It is a futile activity. Even more when we consider that God has predetermined the numbers of days we will live and no amount of worrying will change that (Psalm 139 v 16).

Reason 4

“You of little faith (v30)”

Worrying is a sign of a lack of faith. God has given us so many promises that will give his people everything we need. Do we believe him? When Jesus said to his disciples “O you of little faith” he wasn’t seeking to discourage them but encourage them to grow in their faith. We grow as they did by staying close to Christ.

Reason 5

“For the pagans run after all these things (v32).”  

Those living without God, store up for themselves treasure which decays and is so easily lost. So when their earthly treasure is under threat it causes a lot of anxiety – because it is all they have. But followers of Christ should be different. If we are becoming consumed with worry about these earthly things we need to ask, ‘Are we giving earthly treasure too high a place in our lives?’.   

Reason 6

“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them (v32).”

We have a heavenly Father who knows what we need and he gives good gifts to his children. We can never remind ourselves of this often enough. This promise gives us the assurance we need in times of crisis and uncertainty

Reason 7

“Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (v34)”

We are often anxious about the future. While we should plan for the future, God doesn’t want us to get distracted by hypothetical worries about things that may or may not happen. There is no point; only God knows what the future holds. In our daily walk with Christ we don’t need to be distracted by unnecessary worry!

Reason 8  

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (v33).”

God does not just tell us ‘not to worry’. He gives us a positive command - instead of worrying, seek first the kingdom of God. Instead of just trying not to worry, we can be positive! Not in a ‘don’t worry be happy’ way but by giving ourselves to something better. Putting the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom as our number one priority in our hearts and in our interactions with others and trusting God to provide all that we need.

So when you are worried instead of listening to the shallow ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ counsel of the world, turn to your mighty Father in Heaven and “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5 v 7).”