My friend, simply put, life is far too SHORT for such a word as this in our life! We are never guaranteed tomorrow. In that thinking. . . do you want to spend your last moments here on earth worrying? A sweet friend sent me an email and near the end it stated "Don't waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be." And to that I add - "or what was". Our life is but a vapor here on earth and we were made for SO much more!
God gives us freedom, hope, deliverance! God gives us promises: He forgives, He never leaves us, He is sovereign, He guides, He protects, He rescues, and He is more powerful than worry in our lives! This topic normally would be a hard one to share with you. . . for I have felt it's stronghold in my life. I have even worried that I worry as crazy as that sounds. Afterall, isn't it written down in the by-laws of being a "Christian" that you don't worry because all peace and faith abounds to you?? I'm here to tell you in my words......un-true > for Christians do indeed tend to be pulled towards the very human characteristic of worry throughout their life. It's what they DO with the worry that separates them from the world, I believe. As children of God we have hope and we have trust. . . 2 things that we can turn to in our time of need. When we worry we know that we can turn to God and ask with hope that He would help us through this worry, giving it to Him, and trusting Him to see us through. Sometimes we, as humans, need to come more than once..twice...or more seeking this from God and giving it to Him.....it doesn't mean YOU can't get it right.....just means you are HUMAN and are not perfectly perfect.
I read a quote on FB that went something like this: "to beat the darkness out there, you must first beat the darkness inside yourself!" You know what???? God doesn't ask us to be the strong man/woman and "beat" things inside ourselves!! There are things like WORRY that creep up to steal our joy away and at the very darndest best we try ourselves to dispel it and rid it out of our lives and we find we just CAN'T!
THAT my friend, is when God says I AM able!! There is nothing, including worry, that God cannot take care of in your life. 2 Cor. 9:8 says "And God is ABLE to make all grace abound to you, so that in ALL things at ALL times, having ALL that you need, you will abound in every good work." If our need is to be free from worry and God says that you will have ALL that you need.....than you can trust Him to take care of that. It doesn't rest on on our shoulders, my friend. Let God take care of that which you cannot! Philippians 4:19 says "And my God will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Mark 10:27 even assures us that "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God ALL things are possible."
Just as sure as we know God can and does take care of that which we cannot - sometimes it requires time. Time to heal, time to learn more of trusting Him, time to simply just ....wait. But just as sure as He is God we can trust that He does know that need and will take care of it! Trust Him!
Christians like to talk alot about the word "peace" too! And I truly sometimes get stuck on that word!! I wonder "If I'm a Christian....then why don't I fill peace?" Ah-hah!! as I stop myself and remember because peace is NOT a feeling, but it is a knowing....a knowing that no matter what I may feel or what I may not feel....God is in complete control!!! That is the difference I believe between what the world has and what we have as born again believers......a knowledge that no matter what we are facing God will see us through!! That is why I can believe that although I do not see with my physical eyes, that which I hope for, I know that with my Heavenly Father taking care of it ....it is well. That is peace! And disappointment is NOT the lack of peace......what it is is a normal human response to our limited view.....nothing more.
So don't let this whole peace thing get you down and confused!!
A very good worry verse is 2 Cor. 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Don't get caught up in what you do see for God is working behind the scenes and very well could be preparing your life for something really GREAT! I must remind myself of this when looking at my life and my childrens' lives!!
In our weakness (worry) God says "My grace is sufficient for YOU, my power is made perfect in weakness." Christ's power rests on you when you are weak! What else could we possibly ask for?? His all surpassing power rests on us and we need not muster up our own pathetic strength to conquer that which we cannot!
I have heard the term worry is symbolized like this: Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere. So, my friend, if you have worry in your life and don't know what to do . . .Give it to God. Let Him do for you that which you cannot. Trust in His sovereignty. Wait on Him. And in the meantime - - go rejoicing and shining for Him - no matter what. :)
I leave you with this! 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast ALL your anxiety/worry on Him because He cares for YOU."
If we can put this in our bank of knowledge and remember to draw on it daly we would be very rich..
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