Confession of a Worrier

I am a worry wart.  I worry about everything.

It's a family tradition in my family.  I learned the well-honed craft of worrying for a long-line of proud worriers in my family.  The gift was passed down generation after generation and now I exercise that gift.

I worry about my wife while she teaches in school.  I worry about my daughter while she's in school and my son in daycare. If someone is late, even by five minutes, my mind starts to wander to worry about their possible fate.  I can worry with the best of them.

But God does not call me to worry.  He calls me to trust.  In that aspect, I fail daily and must repent and seek his forgiveness.

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus gives illustrations of birds and flowers to show his followers that worrying doesn't do you any good.  Birds don't worry and they've not gone extinct.  Flowers don't worry, yet every spring, they shoot up and display their beauty for all to see.  Instead, Jesus tells us to seek after him and his kingdom. 

Jesus is saying "don't sweat the small stuff."  He asks us to trust him.  Trust him to provide for our needs.  Trust him to take care of us.  Our job isn't to worry about our well-being.  Our job is to follow him and his commands.  Our job is to focus on Christ so we don't miss out on his leading and instructions.

We get distracted all the time with the minutia of life.  We get focused on the big game or vacation or school work or even more serious issues like domestic altercations, problems with our boyfriends and girlfriends, or even struggles in school or at work.  Those things are important, but they're not the most important thing.

Jesus tells us to focus on him and as we grow closer to Christ, these things will work out in our lives.  It may not always be a happy ending, but if we're focused on Jesus, then it will serve his purpose and his plan.  His plan is where we want to be.

Do you trust God or do you worry?  I'm a repenting worrier.  I need to trust God more.  How about you?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotion to a false god

Image
Last week, at Disney World, I went to retrieve our stroller from the stroller parking section.  As I searched among the hundred or so strollers, I finally found mine and started to move it.  As I pulled, it snagged on a woman's garment.  Panicked, I looked up and saw it was a Muslim women in full Muslin dress.  Her body was completely covered.  Only a slit for her eyes was visible.  I was careful not to yank, and I tried to apologize as the hook of the handle caught part of her garment.  She didn't say a word and we both quietly went on our ways. As I walked away, I felt pity on her.  For one, it's Disney World in June in Florida.  I strode along in shorts and a very thin T-shirt.  Both were soaked in sweat.  I had already consumed two bottles of water and still felt weary.  She was dressed head to toe in heavy garments.  I can't imagine how hot she was pushing a stroller with two kids through a mass of people in hum...
Read more

Bearing Responsbility

Image
I remember when my daughter was first born. Amid the excitement and joy came an overwhelming feeling.  This baby, which I held in my hands, was now my responsibility.  When she got sick, needed feeding, required a diaper change, or had to be corrected and taught, those responsibilities fell to me as her father.  In a matter of a few minutes, I had been entrusted with a new life on planet earth. Looking back on that day six years ago, I was excited but scared.  Yet, that is nothing compared to the responsibility Joesph must have felt.  Joseph was a righteous man, according to scripture, and he knew one thing for certain - Jesus was not his biological son.  Thus, he planned to divorce Mary quietly and be rid of the whole matter. And before we vilify Joseph, know that he could have done much worse.  By law, Mary could have been stoned to death.  His divorce was a form of mercy.  She would live and he would be rid of the stigma of an unfait...
Read more

Following Jesus' Example

Jesus was not a convential man. Often, when Jesus taught, he challenged the status quo.  He also liked to use object lessons and parables to illustrate his points about faith and a relationship with God. One night after dinner, during the last week of his life before the resurrection, he finished eating, took off his outer garment, grabbed a towel and started to wash the disciples' feet. Stunned, Peter protested, but Jesus said it had to be done.  He had to allow Jesus, his rabbi, his teacher, his Lord, to become a servant and wash Peter's dirty, worn feet.  So he did.  Jesus washed all their feet that night.  Then he said:  You need to do this too. Too often in Christianity today, there is an attitude of moral superiority.  We love to build beautiful church buildings, boast of our attendance, brag about our programs and talk about the money we give.  At the same time, we turn our nose up to the alcoholics and drug addicts and homeless and...
Read more