The Problem of Worry Romans 5.1-11

Faith Lutheran Church, Beaufort, SC

June 14, 2026

God's Answer to the Problem of Worry 

Romans 5.1-11

 To All Saints in Christ and to All Who Will Become So,

 

     Please turn with me in the Bible to Romans 5 verses 1-11. As you do so, let me prepare you to better understand and appreciate this passage by considering the problem of “worry.” This is a problem that all of us will face at some time in our life. As we consider this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, I want to ask, “Why Do We Worry?” “Did Jesus Ever Worry?” and “How Can We Overcome the Problem of Worry?”

 

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5.1-11)

 

Why Do We Worry?

 

     I will admit to you that I sometimes struggle with the problem of worry. I worry about whether or not I’m doing what God wants me to do? I worry about my family. I worry about this church and all of you. Sometimes I am incredibly overwhelmed by worry when I’m in a large crowd of people and I begin to wonder what will happen to all these people? Do they believe in God? Do they have faith in Jesus? Sometimes I worry about finances? Sometimes about health? Sometimes I just worry about getting into a traffic accident, or mine subsidence, or whether the sump pump is going to quit on me during a big rain storm? Worry can be a big burden that can crush us. It can cause sleeplessness and stress that can have bad effects on our physical health. Worry is destructive. 

 

     We worry because God created us with the ability to think deeply about the future. Most psychological approaches to the problem of worry say that it is normal to think about the future – and to think about it as both good or bad. The problem is when we focus excessively the possiblities of the bad. The psychological remedy is to look at life reasonably and to conclude that the bad things we really worry about won’t actually happen. But can we really be sure of that? In this world, without God, statistical probability is really our only hope. And we all know that we are not statistics. We are real people, and we face real problems. On the other hand, God really can help us with the problem of worry, and He very much wants to do so. Which brings me to this question...

 

Did Jesus Ever Worry?

 

     The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4.15). So Jesus worried, but He did so without sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life... Don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of its own things” (Matthew 6.25, 34). But the Bible tells us that He was “troubled and deeply distressed” in the Garden of Gethsemane before He died on the cross (Mark 14.33). Luke tells us that He sweated “great drops of blood” (Luke 22.44). He knew the future, and He knew that His own personal future was bad – He was headed to the cross of suffering and death. But Jesus also knew the good – He knew the suffering would be followed by the resurrection. And this focus on the good – the true good that God guarantees –  is our key to overcoming the problem of worry. 

 

How Can We Overcome the Problem of Worry?

 

     Sometimes you hear people say things like, “It’s all good. Don’t worry. It’s all going to be okay,” as well as the popular song lyrics: “Don’t worry. Be happy.”  Those can be very comforting words, but they can also be very empty words. How can we really be sure that “It’s all good. It’s going to be okay.” This is exactly what St. Paul was speaking about in his letter to the Romans. “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ... And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

 

     It is true that to overcome worry we need to focus on the good that lies in our future more than the bad. But this is not enough. For how can we be sure that the good will prevail over the bad? God is realistic. He tells us that the bad things of this life, past, present and future, are all caused by sin and our failure to live without it. As we heard last week from James, “... desire gives birth to sin; and sin... brings forth death” (James      1.15). But God wants us to see and believe in this ultimate good: He “demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). God has dealt decisively with sin through His Son on the cross. This is what the word “justification” means. The divine judge has so ordered: Case dismissed. The empty tomb of Easter morning is God’s affirmation that the good that comes from Him does in fact prevail over the bad that comes from us. Therefore, “... we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Romans 5.11). 

 

Three Applications

 

     So how does this apply to the person who is about to lose their job or has just been told that they have cancer? It applies in three ways:

 

     First, I address the problem of sin. Did I do anything directly to bring this trouble into my life? If so, I can ask God for forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. If I did not do anything directly that I can think of to bring on this trouble, I have to remember that I am far from perfect, and that it is not right for me to demand that God always bless me. I have sinned in many ways as has everyone else, and for that reason there are going to be many problems in this life. I still ask God for forgiveness, and I still know that I have it and have peace with Him through Jesus. Even if this problem means great hardship or the end of my life, I know that God loves me and will a save me. I am always assured of that.

 

     Second, after looking to the cross for my forgiveness and to heaven, my ultimate good, I look back to my problem and begin to do something about it. Worry and fear paralyze us. They accomplish nothing and bring about nothing good. Faith and hope activate us. Even though we may be weak, yet in Christ we can be strong. After praying for forgiveness, I continue praying for God’s help. I ask, “Lord, what should I do in this bad situation?” His answer to that prayer is always the same, “Michael, continue steadfast in My word. Follow Jesus.” So I open my Bible and read. I come to church and listen. I seek the help of others who can point me to those places in God’s word that will help the most. God’s word calms my heart, guides my mind, and strengthens me to do what I can in a bad situation.  

 

     Third, I recognize that all crossbearing in life, no matter how it turns out and when approached with faith, will bring out some good somewhere, somehow. Peter did not want Jesus to go to the cross because he was thinking only about the things of this world. Jesus could see things from God’s point of view. Suffering without faith produces nothing but despair and destruction. But suffering with faith will always result in good. Paul said, “tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint...” (5.3-5). 

 

Conclusion

 

     This is how I overcome the problem of worry:  I fold my hands for prayer. I open my Bible for wisdom. And I roll up my sleeves for work. I stand in grace, and I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. I have and you have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – God’s Word, Faith and Salvation! How can the problems of this world that arise from sin and cause us to worry stand before these things!  They cannot. God has guaranteed that that His good will prevail over our troubles. Let me conclude with this little poem by an unknown author. It is titled “Out of the Darkness.”

 

Out of the dark and forbidding soil

    The pure white lilies grow.

Out of the black and murky clouds,

    Descends the stainless snow.

Out of the crawling earth-bound worm

    A butterfly is born.

Out of the somber shrouded night,

    Behold! A golden morn!

Out of the pain and stress of life,

    The peace of God pours down.

Out of the nails – the spear – the cross,

    Redemption – and a crown!