Stop Worrying
Therefore,
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
(Matthew
6:34)
Have
you ever had a sleepless night, tossing and turning in your bed while your mind
races with concerns for the next day? Have you ever felt anxious about what
might happen at work before you even get there? Have you ever worried, every
day, the hammer was going to drop, and you were going to lose your job? I’ve
experienced these fears and anxieties in my work life and I know they can eat
you alive from the inside. The stress of everyday life can make you physically
ill. It did me.
Work
was only one of the areas of my life I was concerned about. I used to worry
about my kids’ health or would they be lead into mischief or would they be the
ones leading. I would drive down the road and think I was hearing strange
noises from my vehicle. I was certain it was about to break down and cost a
small fortune to fix. I could walk around my house and imagine all kinds of
things that would fail. Was the refrigerator cold enough, was the water heater
getting the water hot enough, would I have to spend more hard-earned money to
fix them? And the list went on and on.
Was
all this anxiety getting me anywhere? Was I going to prevent any of those
things from happening for even an instant by worrying about them? The common
thread in all my fears was money. If I lost my job, I would lose money. If
something broke down I would have to spend money to fix it. Money was my god.
Once I gave my life to Christ, I began to see my fears for what they were. They
were destroyers of my happiness. I can’t be happy if I’m stressed about
something I have no control over.
The Holy Spirit is helping me get over my anxieties.
The scriptures give me peace of mind as I read them. I’m not saying I never
worry anymore. It’s just that now, my worrying time doesn’t last very long. I
give whatever I’m stressing about to the Lord in prayer. I know it sounds too easy
but that’s all I have to do now. I still have troubles, but God helps me get
through them. Now I look forward to tomorrow because I know my God is already
there, and he will be there for all my tomorrows.
Heavenly Father, you can calm a storm with the wave of your hand. Lord, we live in a society where everything seems to be in a constant state of flux. You tell us over and over not to fear or worry about anything because you are with us. Remind us that no amount of worrying will have any effect on whatever comes our way. Someone once said that ‘tomorrow never comes, when it gets here, it’s today.’ When today gets here, give us the strength to deal with whatever challenges arise. If the troubles seem more than we can face, remind us to give them to you. We can always turn to you in prayer and you will be there for us. We know that whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, you will use it to help us grow closer to you. Hear our pleas for mercy and forgive our failings. Help us to learn from our mistakes and to go on with our lives knowing who we can rely on. Calm our fearful spirits and give us a peace that goes beyond understanding. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen!
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