‘Functional Atheism’: Popular Pastor Delivers Gut-Check on Worry, Breaks Down Biblical Moment That Could Transform How We Tackle It By Billy Hallowell for Faith Wire
Worry is a normal part of the human experience, though the level to which humans allow it to pervade our minds often exposes unfortunate truths about the state of our hearts.
Pastor Daniel Fusco of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington, believes overt fretting is evidence of a deeper spiritual condition.
“The problem with worry is worry is functional atheism,” he said on his latest episode of the “You’re Gonna Make It” podcast. “When we worry, we act like God isn’t in control, [like] He’s not the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.”
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Fusco continued, “We [act like we] don’t believe that all things will work together for good.”
The preacher is also out with a powerful, new book, “You’re Gonna Make It: Unlocking Resilience When Life Is a Mess,” in which he discusses this dynamic.
“When we choose to trust God, we’re also abandoning worry,” he said.
Fusco knows times have been tough in recent years, highlighting the multitude of challenges stemming from the pandemic and other related crises. Mixed with civil and social unrest, navigating life and culture has perpetuated worries and fear for many.
That’s why Fusco is working to help people steer through “times of uncertainty,” recognizing God knows we are prone to worry but that we can find peace in Him.
“God knows that we’re apt to worry,” Fusco said. “God knows that we’re worry warts.”
He said worrying takes a profound amount of energy and that the Lord wants people to instead “expend and invest that energy differently.”
“I can worry about a million things,” Fusco said. “Whenever I catch myself worrying, I say, ‘Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief … I want to turn that worry into worship. I want to invest that energy differently.”
