This is another example of allowing everyone to be the victim, and blaming something impersonal, for real and personal sin. Anxiety is fear and slavery to what is not the true God. Working to support yourself and a family is not evil, nor is it supposed to be easy in a world cursed by sin.
In fact, the opposite is true—not working, but being given everything without earning it—is certainly no virtue, nor is it healthy for sinners. Worry makes everything bigger than it is. Sinners think they are god and can control their lives, extending them and making them successful by their own efforts.
The Christian is to fear God the Father and the holy law more than his own life and success in this world. Worry is truly sin. The task of obtaining daily bread is not only ours—we pray for it and are called to trust in Christ to provide it to us. In the Spirit we pray for what we lack.
But work itself is not the problem—sin is what we cannot get away from. “Embedded disparities” are blamed, but people do not work the same amount, with the same level of skills, effort or talent. We must judge those things in this world, and we should reward them. The assumption is that people deserve a good life, with ample goods and little work. But it is not possible (for very long) to have a society that is lazy and unwilling to deal with the stress of work. We were meant for work and to be fruitful.
The great irony is that the system of capitalism, working for an earned reward, is to blame. But capitalism allows one to change jobs, pave your own way, and obtain a different job with varying challenges. We are not slaves, nor assigned jobs by bureaucrats! But the unbeliever is a slave to sin and being His own provider and deity.
The truth is that we deserve nothing. All good things are a gift from the Father above. Our comfort comes not from avoiding work, difficulties, or tribulations, but from knowing that they will end, along with everything evil in this sinful world. Our peace is in Christ, who comforts us with forgiveness and true life. Christ clearly says that worry is unbelief—a distrust in God and His great promises fulfilled in Christ: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mt 6:27-34). —ed.
New year, same work anxiety: How capitalism makes work-life ‘balance’ feel impossible
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