Fret Not
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
Each morning, during our family worship, we read a psalm. Recently, we read Psalm 37 and I was struck by a phrase repeated three times in the first eight verses, “fret not.” This started me thinking about this word, “fret.” Unless one lives in the world of the musical arts, fret is a word we seldom use. Yet, I believe it is a word we understand. Fret is defined as, “to constantly or visibly be worried or anxious.” Yes, this is certainly a word we understand. Our world is one rather defined by constant and/or visible worry and anxiety.
Our world, very much including the Church, is one that seems to live in a constant and contented state of fret. It can often feel that this is the air we breathe. Our culture and the Church seems to need fret in order to feel alive. To a dying world and an unfaithful and unregenerate Church, fretting helps us feel like we matter, that we have something to care about, to fight for. Fretting is what gives the unregenerate, within and without the Church, purpose.
As odd as it may sound, we are a culture that only feels content when we are feeling anxious about something. When all is “well,” we are scared. We itch. We feel empty. We then begin searching for where our next fret will come from. Whether the economy, the political climate, a pandemic, race conversations or the decline of one’s favorite sports team, we are continually moving from one stage of fret to another… and this problem is only getting worse. Wherever we find our fretting, what we see now is a longing to draw out and continue the problem at hand as long as possible. This obsession with fretting causes us not to look for real solutions, but hollow platitudes and efforts that will do little to solve the problem and may in fact, under more careful analysis, make the problem worse. Why on earth, you ask, would anyone ever do such a thing? Why wouldn’t we truly try to solve the problems that are before us? Is it possibly because to solve the problems is to lose our sense of self, purpose and meaning? Is it because we have become addicted to worry? Are we now gluttons, feasting at the fretting table of our sinful and wicked culture?
The Church Frets Too
I propose that this is exactly the situation we find ourselves in. To be clear, I do not believe this issue only rests “out there,” somewhere distant from those who claim the name of Christ. Fretting has found a cozy home within the Church. The Church has become mired in this obsession with fretting. It has allowed itself to be governed by worry, not the authority of God’s Word. The Church fears man and frets over reputation and acceptance. The Church fears persecution and frets over obeying God for the sake of culture. The Church fears being Christian and frets over using certain words or standing on certain truths. The Church has allowed itself to be taken over by the world and now lives in constant and visible worry (i.e. fret). The Church has chosen to fret more over the world around us rather than fear the God above.
This is not an issue that finds its root in popular culture, politicians, parties, or policy; not even the “crazies.” This is a sin issue and it’s as old as that tree that once stood in a garden created good. Our brokenness and the wretchedness of our hearts loves to fret because it places us at the center of the narrative and allows us to feel as though we can maybe control the outcome. Our very flesh now wrestles against resting in God’s strength and God’s sovereignty because that would cede control and make things too “easy.”
The solution? We must return and rest in the truths of God’s living Word. We must be reminded, more than daily, that the One God calls His people to be a people who run from the whims and comforts of our world and live as truly counter-cultural. This means that we find comfort in the exact opposite place that our world finds comfort, and that we place our trust in the exact thing our culture thinks is silly to place our trust in. This also means that we are at odds morally, philosophically and theologically with the world, and we must be a people who “fret not.”
We Are Commanded Not To Fret
As we look at Psalm 37, again we are confronted three times in the first eight verses with the command, yes command, to “fret not.” We are told not to be constantly, visibly worried or anxious. Fretting is contrary to the character of one who fears God. The Hebrew word, used all three times here, gives a sense of burning/kindling anger embedded in the root of the word “fret.” This better allows us to understand why we are called not to assume this posture. We are not to be a people, when looking at all that goes on in the word around us, who allow ourselves to be filled with worry that produces incitement and rage. To fret robs us of contentment, perspective, and hope. To fret rejects God’s sovereignty, His truth, and His assurance. To fret is to sin and distance ourselves from the living God.
And this is where we must pay very careful attention, Christian. To fret does not move us closer to God. This is David’s heart in Psalm 37. He understands, as the Spirit leads, that to fret does not bring him into closer proximity to his God, but instead moves him farther away. God’s command to “fret not” isn’t given so that we can be seen as bold and courageous. Nor is it given for us to become rebellious, religious zealots. That is simply to trade one sin for another. He commands us to “fret not” because it draws us closer into the presence, understanding and satisfaction of Him.
This is what we see in Psalm 37. We fret not because those things that we fret over will fade, whither and soon pass away. The living God never will. So we learn fret not, but then what do we do? If we are not fretting, what must we be doing? Psalm 37 answers this for us too. We see words like trust, commit and delight. We are not just commanded what not to do, but we are clearly told what we should do. We are called to “trust in the Lord,” in His plan, His control, His goodness, His faithfulness and His love. If you thought the key words there are plan, control, goodness, faithfulness, and love, go back and read that sentence again and understand the key word is “His.” Those words are only as good as the subject that they are attached to. Trust is possible because “His” directs us to the triune God who rules and reigns over all things.
Trust in the Lord
We are called to “delight in the Lord,” to enjoy, rest in, be happy and content in Him. We are to be a people who pursue growing our affections and emotions for God, for who He is and who His redemptive plan reveals Him to be. God’s redemptive history shines a light on His very character and nature. The more we know Him through understanding redemption, the more the Spirit stirs our souls to delight in Him. We are moved, emotionally, cognitively, actively as we come to know and see Him more. We chase pleasure in Him, and we order our lives in such a way to seek after more pleasure and more delight in Him.
We are called to “commit your way to the Lord.” Commit to Him, not man, not party politics, not a cause, no matter how righteous. As we trust and delight in Him, we are moved to commit ourselves supremely to Him. We give Him everything: our gifts, talents, time, resources, worship, work, conversations, marriages, plans, desires, agendas, actions – all of ourselves. Why? Because we trust and delight in Him. It’s a natural progression. Our fretting not leads us to know Him, trust Him and commit to Him. And our committing is truly a submitting to an undeniable truth. We are His because… well, because we are His. To know Him means we simply stop fighting (or at least start fighting less) against the reality that we are a people for His own possession.
Lastly, we are called to “be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” The outworking of our submission to God is that we now patiently and confidently wait on Him. We wait on Him to reveal and show Himself faithful, to strike down the wicked, to comfort us, and to eventually come again. We wait because He has promised Himself to us. He is our God and we are His people. We can know this now, partially, but a day is coming when we will know it fully. We wait because we know how this narrative ends. There is no surprise ending, no unforeseen twist. God is victorious and triumphant. God’s Church, the true Church, the invisible Church, will also triumph. God’s people, His elect sons and daughters will also be victorious. We wait because we know that the wickedness that seemingly prevails now is but dross when compared with the glory that we will soon behold. We are patient and stand firmly against the winds of change and all that the world would expect from us because we know that, while they believe they are in control, this stronghold of wickedness that surrounds us is more like baby’s whimper rather than a lion’s roar.
So church, we fret not. God reigns. His truth is sure. Our ground is not wobbly. No matter what the cultural narratives tell us, or how unsteady much of Evangelicalism may be, or how many pastors forsake the truth, or what we are told we should feel or believe. God is our refuge (Psalm 37:40). God laughs at the wicked (Psalm 37:13). God upholds us (Psalm 37:24). We will inherit the land (Psalm 37:9, 29). God is our salvation (Psalm 37:39). Therefore, we worship… we truly worship. We obey. We cling to His truth. We proclaim this truth. We run from our world’s obsession with worry and instead witness to a dying world what it looks like to be a people who trust in, delight in, commit to and wait for…HIM!