I’ve been a little worried lately. OK, maybe more than a
little. I admit it. Does that diminish my faith? I used to think so, but I don’t
anymore.
Maybe worry isn’t all
bad, at least for a bit.
But wait. Doesn’t the Bible tell us not to worry? It
absolutely does. Scan the Psalms, Proverbs, or the New Testament words of
Christ, and you will find tons of examples that say, “do not worry” (or “fret
not” in older versions).
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| Maybe worrying isn't all bad. |
But we do worry
sometimes, don’t we?
I don’t think our worrying surprises God at all. In His Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus had a lot to say about worries (see Matthew 6:25-34). The Lord was fully aware that
people would worry about life, food, clothing, and other daily concerns. He knew
we would be concerned about our families, our friends, and the future. And He
offered assurance.
Here’s an example:
“Come to me, all
you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew
11:28, NIV)
What
worries rob you of your rest?
Maybe you face financial struggles, a
troubling medical diagnosis, or a difficult relationship. Perhaps you are a
parent, concerned about your kids. You may be disturbed by political, social,
legal, or criminal crises.
I’m not talking here about ongoing clinically
diagnosable anxiety disorders, panic attacks, or phobias, although I believe
God can make a difference for us all. For the purposes of this post, I’m fighting
in faith with the kind of periodic worries that tend to plague us during
stressful seasons of life.
So I have to admit I have done a fair amount
of fretting lately. But I don’t want to stay there indefinitely.
What
happens when we camp out in fret-land?
Don’t we become restless? We lose sleep. We
carry an extra emotional burden, until we give it over to God. It feels like we
are carrying backpacks filled with heavy emotional rocks. That’s what the
Apostle Peter was talking about, when he reassured believers about God’s care
for us.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he
cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)
Peter didn’t say, “Give all your worries and
cares to God, if you ever happen to have any of those.” He assumed we would.
But he pointed us to the answer.
Paul offered similar advice, including a hopeful note about
how God can bring wholeness and peace to settle us down in our most worried
seasons.
“Don’t fret or worry.
Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into
prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s
wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.
It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your
life.” (Philippians 4:6-7. MSG)
God invites us to bring our concerns to Him,
rather than brooding endlessly over them. And He doesn’t judge us when we come
to Him with a big pile of worry rocks. It’s how we demonstrate our faith,
declaring our trust in His care.
“Our Lord, we belong to you. We tell
you what worries us, and you won’t let us fall.” (Psalm 55:22, CEV)
When we pitch our tents in the valley of
worry, our thoughts tend to race ahead, uphill in every direction. We toss and
turn in our beds. We grow distracted and anxious. We reload our backpacks with
those stinking stones of stress. The King James Bible describes this so well,
but includes a sweet description of how our loving God can bring us comfort in
this distress.
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy
comforts delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19, KJV)
I love that. Lately, I have had a multitude
of thoughts whirling in my head, especially in the wee hours of the night. But
I am aiming to take those thoughts captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:5) and give
them to God. Often, I find that I have to do that again and again and again.
But I believe that process drives us to deeper faith.
“Now faith is confidence in what we
hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)
So maybe worry isn’t all bad. If worry makes us care more
and serve more and pray more, then maybe it can be a catalyst for change. Maybe
it can lead us closer to the One who stands outside time and knows the future
and truly loves us. Perhaps worry can lead us to genuine peace.
That’s no platitude,
because it’s a gritty process.
In the meantime, I’m wrestling with worry. I want to become
a prayer warrior, even though I know warriors are made in battles, not bliss.
And freedom often comes after a fight.
Image/s:
Adapted by this use
from public domain artwork
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