Reason #11
I come from a long line of worriers...on both sides of my family. I wish I could have a carefree, take life as it comes type attitude, but my type A personality just won't allow it. I introduced you to my brother "10 reasons ago." He's the one who got the 'carefree, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" genes. I got the "I've been worrying about that bridge for years, not even sure if I would ever get to it, but going ahead and caring way too much about how and if I'm going to cross it none the less" genes. I've spent many of my short years worrying about my future and how everything is going to [hopefully] turn out. To be totally transparent, I can rephrase that last sentence to say that I've worried if my future would turn out like I was hoping and planning it would. Well guess what, I've done a lot of worrying and it has yet to make a difference on the outcome. In fact, the only thing it did was consume me and keep me from really experiencing the fullness of God's plan in my life. Isn't it funny how we so easily give advice to others but don't follow it ourselves? I know I myself have told people plenty of times, "Don't worry. God has a plan for you and he's going to work it out. Just wait on him." As you can already tell, I haven't followed my own advice very well. Maybe, just maybe, part of me doesn't believe that for myself. Now why do I fully trust God to take care of others and then worry weather or not he'll take care of me? Probably because I'm a worrier. Matthew 6:27 asks how many moments worrying can add to my life. I think about this and realize that for all the time I've spent worrying, time has done nothing for me. My worries have held me in fear, but that's not where I'd prefer to spend my time. So, for 24 years I've worried about various things. Some things were worth the worry and some weren't, but last fall God taught me a huge lesson about worrying and brought me to a bridge to cross.
I have been walking through a wilderness packed full of potential worry. I worry about where God is taking me. I worry about the path he's going to choose to get me there. I worry about what it will look like to others who are watching. I worry about how this is going to totally throw off my perfect plans. I worry if I'll be strong enough to keep going. I worry if everything really will "be okay." I worry if I'll ever get out of this wilderness. After spending months in an intense state of worry, you know what happened? I lost 15 pounds (I bet you didn't expect me to say that). I realized that I was getting no where. I kept telling God that I was trusting him, but by worrying, I was showing him that I really wasn't trusting him. So, I stopped worrying and you know what happened? He took care of me. Now how hard was that? Harder than it sounds. I realized the truth in Matthew 6:27. Worrying added nothing to my life. Matthew 6:34 reminds us that we don't know what's going to come tomorrow. Sure, we can spend time worrying about it, but life changes in an instant.
Matthew 6:25-34 gives us some really good truths to hang on to when we worry. I can see with my own eyes how God provides for birds. I am a daughter of the King, created in his own image, so I KNOW he's going to keep me filled. I see the beauty of nature and how God cares for the flowers of the field. I see how much detail he used in giving them life. How much more detail will he use in designing his own daughter's life?
I still struggle with worrying. Doubts and fears still creep into my mind, but I'm being more diligent to actually trust that God WILL take care of me instead of worrying how, when and if he will. I can stand here today and list off a few very specific things that I've wanted to worry about but have chosen to lay them at his feet instead, and by doing so, he has provided for me in an unexpected and incredible way. I'll wait to share these answered prayers but will share them eventually.
As I've spent years worrying and the past few months trying to not worry, I've come to enjoy letting my Father take care of me. Matthew 6:33 says that if I seek God above all else and live righteously, he will give me everything I need. I never know how he's going to do it, but I know he's going to. He always has and he always will. How sweet it is to be seen as valuable in the eyes of our Creator (Matthew 6:26).
#11 - Because my God is so much bigger than all of my worry.
"The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." - Psalm 37:23
I have been walking through a wilderness packed full of potential worry. I worry about where God is taking me. I worry about the path he's going to choose to get me there. I worry about what it will look like to others who are watching. I worry about how this is going to totally throw off my perfect plans. I worry if I'll be strong enough to keep going. I worry if everything really will "be okay." I worry if I'll ever get out of this wilderness. After spending months in an intense state of worry, you know what happened? I lost 15 pounds (I bet you didn't expect me to say that). I realized that I was getting no where. I kept telling God that I was trusting him, but by worrying, I was showing him that I really wasn't trusting him. So, I stopped worrying and you know what happened? He took care of me. Now how hard was that? Harder than it sounds. I realized the truth in Matthew 6:27. Worrying added nothing to my life. Matthew 6:34 reminds us that we don't know what's going to come tomorrow. Sure, we can spend time worrying about it, but life changes in an instant.
Matthew 6:25-34 gives us some really good truths to hang on to when we worry. I can see with my own eyes how God provides for birds. I am a daughter of the King, created in his own image, so I KNOW he's going to keep me filled. I see the beauty of nature and how God cares for the flowers of the field. I see how much detail he used in giving them life. How much more detail will he use in designing his own daughter's life?
I still struggle with worrying. Doubts and fears still creep into my mind, but I'm being more diligent to actually trust that God WILL take care of me instead of worrying how, when and if he will. I can stand here today and list off a few very specific things that I've wanted to worry about but have chosen to lay them at his feet instead, and by doing so, he has provided for me in an unexpected and incredible way. I'll wait to share these answered prayers but will share them eventually.
As I've spent years worrying and the past few months trying to not worry, I've come to enjoy letting my Father take care of me. Matthew 6:33 says that if I seek God above all else and live righteously, he will give me everything I need. I never know how he's going to do it, but I know he's going to. He always has and he always will. How sweet it is to be seen as valuable in the eyes of our Creator (Matthew 6:26).
#11 - Because my God is so much bigger than all of my worry.
"The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." - Psalm 37:23