I have suffered from severe anxiety most of my life; I'm even on medication for it. Does this mean I can't go to heaven, since Jesus said it was a sin to worry? I really do believe in Jesus, but I'm very concerned about this. — A.McD.

Don't be concerned about this any longer; God understands your problems and welcomes you just as you are. We don't have to be perfect before God will accept us; if we did, none of us could ever be saved! God's promise is for you: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

It's important for you to understand exactly what Jesus said about worry. He knew that we all tend to worry about the future -- but God knows all about the future, and because He loves us we can trust our future into His hands. He said, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ... Your Father knows that you need them" (Luke 12:22, 30). The opposite of worry, Jesus was saying, is trust -- trust in God and His unchanging love.

Jesus spoke those words, incidentally, to His disciples -- that is, to those who were already part of His Kingdom. He wasn't telling them that worry would keep them out of the kingdom of heaven; they were already part of the kingdom! If you have truly trusted Christ as your Savior, you too are part of His kingdom.

God doesn't condemn you for your problems; He knows they are real, and He also knows the reasons behind them. But He still loves you and you can trust Him for every detail of your life. Begin each day by asking Him to help you trust Him more.