I am not immune to the shackles of worry. If I am honest, worry rules large portions of my life. Most of the worry that I find meandering through my brain on a daily basis are the very things that I have no control over in life. Isn't it ironic that we believe in a God who is in control, yet we rarely trust Him enough to let go and let Him control things? We long to maneuver, to dictate, to assemble some sort of cohesion that rarely sticks beyond a minute, only to realize that we were never in control to begin with and that the Lord, who is in control, is more than capable of working things out according to His plan.
As I struggle with worry myself, I share my thoughts on this blog with you, in the hopes that, as I write these words, I help myself and that I am able to help you as well. If two things are accomplished, then the greatest accomplishment of this post will be that the Lord is glorified and in that, we have all been successful. A passage of Scripture that speaks to dealing with worry is found in the words that Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount. As He spoke of worrying about food and clothes, He instructed those listening to do something other than worry about those things. He said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." (Matthew 6:33 HCSB) Rather than worrying about what we cannot control, we should focus our lives on bringing glory to God, seeking the Lord, and allowing the Lord to be in charge.
Know this about worry - it drains you, it distracts you, and if left unchecked, it will destroy you. Worry drains us as it causes our minds to be filled with the scenarios and the "what if" questions that rarely see the light of day. The mental exhaustion leads to physical exhaustion and in that, we are unable to fulfill the things that God has called us to do. Worry distracts us away from the love of God and a loving God being in control and places ourselves in a position we are not equipped to be in. We cannot control things and that is the grace and mercy of God. He holds the world in place. He simultaneously holds us together. Finally, it destroys us because it lead us to make decisions that will rob us and deplete us because we trusted our understanding rather than leaning on the Lord and His understanding.
Here is what the kingdom of God and His righteousness brings to us - peace. We have peace in our soul as we know that whatever may arise on earth, our home is in heaven with Christ. We have peace in the understanding that God is working things out in our lives through the circumstances so that we have a better understanding of Him as a result. We have peace because we have trust, not in what we can do but a trust in the Lord because of what He has already done and will do. Here is something to remember about allowing God to lead us - Psalm 23 - "He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:2-3 HCSB) Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness leads us to a place where He is leading, we are following, and life is fulfilling.
So, today, we have a choice to make. We can either worry about everything or we can trust God and seek Him regardless of what storms are raging around us. We will never discover more fulfillment in our lives than those times when we are God-seeking and righteousness pursuing. Conversely, we will never find the blessing of experiencing the fullness of God when we are shackled by worry. So, which will it be today?
One of my friends, a guy I have known all of my life, has a way of getting my attention. He is filled with wisdom. He and his wife are genuinely invested in my life. He knows me and he knows that, when I am shackled by worry, my face shows it. Every time I get in such a rut, he comes to me and says, "Why pray when you can worry?" The intent of the question is to redirect my focus. Rather than worrying about what could be, I am called to seek the One who was, who is, and who is to come. So today, we can pray and seek the kingdom of God or we can worry? I think we will accomplish much more in prayer than we will ever accomplish by worrying.
May God bless you today as you seek Him in your life. Know that seeking God will always lead you to a place where the fullness of life is found and where joy is experienced in a lasting way.
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