Worry...

(Today's Reading - Gen 18-19; Matt 6)

Today's reading had some difficult things to digest. That's the way it is with scripture... sometimes it is simple; other times you scratch your head. I am going to deal with the simpler stuff :). Who doesn't worry? Sometimes I worry about being worried. Finances, children, marriage, job, friends... lots and lots to worry about. I have spent many nights sitting alone on the sofa, consumed by worry and waiting for the first rays of daylight so I could get back at it. That is the human way of dealing with worry. Overeating, not sleeping, fussing, stressing... you get the idea, many of you have been on that couch with me. But God has a different idea when it comes to worry and His plan is found in Matthew 6, verses 25-27.

“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 than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

There you go. Do not worry. That settles it. One command and all my worries are gone. I wish it were that simple. Worry is about faith. If we have faith in God and understand that He is in control, we cast our worries on Him. If we believe that it is all dependant on us, we hold onto our worries, because we are the ones that have to "fix it". God wants us to rely on Him. He wants us to understand that our worry is worthless and that He will take care of us. Does that mean we quit work and sit at home? Absolutely not! But what it does mean is this, when we have done all we can do, then place it in His hands for the result. It is about trust. Do we, do you, do I trust Him to give the right result?

When I was a student at N.C. State, I spent a lot of time worrying about tests. I would walk around telling everyone who would listen about my awful plight as a student. Finally a friend had the courage to say what needed to be said..."Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you spend telling everyone about how worried you are about your tests, you would make an A". I needed to hear that then and we all need to hear Matthew 6 now.

The economy has been bad for years, jobs are scarce and prices are high. That's a lot for us to worry about. But has the worry of our nation changed the situation? Have we gotten any closer to fixing the problem or will we ever? As a Christian, my outlook is to be different. I am not to worry about the economy, I trust God to do right. I am not to worry about my job, God is my boss. Can I change the price of milk? No. God says, "work hard, as if you are working for Me" and leave everything else in My hands". (Col 3:23)

When we understand that, when we are at peace in difficult times; then those around us will want what we have. If we are ringing our hands, just like them they don't see any difference and what we have is of no value to them. God says, "relax, I've got this". When we were young we sang... "He's got the whole world in His hands", maybe we need to go back to singing that now. If He's got the whole world in His hands (and He does), what do we have to be worried about? We are the King's kids, let's act like it.