I have been guilty of worrying. I have been guilty of fear. Why do I say guilty? God doesn't want me to live my life fearful and worrying. And he asks me not to do these things throughout the Bible. You can find the words "Fear Not" over 75 times throughout the Bible. I think He was trying to make a point.
A few examples: In Isaiah 41:10 he says plainly: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. In Matthew 6:25-27 he again says: Do not worry about your life...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
When I worry and am fearful, I am disobeying God. I am plainly doing that which he asked me not to do. Moreover, I am telling God that I don't believe that he is in control. When I worry, I am sending God the message that I do not trust him enough to watch over my life and that of my family.
Worry and fear are a horrible waste of time and energy. Ever hear that saying?: Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere. Or how about: My life has been filled with terrible misfortunes, most of which have never happened.
When you have children, it's easy to start worrying about the what if's. What if the kids get sick? What if we don't have enough money to pay our bills? What if I lose my job? Wondering about the what if's is just creating problems that don't even exist. Don't we all have enough to do today without taking on the concerns of things that haven't even happened?
When you give fear and worry an inch, they can grip you so tightly that soon you're unable to breath or move - anxiety sets in. Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a problem and you're chest tightens, you're stomach gets into a ball - you can't eat or sleep and you don't know if you should go left or right?
Fear and worry are thieves. They rob us of our ability to move forward with and earnestly enjoy life. They rob us of our ability to grow in the Lord.
I certainly have to remind myself to entrust my yesterdays, todays and tomorrows to God. I tell myself, that even if those problems come my way, God will be there to get me through.
My goal is to be like that man Jeremiah talks about in chapter 17, verses 5-8:
Blessed is the man that trusteth and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Oh, I'm not there yet - but I'm working on it.
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