Sunday, April 25

I was troubled by my sin.

—Ps. 38:18.

Some types of anxiety are good. For example, we are properly concerned about pleasing Jehovah and Jesus. (1 Cor. 7:32) If we commit a serious sin, we are anxious to restore our friendship with God. We are also anxious to please our marriage mate and to care for the welfare of our family members and fellow believers. (1 Cor. 7:33; 2 Cor. 11:28)

On the other hand, undue anxiety may cause us to constantly worry about having enough food and clothing. (Matt. 6:31, 32) To ease that worry, we might focus on gaining material possessions. If we allow that to happen, our faith in Jehovah will become weak and we will suffer serious spiritual harm. (Mark 4:19;1 Tim. 6:10)

Or we might fall victim to becoming overly concerned about gaining the approval of others. We may then fear being ridiculed or persecuted by men more than we fear displeasing Jehovah. To protect ourselves from that danger, we must beg Jehovah to give us the faith and courage we need to face the challenge.—Prov. 29:25; Luke 17:5.

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