Your Worries... In His Hands

“I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of the year to a great bundle of sticks, far too large for us to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole at once. He mercifully unties the bundle, and gives us first one stick, which we are to carry today,and then another, which we are to carry tomorrow, and so on.

This we might easily manage, if we would only take the burden appointed for us each day; but we choose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday's stick over again today, and adding tomorrow's burden to our load, before we are required to bear it.” - John Newton

Worry can be defined as a person’s negative thoughts about a future event. Chronic worriers work under the false perception that their overthinking, and attempts at controlling every situation, allow them to problem-solve and plan for the future. In any case, undue worrying does a lot more harm than good; it can even affect your health in a negative way.

The Bible tells us, "Do not worry about your life..." (Matthew 6:25). I must admit that this is easier said than done. Who among us doesn't worry about bills, health, security, etc.? Life can be very stressful, and worrying about it can occupy a large part of our day. And why not? We are under constant attack from life's problems. Wave after wave of worry sweep over us, unless we let the Spirit of God raise us above it all.

Life and it's worries can drive you into the ground, literally, if you let them. But it doesn't have to be this way. Our Lord wants us to be careful about the one thing that truly matters: our relationship with Him. Our minds scream out to us, "That's crazy! How am I going to live? What am I going to eat and drink?" These are good considerations, for sure.

However, Jesus is quite aware of all of this. He knows our circumstances far better than we do. That's why He tells us not to worry about any of it. As was mentioned earlier, these "worries" have a nasty way of consuming our lives, even to the point of becoming the primary concern of our lives.

If and when you find that worries are beating you down, always be sure to put your relationship to God in the forefront. Try not to think about what may, or may not happen tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 tells us that "Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble." Each day brings its own problems and worries. Allow God to handle it. He's much better at taking care of issues than you or I.

Is worrying about anything to the point of making you sick, or worse, worth it? Matthew 6:27 and Luke 12:25 tell us otherwise. Here's some good, helpful advice: keep your mind on the "much more" of our Heavenly Father. You'll certainly never have to worry about that!

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7; Proverbs 12:25; John 14:1; Joshua 1:9

Prayer: My dear Lord Jesus, let me cast my burden of worries upon You; please lighten my load as only You can. I need Your strength and calming presence everyday of my life. Amen

May God bless you always,

Sarah