“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (HCSB)
Someone really wise once said, “Worrying is like praying for what you don’t want to happen.” I don’t know that my worried thoughts can actually influence reality, but they can definitely make me miserable.
I’ve consumed lots of time by fretting about things that never came to pass, sometimes spending hours working on solving a problem that never occurred. Meanwhile, whatever was right in front of me, whether a trouble, task, or triumph, went unattended. Silly and sad.
I don’t have a magic formula for eliminating worry, except simply choosing to believe that this verse is true, as demonstrated by the many times I’ve worried needlessly only to have my fears never realized. Lest I beat myself up for my humanness, I can recall the trusty Israelites, prophets, and apostles who all seemed to worry about something, sometimes.
Jesus told the disciples that He was sending the “helper,” the Holy Spirit Who would live inside of us, teaching us and reminding us of everything the Savior said. When the angst about anything threatens to overwhelm us, we can call on the very Spirit of Christ to still our worry and remind us that life is best lived one day at a time.
Faith Step: Start a Fear/Fact Journal. Next time you find yourself worrying, make a note of the fear and allow yourself time to fret for five minutes. Then give it to Jesus. Sometime later, revisit your list and note the facts. If you’re like me, you’ll find that so much of what we worry about never happens or resolves itself.
