| A Practical Way to Reduce Worry Joshua Mains MA, LPC This bible verse came to mind this week, and I thought it was worth sharing and meditating on. It comes from Jesus himself in the book of Matthew, and the sub-heading from this teaching of Jesus is labeled “Do Not Worry.” Here’s what it says:“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 than food, and the body more 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” // Matthew 6:25-34 NIV I love this passage. It gives me a great sense of peace and stillness when I read it. If the God of the universe is telling me, “do not worry”, then I must really not need to worry! I also love it because it redirects my focus from worrying about earthly worries, onto heavenly goals (ie., seeking first his kingdom and righteousness).But the thought that came to mind that I thought was worth sharing was this idea of control. Control. I think for many of us, so much fear and anxiety is rooted in this desire for control, because a lot of times, things feel out of control. In this passage, Jesus is speaking more to the worries for necessities, like food and clothing. And yet, even with these things, these necessities of life, Jesus is telling us to not worry about it. He’s telling us to let go of our worry, and trust that God is going to take care of us. I love how he puts it in verse 27 when he says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Ha! The answer is no. Our desire for control, and our worries ultimately accomplish nothing for us, other than to make our days a little more tense and stressful. So here is my encouragement for you: let go of your worry and stress, and instead, trust that God is in control of your life. And trust that He will provide for you everything that you need. After all, if He cares for the birds of the field, how much MORE will He care for you. And remind yourself that all we have control over is ourselves, in this present moment. The only thing we can control is what we do in this moment. So do what you can for today, and trust that God has got the rest taken care of. |
What are your thoughts?