But worry is a different story. Every single one of us worries about something. We worry about our jobs, our retirements, our reputations and our families. We worry that we won’t make it into the college of our choice or succeed in our job application. We worry about impending decisions that need to be made and whether or not we will get the moisture we need for our crops. We worry a lot, actually, and it becomes a natural part of life. In fact, we probably have already accepted that it is so natural that we make room for worry. We make room for it by calling it something less concerning; we say we are ‘thoughtful’ about something. We justify worrying by saying that it motivates us to address whatever it is that we are worried about. But what we aren’t really good at is knowing when we are thoughtful in a constructive way, or if we have become worried, which always brings us to a helpless state that focuses on potential negative outcomes.
Worry affects us all. And worry eats away at our peace. Did you know also know that worry is the result of fear? It comes from the same place, just with different levels of intensity. And in some ways, worry is more destructive than outright fear for the simple reason that we make room for it in our lives while it slowly eats away at our peace, our sense of healthy balanced living.
Did you know that the Bible talks about fear and its distant cousin, worry?
For many of us, we have learned to live our daily lives without much thought about God or what He might want to help us with. Maybe your reading this is meant to be a reminder or a wake-up call that God wants to set you free from fear and worry.
He says in Isaiah 41:10 “So 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.”
If you are getting tired of being worried all the time, maybe it’s time to let yourself receive these promises from God. The way this takes place is through Jesus. By asking Him into your life, you will set yourself up as a recipient of all the promises God makes to relieve you of fear and worry.
You may find yourself extremely surprised at the freedom you experience when you start to live with Jesus! That’s certainly my hope for you. I’ve lived it for years, and I can tell you it’s true.
Pastor Brian Tysdal, Strasbourg Alliance Church
Comment on this at lmtimes.ca/minister
Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.
