What? Me Worry????

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Psalm 32:3 - When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

Ask yourself two questions:
Is there any unconfessed sin in my life? Confession is admitting to God that you did something that He saw you do. He really doesn’t need to hear it as much as WE need to say it. Whether it’s too small to be mentioned or too big to be forgiven isn’t ours to decide. Our task is to be honest and sincere…

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteiousness

Are there any unsurrendered worries in my heart? Yeah, that’s a tough one for me; it’s not that I don’t trust God, I do. It’s more giving up the control. The German word for worry means ‘to strangle’. The Greek word means ‘to divide the mind’. Both are accurate. Worry is a noose around the neck and a distraction of the mind.

Romans 14:23b – …everything that does not come from faith is sin.

If you think about it, worry is in direct conflict with faith, how can you exercise faith when you’re worried about a situation? You simply can not have faith that God will take care of a situation and harbor worry about it as well (remember what God tells us about being lukewarm!). Now, being concerned about something is not necessarily the same as worry, but "concern" becomes "worry" when we fail to relate the situation that confronts us to our source of sufficiency in God. To worry is to assume a responsibility that is not necessarily ours to assume; failing to recognize that God is bigger than any problem we might have, and loves us enough to seek our highest good in the midst of every situation, effectively takes God out of the equation and taking God out of our lives shows disobedience.

So…what are we to do? How do we escape the trap that is worry? The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use by turning to God in prayer. Remember this: Worry replaced by Prayer equals Trust.

1 Peter 5:7 – Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Matthew 6:31-33 – So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

When we keep our eyes focused on God, remember his love for us and know that He ultimately has our best interest at heart, we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on his kingdom. God will take care of our every need.

~ Vince