If you could bank all the money spent on medicine to combat high blood pressure caused by worry, you would be among the world’s wealthiest persons. Julie Restless loses sleep at night worried something bad will happen to her daughter. Though there is no rational reason to fear, she rolls like some wave in a storm, all night in bed. Finally, at two in the afternoon Wanda calls from the airport. She’s fine. Julie sighs involuntarily and a wise Wanda responds, “Oh Mom! You worry too much.”
Sound familiar? Worry is as prevalent a trait among Christians as the common cold. It may seem fairly harmless to be anxious about something bad happening to good people. But why then did the Apostle Paul write the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Php.4:6). I think the answer to this question is contained in the next verse. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Php.4:7).
Worry robs us of peace. It reveals that we do not really trust God. Worry is a matter of squeezing the life out of our limited understanding at the expense of giving God the right to do as He pleases. The fruit of worry is an overripe imagination.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You” (Isa.26:3). A steadfast mind does not worry—it trusts in God. As long as we allow anxiety to rule our lives we sabotage the faith God wants us to develop. And we already know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). So stop worrying already!
Meditation
Matthew 6:25-27—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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
How would you like to play a simple game? I call this the WIMF (Where Is My Faith?) Game
Directions: Pick a glass container and designate it as your official WIMF CUP. Now gather together a collection of marbles or small pebbles and place them in a bag near your cup along with a score sheet. Every time a worried thought pops in your head, place a marble into the container and record on the memo pad a slash mark. Next, pray and ask God to build your faith and eliminate the worry. Any worried thoughts that keep you from sleeping or working effectively cost 10 points each. {For those of you who travel a lot, instead of a container, place the marbles in your pocket. You now have a fairly obvious reminder of what it means to carry around worries all day!} At the end of each week tally your score. The goal of this game is to reduce your score weekly which hopefully means you are building your faith! May the Real Force be with you!
*Tip: This game is a great visual reminder for children about how important it is to trust God. And it is even more fun when you add players. Pick someone you know who has a tendency to worry and challenge them. Lowest score at the end of the week wins.
Inspiration
