Don't Fret About It, Seek God's Help!

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”    - Matthew 6:34

Aulus Persius Flaccus, a Roman poet and satirist (AD 34-62), once quoted: "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." There isn't a person alive who hasn't been worried or nervous about something we have no control over.

There are many things in life which can cause us to fret or worry. For example, health issues is a big one. Perhaps there is a pending lay-off at work, or a problem has unexpectedly arisen in your family. 

There are any number of things that can make us fret; things that make us wring our hands together and/or lose sleep over. According to the King James Dictionary, fret means: to be grieved; troubled; displeased.

Additionally, the Hebrew word for fret is charah, which translates to burned or distressed. Again this is usually caused by upsetting events in life which we don't have the ability to change. 

While we cannot totally avoid these types of occurrences from presenting themselves, there are some things we can do to help lessen the impact and comfort us while we go through them. 

First and foremost, we must lean on our faith in God. 1 Peter 5:7 tell us to: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Don't try to carry the burden of worry on your shoulders alone. You don't have to!

When we are going through troublesome times it can also be very easy to lash out and/or retaliate in anger. But keep your cool. Instead, "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil" (Psalm 37:8). 

As was mentioned, the best thing we can do is to turn to God, that is, hand the reins over to him. He knows what to do. "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him..." (Psalm 37:5).

And by all means, do your best to stay positive. Worries cannot be overcome by worrying about them. Even more, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).

It's not unnatural to fret or become anxious when something is out of our hands. However, we are not beyond help. We must seek out the Lord, and believe that He will see us through in the end (Psalm 34:4). This is definitely within our control!

Scripture: Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 6:27; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 55:22 

Prayer: "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"  - Psalm 118:6

Grace and peace, 

Amanda