Showing posts with label do not fret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label do not fret. Show all posts

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Don't Worry

Luke 12:22-25
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

We can worry something or worry about something.

The dictionary says worry is used two ways. Snapping, biting, and tearing particularly at the throat or mental distress, anxiety, pondering on something that might or might not happen.

From the definitions I read, it sounds like the act of worrying could go either way. The tearing at the throat is pictured as a terrier going after a rat, but sometimes I feel like worry tears at me, not just mentally, but physically, too. Worry has a way of beating a person down.

Jesus, in his great wisdom, knew worry was an enemy. He taught his disciples not to be anxious about what was to come. Imagine being Jesus’ followers. They had to sense danger with so many people against Jesus.

But in his way of teaching, he assured them God would take care of them. He provides for the ravens, of course he’d take care of his followers.

Worrying adds nothing to our lives. As we’ve found with modern medicine, stressing about life contributes to high blood pressure and anxiety. Yet in our society, worry has almost become an obsession. Jesus wants me to spend my energy on my faith and the way I treat others, instead of fretting over things I have no control over. He wants me to use my time loving him and loving people, and the rest will fall into place.

To keep worry from strangling me, I’ve learned to turn my thoughts to Jesus, and if I wait most issues work themselves out. As I’m a work in progress—prayer and time spent in the Bible help me balance my worry with trust. Instead of imagining all the terrible scenarios that could happen, I accept God’s providence and pray my faith outshines my worries.

Cast your cares on Jesus because he cares for you.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Do Not Fret

In Psalm 37:8 David writes, "do not fret."
Proverbs 12:25 says, "An anxious heart weighs a man down." 
In Philippians 4:6 Paul pens, "Do not be anxious about anything."

As difficult as it is to keep anxiety and worry at bay, God calls us to trust in him.
I've gotten up everyday this week, and repeated to myself: "I choose to trust in Jesus."
I have to verbalize it to keep myself calm and not worry so much.

Won't you join me in trusting in the God of miracles?