It sometimes feels as if the Christian faith is two different religions. One of those religions offers freedom from anxiety. If you believe in Jesus, then you don’t need to worry about forgiveness of sins, or about eternal life, or about protection and provision in this world. Christianity, Type 1, is about freedom from worry. The other Christian religion is about love. If you are a Christian, then you are commanded to love your neighbor, to love your enemy, and to work for justice, which is the systemic form of love. One name, but two different religions. Until you hear the verse from the First Letter of John, “Perfect love casts out fear.” There are not two religions, but one. Christianity is about dealing with worry and about loving others. The way to overcome worry is to replace it with love.
Most people, if asked to name the opposite of love, would say “hate.” Not so. The opposite of love is fear. Jesus loved the world too much to be worried about himself. Jesus loved the world so much, and worried about himself so little, that he died. If Jesus had worried about himself more, then maybe we would not have forgiveness of sins, and maybe we would not have the victory over sin and evil, and maybe we would not have eternal life. Bring it down to you. Maybe if you worry about yourself too much, you won’t accomplish whatever God has planned for your life. Or flip it around. Maybe if you act with love, then maybe you won’t worry so much. Replace worry with love.