Matthew 6:31 – 34 So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I do not feel qualified to write to you, today, about this topic. At times in my life, I have been the queen of worry, complete with crown and scepter. I have lost sleep, gained headaches, lost peace of mind, gained extra pounds . . . need I say more? But then again, perhaps this struggle of mine is precisely what qualifies me to write to you about this subject.
You see, friends, worry has never gotten me anywhere. It has certainly not moved me toward my goals, and it has never prevented a bad thing from happening. In most cases, the things I worried about never came to be. But it wasn’t my worry which kept them at bay. Worry has brought only bad things – stress, sleepless nights, headaches and clothes that don’t fit properly.
And it’s silly, really. When my children are with me, they know they don’t have to be afraid. They know I will take care of them. I will feed them, clothe them, kiss their boo-boos, scare the monsters away from under their beds. I love them, and as long as it is in my power to meet their needs, I will do so. That’s what parents do.
God is our Father, and He loves us! He will meet our needs. He will take care of us, no matter what. To worry about such silly things as food and bills and clothing . . . that shows a lack of trust in our Father. I have learned, time and again, my friends, that God always comes through. He always provides exactly what we need.
Worry has a positive counterpart. It’s called planning. There is nothing wrong with responsibly planning for our futures – it’s one of the ways we can alleviate worry. But one of the main differences between planning and worrying is the absence of one key element – fear. I can take a self-defense class in order to plan for the worst. But fear will cause me to always expect the worst. I can save money for my future, and plan for my retirement or the kids’ college expenses, and that’s simply being responsible. Or, I can hoard all of my money, never taking vacations, never enjoying life because I am afraid of what the future holds. But my worry won’t change things one way or the other. Worry will not make my life better.
God wants us to have abundant, joy-filled, peace-filled lives. We can trust Him to take care of us. And God alone holds the key to our happiness! When we seek Him first, when we make our relationship with Him the most important thing in our lives . . . we plug ourselves into the Power Source of true joy, true peace.
But worry robs us of joy, robs us of peace. So take it from me – someone who has learned this the hard way.
Trust God. Don’t worry. Be happy.
Dear Father, Thank You for meeting all of my needs. Please help me not to worry, but to only trust You.
Amen
Good Morning Renae,
I went to bed last night worrying, upset, and frustrated and I woke up this morning only to be confronted with the same issues of concern that would seek to ruin my day if I let them. But God wanted me to remember exactly what you had written…He will take care of things, He will take care of me, I need to keep my eyes on Him…
Thank you for sharing this post…
Have a God day!
Smiles and Blessings,
~mp:)
Hi Misti Pearl! I’m glad this post helped you. All of us are confronted with worry, at one time or another. But it helps me to remember all the times God has been faithful in the past.
Praying you have a peace-filled, joy-filled, worry-free day!
–r
Thanks for this wonderful post Renae! I too tend to worry too much about this and that and everything else, and it’s nice to be reminded that there’s really no need to worry when God is in control. 🙂 Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Tori! Isn’t great that we can just let it go, and leave all our cares with God? He really will take care of us.
Goodness gracious, Renae! Out of the mouths of babes…..I love you.
Thanks, Mom. I love that even though I am forty years old, you think of me as a “babe”. I love you too!
You can either pray or worry. You can’t do both.
(By the way, I heard your Dad thinks SueNell’s a bit of a babe too)!
Good point, Jackie.
And you’re right. That SueNell is pretty hot stuff! 😉
Thanks, Renae, for the reminder to relax and rest in God. What wonderful peace we have in Him!
Yes, Cheryl. Isn’t it great?
Renae,
Thanks for the reminder. I wouldn’t say I’m a classic worrier, but I have been known, on more than one occasion, to wake up at 3 a.m. gripped in fear.
I just heard in a sermon that FEAR stands for: False Evidence Appearing Real. How true!
Great post!
Hi KelliGirl! Isn’t that the worst feeling? I’m so glad we can leave all that with God, and He will take care of us.
Great acronym. Thanks for sharing it! 🙂
Thanks for pointing out the relationship between planning and worrying. I need to engrain this in my brain!
Me too, Alyssa!
Great reminder, Renae! And I can attest to the fact that most of the things I have worried about (or been told I should worry about) never ever happened at all. What a waste of time and energy it is to worry about things that have been projected into the future by our brains and are not facts at all! Lord, help me to get a grip!
Amen, Jeanette! Me, too!