Are you a Worry-Wart?

Do you ever find yourself day-dreaming about your future, or maybe the state of the economy, or the spiritual decline of our nation and before you know it you become anxious and unsettled? Or maybe you find yourself obsessively thinking about your kids, what they are doing or watching, or the choices they are making, and you begin to worry about their health and well-being? I know that I am guilty of fretting over things that I have absolutely no control over. Furthermore, worrying quickly opens the door to yet another very destructive emotion—FEAR. So why do I worry? We all know what an inefficient use of time worrying is. In fact, over 90% of what we worry about never even comes to pass. Yet, many of us to choose to engage in it on a regular basis. It is important to note that there is a difference between worrying about something and being concerned about it. Whereas worrying immobilizes, genuine concern moves one to action.

Because worrying is so detrimental to one’s health and faith-life, Jesus strongly warns us not to worry. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

The bible gives us 7 reasons not to worry:

1. The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.
2. Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.
3. Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
4. God does not ignore those who depend on Him.
5. Worry shows a lack of faith in and understanding of God.
6. There are real challenges God wants us to pursue, and worrying keeps us from them.
7. Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

When we chose to worry, we forfeit our peace. More importantly, worry reveals a lack of faith in God’s control. Psalm 37:5-7 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” When God tells us to “commit our way” to Him, he wants us to entrust everything to Him—our lives, our families, our jobs, our possessions, and our future. He wants us to loosen our grip and give Him control. Committing ourselves to God means trusting in Him. Trusting that He can take far better care of us and everything that concerns us and patiently waiting for him to work out what is best. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? The real test of faith is whether or not you can do that.

Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. Hebrews 11:1 I just love that verse. It is such divine truth. If we knew the outcome, if we could see it all, it simply would not be faith. We would be trusting in ourselves, not in God. True faith drops a letter in the mailbox and lets it go, trusting that a response is forthcoming. Worry and distrust holds onto a corner of it, and wonders why the answer never comes. Holding onto the corner doesn’t produce a response, does it? It will not accomplish a thing until we let it go out of our hands and trust the postman and the mail system to get the letter to its desired recipient. This is how it is with true faith. It hands over its case to God, and leaves it with Him, trusting that He will work it out.

Worrying is a very destructive emotion that reveals a lack of faith that God loves us and is in control over our lives. It is also a very “inward focus”. Next time you find yourself beginning to worry, take a “time out.” Find a place where you can commune with God, give Him all your worries, and ask for His peace to rain down on you. This will give you an “upward focus”, and not allow you to dwell inwardly on your problems or worries. If you focus your attention on God and His goodness, He promises you will find peace.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Thirsty, anyone?

I admit I have been guilty. Guilty of drinking from the well to satisfy my thirst--guilty of trying to do things my way, in my time, and in my strength. Is it any wonder I end up dry and parched and thirstier than ever? Why is it that we always drink from our own wells? We attempt do things for ourselves without even giving a thought to asking God for his insight and help? I know we are taught early on to be independent, but by leaving God out of the equation we only set ourselves up for failure. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows that we can either stumble along on our own or we can soar with Him.

God gives each one of us a personal invitation. An invitation to come to Him. "Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fair." Isaiah 55:1-2

What God is offering is not temporary…it is free nourishment for our soul and it is eternal. Everything else in life satisfies for such a short time. Food tastes delicious at the moment but as soon as it is devoured its taste fades. Money buys material possessions, but once we have them, they no longer satisfy and we crave more. Vacations are great fun, but quickly fade to distant memories. Only a growing relationship with God can give us the nourishment for our soul that sustains and empowers us. We need the Living Water that flows from the throne of God. This Living Water is Jesus.

In Jeremiah 2:13 the Lord says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Remember the story of the woman at the well. She came to draw water from a well and met Jesus. He told her “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13

We are to thirst after God as we thirst after water. Jesus alone is the Messiah who can give us this gift that satisfies the soul’s desire. And it is not a one-time event. It is a moment-by-moment way of life. Furthermore, if we are to give back to others, we absolutely must be filled with God’s Spirit—filled with the Living Water, or we will simply not have anything worthwhile to give. How can we possibly encourage, inspire, or pour anything into the precious life of another human being if we have not been filled with the Living Water ourselves? We simply cannot give that which we have not yet received ourselves.

God gives us the choice from where to drink? We can drink from the well of our own cisterns or we can drink from the Living Water and never thirst again. I have a suggestion…why don’t we fill our empty vessels with Living Water. That God-shaped void in our lives simply cannot be satisfied with a career, money, a beautiful home, or even other people. It is designed to be filled with Jesus. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be thirsty again. I chose the Living Water.

"If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:37