Worry is mental distress or agitation resulting from concern; the book of Proverbs points to its devastating effect: “Worry weighs a person down” (Proverbs 12:25). So, are you, or have you ever been, worried about anything? Although we are Christians and know better, and wish we could say we never worry, the truth is we all do; maybe not all the time or in all circumstances, but all the same it happens.
What do we worry about today?
It could be health, our job, marriage, children, finances, and a whole lot
more. We worry because we don’t have control over any of these issues, and we
fear the potential outcomes could be nothing like we want. Simply put, we’d
like to take control away from the One (God) who has it. We’d like to have enough
control to decide how things should go. But when we worry, we’re wishing God
were not in charge, so we can do things our way, so they turn out exactly how
we want.
Worry is a waste of emotional
energy and can have devastating consequences on our physical and mental
well-being. The worst part is that, no matter how much or how long we worry, we
don’t accomplish anything. The issues we worry about do not go away or change
for the better.
Jesus asked His disciples,
when He was teaching them about money and possessions, “Can all your worries
add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27). The answer, of course, is a
resounding ‘No!’ Jesus told them, although birds don’t grow and harvest their
food, God feeds them. And knowing we are more valuable than they are should
assure us that He will meet our needs. After all, if He died for us, He must
also be interested in our wellbeing. After giving us His One and only Son,
isn’t He able to provide for us? He is more than able!
God knows we have the
tendency to worry, so He cautions us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has
done” (Philippians 4:6). Thanking Him should remind us of what He has done in
the past, and encourage us to continue to trust Him. In addition to praying, He
admonishes us: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). What a wonderful
assurance!
If we make God our focus and live within His will, He will more than take care of the details of our lives. Let’s learn to hand over our problems to Him in prayer because He has the power and the resources to work them out. We’re so limited in ability, predictability, and resources that even if God gave us the control we long for, things would still not turn out as we want. Our best option is to submit to God and trust Him to work out the details for our good and His glory!
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