Hakuna Matata

Sunday was one of those days where I didn't feel particularly good about the message, and wasn't sure that it had really connected or communicated at all. But in the following days this week I have heard from several people telling me how much the sermon hit home. That's the way it often works, and it's always encouraging to see how God speaks through His word in spite of me. 

I also realize that the subject of the sermon--worry--always seems to strike a cord. I mentioned in the message a 2022 study from Penn State University that said that 84% of Americans are worried about the future, and I am sure that many of you are included in that figure. I know a lot of people who struggle with worry, but honestly I would have never imagined it to be that high. But I guess we live in very uncertain times, and the stressors in the world are obviously taking their toll. Worry has become our latest pandemic.

In that light, think about where we were three years ago this week when all of the shutdowns and panic started because of the Covid pandemic. These past three years have deeply affected the psyche of our nation. The politicization of the pandemic polarized us and led to distrust across the board, which increased our levels of anxiety. And even though for the most part Covid is now be behind us, the residue of anxiety lingers and affects us in ways seen and unseen.

But here's the reality. There will always be something for you to worry about, if you give yourself permission to do it. No doubt in our lifetime, there will be more pandemics, more divisive politics and more financial collapses. And on a more personal level, there will be relational squabbles, money problems, health concerns, and plenty of other things that lead to anxiety in our lives. As Jane Wagner wrote, "Reality is the leading cause of stress for those in touch with it."

The question is not whether we can eliminate things that worry us from our lives, but if we can change our response to those stressful stimuli. So, when Jesus asked, "Why do you worry?" He wasn't asking what are the things that you worry about. He was asking, why, given the choice of trusting in God, do you choose to worry anyway?

Does the phrase hakuna matata ring a bell? It was popularized through a song sung by Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog in the 1994 Disney movie The Lion King. If you were a child of the 1990's--or if you were a parent then and watched that movie a few times like I did--you probably now have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Here is the main chorus of that song, just in case you don't remember: "Hakuna matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna matata! Ain't no passing craze. It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's our problem-free philosophy..."

For whatever it's worth, hakuna matata is a real Swahili phrase, which means "no troubles, no worries, or take it easy." But do not confuse the words sung by a couple of jungle animals to a scared and confused young lion cub as reality in the real world. There is no such thing as a "problem-free" life, nor has anyone promised you "no worries for the rest of your days."

The point of Jesus' words, and Sunday's message, was that we all can choose not to worry, even in the midst of the "worries" of this world. We do that when we choose to trust in God even when the circumstances around us are uncertain and we find ourselves feeling out of control. That's what faith is all about.

So when the real-world worries come into your life this week, practice choosing faith in God over fear and worry. "Cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

I am praying for you, as I hope you are for me, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

--Pastor Ken