Thursday, August 8, 2013

Worry Got You Down Today?


Worries, everyone has them. We worry about whether or not today will be a good day or a bad day, whether that choice is the right one to make or the wrong one, we worry about our jobs, our financial situations, our families, our children, our health, the weather. As you can see, we almost worry every single day. Yet, is it possible to go without worry for a day? Just how do you weather the storm when worry begins to rear it's ugly head?

Let's define worry: To torment one's own self.

Hmmm, kinda harsh to hear huh? I bet when people call you on that bad day when worry is running rampant all over your day, they didn't expect to hear that you're tormenting yourself did they? Yet if you really think long and hard about it, that is just what worry is. We are imagining all the horrible outcomes of any particular situation we find ourselves dealing with. The doctor called and left us a message to call us right away about the results of a test. What do we do immediately? We start the worry game. What if it's bad? I mean if it was good, wouldn't they just say so? What if I am going to die? What if ....what if.....what if.... Oh I am sure you can fill in the blank with any number of things.

What worry really is, is making a down payment on a problem we may never have. It never solves anything, it just sets out to torture and torment us. It has absolutely nothing to do with faith. Want to know the real reason we worry?

We worry because we actually think WE can solve our problems. We can fix it. We can solve it.

Let's look at the story of Mark 4:35 - 40 to see how we can win against worry.

"That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

This portion of scripture deals with telling us how to deal with storms and what we need to be doing in the middle of them. We know how it all turns out. Mark 5:1, "They went across the lake..."

They didn't get stuck in the middle with no way out. Jesus took them through the storm and out the other side. He wasn't worried what was going to happen, because His confidence, and trust was with His Father. He knew He would take care of them all.

Yet how often in the middle of the storm do we feel like the disciples, calling out to Jesus and asking Him, "God! Don't you care?" Doesn't it feel like a silence has settled in our lives at that moment in time, no matter how much we pray it often feels like God is asleep, like He isn't at work in our lives???

So what do we do when we don't feel like God is listening or working on things? We worry! We ask advice from others, who often times, don't know how to solve their own problems.

We need to run to the throne and not to the phone!!! It's one thing to believe in Jesus, but it's another thing to put our faith to work. We need to believe the best in all our circumstances. God has wonderful things for us. We need to start living like we believe it and start accepting it.

God has given us peace, we just need to thank Him for it. Ask Him to show you what's getting in the way of receiving it. God wants us to lean on Him. When we try to tackle our problems ourselves, we get frustrated.

Now it's time to win. Starting today, make a declaration that you will not worry! No matter how many times the enemy throws more stuff at us to worry about. Instead of spending time worrying about things, start spending time in God's word and learning about His promises for you as His child, and His heir. Read it out loud to quiet those thoughts we are having on the inside.

Humans are the only species that worry. Pigs don't worry, trees don't worry, fish don't worry, birds don't worry. Yet we are the most intelligent species and we torment ourselves by worrying.

Matthew 6:25, "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Do not, can be translated as STOP!

When you begin to worry, tell yourself out loud, STOP IT! I'm not going to waste my energy on that!! Go and pray and lay it at God's feet and then go do something that will take your mind off it and makes you feel better.

Remember how long we remain in the storm is up to us, what we chose to do while in the middle of it. No matter how long it takes, God will bring us through it. We are one day, one minute, one second closer to getting to the top of our mountain then where we were one day, one minute, one second ago. He will never leave us or forsake us. Turn to Him! Remember the promises of Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!"


7 comments:

Terra said...

We need to run to the throne, I like that. Your post gives a helpful perspective on turning away from worry and toward Jesus.

Anonymous said...

In Mt. 6:25f., Jesus portrays birds and flowers that do not work hard in order to be fed richly or dressed elegantly. So the worry here is especially about anxiously working in order to accumulate the "best" and most food, drink, and clothing. This whole section starts out in 6:19 with "do not store up treasures on earth." Earlier, in 6:11, Jesus told his disciples to go to the throne and pray (simply) for daily bread. It is human anxiety that pursues richer and greater things that ends up praying a "blessing" over extravagant meals.

Sharon said...

This was just the word that I needed to hear. Last month we were evacuated from our home due to a wildfire that came within a mile of us. Now there's another fire burning out of control, farther away - but still too close for comfort.

The enemy is flinging a lot of *flaming* arrows of worry my way lately.

Lord, help me stay strong!

GOD BLESS!

David C Brown said...

A word that's so constantly needed. Someone said - if you trust you don't worry; if you worry you don't trust.

And I like:'We need to run to the throne and not to the phone!!!'.

Unknown said...

Worry is a constant struggle for me- you can see it in my gray hair. :) However, you are right, I need to turn my face to Him. Thank you for sharing this- in the midst of our crazy struggles right now, this is exactly what I need.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LV said...

I have never been a worrier. My late husband did enough for both of us. I may be concerned about things, but not worry. My thinking is if you can do something about a situation do so, and if not let it go. Worry will not change a thing.